ABC Project

At Dhiverse we’re all about inclusivity and equality and we want everyone to have the opportunity to be equipped to make informed decisions around sexual health, consensual and pleasurable sexual activity, healthy relationships and personal safety.

It is legal for anyone aged 16 years and over to engage in consensual sexual activity with partners of the same or opposite sex. This applies to anyone with a learning difficulty (LD) or autism, provided the person has the capacity to consent to sexual activity.

ABC stands for ‘Awareness, Balance and Choice’.

The project is funded by a Big Lottery Reaching Communities grant and it has two strands:

1) ‘ABC Programme’

Is a 6 week modular programme for anyone with a learning difficulty (LD) or autism who needs support and information around relationships, sex, sexual health and keeping safe. The programme gives participants the opportunity to develop their understanding of relationships, consent, good sexual health and keeping safe (both online and in the community). The programme helps individuals to understand they have choices and how to express the choices they make. The project also helps participants to recognise abusive behaviour in themselves and others and to understand what is acceptable and what isn’t. Being able to let someone know that we don’t want to do something or we don’t want something to happen can help prevent abuse, including sexual abuse and physical abuse. Being equipped with the right skills and knowledge can help to prevent participants from becoming either a potential victim or perpetrator.

The programme covers:

• Understanding relationships
• Being assertive and communication skills
• Consent
• Keeping safe and taking risks
• Staying safe online and in the community
• Sexual health
• Anger management

The programme is designed to be delivered to groups of up to 10 participants, on a one-to-one basis or for couples.
The programme can also be tailored to meet the needs of individuals and groups and topics can be picked and mixed.
We can provide sessions for you in-house or at our centre in Cambridge.

2) ‘Understanding ABC’

Is a workshop for parents, carers and professionals. The workshop aims to help participants understand that many people with LD or autism want and need to form relationships, and have a right to do so. It also aims to give participants increased confidence when talking to the people they support about these topics and equip them with better strategies for managing related issues for the people they support.

Project Development Group

To help keep the project fresh and up to date and to ensure that it is user led and always meets the needs of those taking part, we run a project development group. Anyone who has participated in the project or anyone who has an interest in ensuring equality for people with a LD or autism is welcome to join the group. We can hold a group meeting at your organisation or you can join us when there is meeting taking place in another venue. Meetings take please several times throughout the year.

• ABC booking form – DOWNLOAD HERE.

For more information on any aspect of the ABC Project or to make a booking please contact Liz MacKenzie, ABC Project Manager.
Please note: all aspects of the project are free when delivered in Cambridgeshire, but in some instances a cancellation charge may apply, so please check at the time of booking.

The Team