The programme is based in Gloucestershire and is funded by the county's Clinical Commissioning Group and Local Authority. It is delivered by 'Gloucestershire Voices,' a user-led social enterprise. People with learning disabilities run the programme for learning disability services. It is a completely user-driven initiative. 'Experts by experience' assess the quality of a commissioned service based on user feedback.

This gives commissioners extremely valuable feedback as well as an employment or training opportunity for disabled people, the majority of whom have never worked before taking on this role.

'Experienced experts' work in a variety of settings, such as residential care homes, supported living homes, day opportunities, domiciliary care agencies, assessment and treatment units, and reviewing operations teams.

The programme includes both private and public sector providers. It is an essential component of the Quality Team's quality regime, alongside unannounced visits by Quality Review Officers and the use of telecare to survey an individual's network of support to ensure their care and welfare.

Gloucestershire County Council needed to implement a diverse and rigorous quality regime to monitor the standards of care and support provided by county providers. The cost of learning disability services alone exceeds GBP 40 million.

The following goals are pursued by the programmes:

• To ensure the safety and well-being of people with learning disabilities
• To ensure that the expert voice of people receiving services is central to any service improvement strategy