News & Events
“No matter how you feel when you come on, you come out of these groups feeling uplifted”
Recent News
Growth Pot Fund Meet & Greet Session
On the 29th of January 2025, the new grantees of cycle 2 of the Growth Pot Fund were hosted to a Meet & Greet Session at the Forgewood Community Centre. The meeting brought together members of the partnership of the E&P Network, grantees from both cycle 1…
Thank you from NLDF
As the year comes to a close I would like to take this opportunity to thank all our members for your support throughout this year. The feedback and comments we receive all go along way in helping us improve our service for those living with long term conditions/disabilities and those affected by cancer in…
Annual General Meeting at NLDF
Thank you very much everyone who took time and attended our AGM (29th Nov 2024) – our member, non-members, committee members, staff and our friends from: Voice of Experience Forum , Lanarkshire Links, North Lanarkshire Carers Together…
Participation Day
University Health & Social Care North Lanarkshire last week hosted its Participation Day at Cornerstone in Cumbernauld Town Centre, marking one year since the launch of its Engagement and Participation Strategy (2024-2027).
The event brought together carers, supported individuals, voluntary organisations, and community representatives to celebrate the achievements of the past year and reaffirm the partnership’s commitment to placing people at the heart of local decision-making.
The strategy, developed in collaboration with key partners, has empowered voluntary organisations to carry out high-quality engagement with communities across North Lanarkshire.
Central to this success is the Growth Pot Fund, which has already awarded £80,000 to 30 grassroots groups, enabling them to reach underrepresented voices and build stronger, more inclusive networks.
More than 100 attendees heard inspiring presentations from Voluntary Action North Lanarkshire, North Lanarkshire Carers Together, and North Lanarkshire Disability Forum.
Supporting organisations to engage meaningfully with local people, means the partnership is helping individuals feel more connected, valued, and involved in shaping the health and social care services that affect their lives.
This increased engagement is not only transforming how services are designed – its also helping residents live well, stay connected, and enjoy good quality lives rooted in their communities.
Claire Rae, chief officer, University Health & Social Care North Lanarkshire, said: “As a health and social care partnership, we are committed to enabling high-quality public engagement and ensuring that every voice in North Lanarkshire is heard, respected, and reflected in the services that support them.
“The Participation Day was an excellent opportunity for people across North Lanarkshire to hear about the excellent engagement work the Growth Pot is supporting. Crucially, it was an opportunity for them to learn how they can make their voices heard and shape the services they receive.”
Have you used our service before? Click the bubble to tell us about your expereince.
We are now using Care Opinion which is a valuable tool for giving and receiving feedback. As we are a charity we are always looking for ways to show funders the impact our work has on people living with long term conditions, disabilities and those affected by cancer and their carers. Please feel free to leave us some feedback as it helps us develop and monitor our service.
Recent Blog Posts
Meet Jen and Snowball
Hello, my name is Jen, and I am one of the North Lanarkshire Disability Forum volunteers and committee members. I have been volunteering with NLDF for 18 months now. On the 5th August I qualified with my first guide dog…
My Volunteering Experience by Catrina Bryce
What it’s like being a member and volunteer for North Lanarkshire Disability Forum.
Hi, my name is Catrina Bryce and I have been a volunteer…
Are you an Autism Warrior Parent?
Beverley McGuckin is an Autism Warrior Mum to her two children and works with young people with additional support needs. Beverley is a passionate advocate of the rights of children…
Local Events
Consultation event – proposed relocation of Bothwellpark Secondary School
There will be a Parent/Carer meeting to discuss proposal of Bothwellpark Secondary School relocation to Edward Lawson Centre on Tuesday 19th…
Online SDS Chat Wednesday 18th August
“It’s good to talk!”. “I’ve got a whole page of notes I’ve gleaned from the conversations”. Thanks to the participants of our first ever North Lanarkshire SDS Chat…
Join our online SDS Chat
Do you have experience of trying to access Self-Directed Support, for yourself or on behalf of someone you care for? Or are you interested in doing so? Why not join our online SDS Chat on Wednesday 7th July at 7pm….
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Engagement and Participation
Supported People's Partnership
Partnership
North Lanarkshire Disability Forum (NLDF), Lanarkshire Links and Voice of Experience Forum (VOEF) are working together for better Health and Social Care for Supported People in North Lanarkshire.
NLDF, Lanarkshire Links, and the VOEF have officially formed a strategic partnership. This collaboration is a direct response to North Lanarkshire University Health and Social Care’s Engagement and Participation Strategy.
Our mission is simple: to ensure that the people who use health and social care services in North Lanarkshire are the ones helping to shape them. By combining our expertise and resources, we can provide a robust structure for representation, ensuring that your lived experiences reach the people making the big decisions.
As each of our organisations specialise in reaching those often considered under-represented, we have combined together our skills, knowledge, and resources, so that we can achieve more effective outcomes for our community than we ever could alone.
We believe that to truly enhance the lives of those living and working in North Lanarkshire, your voice must not only be heard but it must be valued.
Engagement and Participation Network
A key element to this partnership is creating a network of grass roots organisations who engage with supported people, and those under-represented to share their knowledge and experiences of statutory services.
The Engagement and Participation Network will offer collaborative opportunities, experiences and input from the Network members. Through this Network, we will work to highlight gaps in representation allowing us to tailor our communications and approaches to meet the needs of the under-represented groups.
As the Engagement and Participation (E&P) Network is set up as part of the University Health and Social Care North Lanarkshire Engagement and Participation (UH&SC NL E&P) Strategy. The E&P Network has been established to support and compliment a strategic North Lanarkshire wide approach to involvement, engagement, and participation of all.
Vision: The E&P Network aims to ensure that local people with support needs, feel heard, engaged, and involved in the development of health and social care services in North Lanarkshire.
Remit of Group: The E&P Network will ensure that, the network partners work towards promoting best practice, delivering E&P activities, and recording such work and the outcomes across health and social care in North Lanarkshire.
Membership: The E&P Network will include and engage with statutory, community, and voluntary sector colleagues to achieve its aims.
From the Supported People’s Partnership and through the E&P Network we intend to use the ‘Growth Pot Fund’ to help widen participation through the provision of financial support to groups.
The Growth Pot Fund
The Partnership will administer a Growth Pot Fund, where organisations and grass roots community groups can apply for funding to increase their engagement and participation, as a result of their application they will be invited to the E&P Network.
Who can apply?
This fund is open to
· Charities, community groups and associations based in North Lanarkshire
· Organisations with an annual income under £75,000
· Groups that hold a bank account in the name of the organisation
· Groups that have a governing document (i.e. a Constitution or Terms of Reference)
We especially encourage applications from under-represented communities, including ethnic minorities, New Scots, and LGBTQ+ groups.