We are working on behalf of the Northern Cancer Alliance.
The project started through the North East and North Cumbria Learning Disability and Autism Network. Inclusion North, the Network and the Northern Cancer Alliance worked together to set up the project.
Who do we work with?
Healthworks
Healthworks works across the North East to help people live longer, healthier and happier lives and to reduce health inequalities.
Northern Cancer Alliance
The Northern Cancer Alliance is part of the NHS. It works to improve cancer services across the North East and North Cumbria.
Learning Disability and Autism Network
The Network has now closed but use to work to improve health and services for people with a learning disability and autistic people.
Our Cancer Project Workers
Lindsey Fothergill and Kay Southern are our Cancer Learning Disability Project Workers.
Lindsey and Kay have lived experience of learning disability and cancer.
They work with Healthwork, the Northern Cancer Alliance and other cancer professionals.
They help make sure that people with a learning disability have a voice in cancer work.
What do we do?
We work together to:
- Make cancer information easier to understand.
- Help people learn more about cancer.
- Improve cancer screening.
- Help people get cancer diagnosed earlier.
- Make cancer services better for people with a learning disability.
- Share useful information and resources.
We want people with a learning disability to get the same good quality cancer care as everyone else.
We also want people with a learning disability to be at the heart of cancer work.
Cancer Project
Inclusion North is working with Healthworks on behalf of the Northern Cancer Alliance to improve cancer awareness, information and experiences for people with a learning disability.
The work was originally developed through the North East and North Cumbria Learning Disability and Autism Network, in partnership with the Northern Cancer Alliance and Inclusion North. This established dedicated Cancer Learning Disability posts to support the cancer programme and address the inequalities experienced by people with a learning disability.
Our Cancer Learning Disability Project Workers
Lindsey Fothergill and Kay Southern are Inclusion North’s Cancer Learning Disability Project Workers.
Lindsey and Kay bring direct lived experience of cancer and learning disability to the project. Working alongside Healthworks, the Northern Cancer Alliance and wider cancer professionals, they help bring the experiences, priorities and perspectives of people with a learning disability into cancer improvement work.
Their role helps ensure that people with a learning disability are not only consulted, but are actively involved in shaping the development of information, resources and approaches to cancer care.
What is the project working to achieve?
The project focuses on reducing the inequalities experienced by people with a learning disability in relation to cancer.
This includes work to:
Improve cancer awareness and understanding
Helping people with a learning disability access clear and accessible information about cancer.
Improve access to screening
Supporting approaches that make cancer screening easier to understand and access.
Support earlier diagnosis
Helping to address barriers that can prevent cancer being identified at an earlier stage.
Improve cancer experiences and care
Working with services and partners to better understand and respond to the needs of people with a learning disability.
Strengthen the involvement of people with lived experience
Ensuring people with a learning disability are at the heart of cancer improvement work and that their experiences help shape future developments.
A partnership approach
This work brings together learning disability expertise, cancer expertise, health improvement and lived experience.
By working across organisations and involving people with lived experience, we aim to identify barriers, develop practical solutions and share learning that can help improve cancer outcomes and reduce health inequalities for people with a learning disability.
The project also aims to share what is learned more widely, supporting services and organisations to improve the accessibility and quality of cancer care.
Our resources and learning
We will use this page to share accessible resources, information and learning from the project as they are developed.
These resources will support people with a learning disability, families, professionals and services to better understand cancer and improve access to appropriate information, screening and care.
