Communicate 2 U (C2U)
We are a not-for-profit social enterprise established in 2011 to address the issues created by poor communication between people with learning disabilities and the health and social care sector.
Our key aims
- To empower people with learning disabilities and anyone with additional communication needs by utilising their expertise as communication experts to deliver training in communication skills.
- To create socially valued, meaningful employment for these communication experts.
- To promote social inclusion and challenge negative perceptions of people with additional communication needs.
- To support organisations to comply with equality legislation and make their services more accessible.
Our team
Our communication expert workforce are recruited from Selly Oak Trust School, and Midland Mencap, and trained by Communicate 2 U.
- Dr Annette Roebuck – Company Director
Occupational Therapist with over 20 years experience of working with people with mental health issues and learning disabilities. Annette’s PhD findings relating to an intercultural approach to communication underpin the work of the company. She is currently Principle Lecturer in occupational therapy at Coventry University and her book, “Rethinking Communication in Health and Social Care”, has just been published by Palgrave Macmillan (for more information, please click here, or follow the link above).
- Malcolm Pomroy – Company Director
Retired Deputy Head of Selly Oak Trust School who is currently heavily involved in working with C2U’s communication experts. Malcolm has a long history of creative project involvement working with organisation such as Mencap, Birhmingham Children’s Hospital and Birmingham Hippodrome, to name but a few.
The work of C2U is facilitated on a daily basis by Occupational Therapist Dan Waldron and Occupational Therapy Assistant Mandy Parkes, who work with communication experts from Selly Oak Trust School and Midland Mencap.
Our Achievements
We are proud of the difference to the lives of people with learning disabilities and their families that we have made, by reducing social isolation and increasing confidence and self-esteem.
Feedback from communication experts
“I love doing the work”.
“People listen to us”.
“I feel important”.
“I didn’t know we could teach in that way”.
Feedback from Coventry University Students
“Use of service users was insightful and though provoking, and the opportunity to learn from them was a powerful tool”.
“Really advantageous to be able to work with people with learning disabilities and get feedback from them on my communication skills”.