Our Impact

Key results at a glance for our 2025 annual client survey

  • 100% of surveyed adults with a learning disability say their life is better thanks to our support.
  • 96% of adults with learning disabilities ‘love’ or ‘like’ our clubs and 93% of family carers rated them as ‘excellent’ or ‘good’.
  • 91% of adults with learning disabilities said Reading Mencap has helped them to meet with their friends or make new friends. 
  • 86% of family carers thought the support from our Family Advisers has helped them to feel less alone.
  • 84% of carers said they had a better understanding of their options and rights after receiving support from the Carers Partnership.
  • 78% of family carers said the support from Reading Mencap, namely casework, advice and respite provided by 4ME and Clubs, has helped them to feel better able to cope with their caring responsibilities.

We’re thrilled to announce 100% of surveyed adults with a learning disability who use our services have told us their life is better thanks to our support!

Our annual survey results showed 2025 was a year of growth as we supported 471 people with learning disabilities and their family carers in Reading.

Our Family Advisers were busier than ever, nearly doubling their reach to support 317 clients through an incredible 2,832 contacts (phone calls, emails, letters and meetings).

Energy advice was a new form of support, thanks to funding from SGN, reaching 211 clients. 

In total, 89 people who had used our services during the last year responded to our annual client surveys covering all our services, between September 2025 and January 2026. Of those who responded, 46 were adults with a learning disability and 43 were carers. There are two surveys – one for carers and one for adults with learning disabilities. Percentages on this page refer to the results of these surveys.

Holistic support

Most clients do not use one of our services in isolation but make use of all that we have to offer. For example, an adult with a learning disability may attend our 4ME Activities Day Service twice a week, come to Gateway Club on a Tuesday evening and to the disco. They, and their family may also be allocated a Family Adviser to help with housing or social care issues.

A family carer of a young adult with a learning disability may receive support from our Preparing for Adulthood Family Adviser, attend a carers’ social event and see our Carers Coordinator for help with completing a Carer’s Assessment.

This means that the outcomes our clients experience are the result of benefiting from several services. While attending one weekly club, for instance, can reduce isolation, it is the combined and ongoing support available to our clients that creates a lasting impact. When completing our survey, clients were asked to think about the support from Reading Mencap as a whole when it came to assessing what difference we made to their lives.

Spotlight on the Family Support Service 

Our outreach Family Support Service provides free information, advice, casework and practical support for people with learning disabilities and their families.

During 2025, our Family Advisers supported 317 clients through 2,832 contacts made and received (phone calls, emails, letters and meetings) across 16 different areas of support. This is an increase of clients from 165 last year.

  • Many clients received support across multiple areas (for example, housing, health, energy). Social care was the area with most contacts, followed by wellbeing support and crisis prevention.
  • Family Advisers supported clients to present their needs through Social Care Assessments and Review; with care provision and planning; and in the Financial Assessment process.

  • Using the Care Act, the Family Advisers worked with statutory services to highlight issues with delivery of care and failures to meet needs.

    • Client feedback for the service was overwhelmingly positive. 92% of adults with learning disabilities found the support to be helpful.
    • 96% of family carers rated the quality of support received from their Family Adviser as ‘excellent’ or ‘good’, with 79% of carers saying the support was ‘excellent.’

    ‘We would be lost without you. Such kind, understanding and knowledgeable staff. You always help us when we need it.’

    Carers feel better informed

    Information, advice and support services for family carers in Reading and West Berkshire are provided by the Reading and West Berkshire Carers Partnership. The partnership consists of Reading Mencap, Age UK Berkshire, Age UK Reading and CommuniCare.

    • During 2025, 100 family carers were supported by Reading Mencap’s Carers Coordinator, many of whom were supported to complete a Carer’s Assessment.
    • Events were organised throughout the year for carers to get together, meet peers and get a break from their responsibilities, including a pottery class, a session making Christmas table decorations and monthly coffee mornings.
    • 93% of carers rated the quality of the support from the Carers Coordinator as ‘excellent’ or ‘good.’
    • 95% of carers rated the events provided by Reading Mencap as part of the Carers Partnership as ‘excellent’ or ‘good’.

    4ME Activities Service

    100% of adults with learning disabilities ‘love’ or ‘like’ coming to the 4ME Activities Service

    100% of carers rate the quality of 4ME as ‘excellent’ or ‘good’

    The 4ME Activities Service offers full-day opportunities for 41 adults with learning disabilities from Monday to Friday at our centre, with a focus on health, wellbeing and developing life skills such as confidence and independence.

    Members are actively involved in choosing what they would like to do – from basketball to tag rugby, cooking, drama and crafts – there’s something for everyone. They are supported by trained and friendly care support workers. Expert instructors are brought in to provide special sessions such as drumming, yoga and dance. Members like to explore the local community and get out as much as possible in our wheelchair-accessible minibus to local museums, garden and leisure centres, parks and cafes

    Sally Utting, Reading Mencap CEO, said: “Thank you to everyone who took part in the survey, it is so important to us to get your feedback to help shape the services we deliver. The results from the survey clearly demonstrate the positive impact Reading Mencap has on the lives of people with learning disabilities and their carers through ongoing staff support, but also through the ability to socialise and make friendships.”