About Us

We strive to create an inclusive, professional setting. One that steers and challenges mainstream thinking when it comes to disability and autism. We work with people and many different groups to do this. Always with the sole purpose of making the lives of autistic individuals and those with a learning disability better. Because we believe they deserve it.

The Talkback Manifesto

See us as people who...

are valued, just like everyone else

enjoy the same things as everyone else; sport, drama, shopping and having fun

don’t deserve labels or stigma or discrimination

can make our own decisions and have a right to be heard

want to have relationships and love

have skills and abilities to positively change things around us

want all the opportunities that life can bring

have so much to offer

...see us as people

Making a Difference

Ensuring every one of the people we engage with achieves truly amazing things

Providing people with skills to live as independently as they are able or want to

Guiding people into a form of employment, increasing their self-esteem and independence

Helping people develop essential life skills and social opportunities

Helping people make friends and create positive relationships

Continually campaigning to help society see the ability and not the disability

Our Team

Talkback is an autism and learning disability charity. So, we’re proud to have a strong leadership team who have a wealth of knowledge working with people with learning disabilities and autistic people. We have over 70 colleagues who work in a variety of creative and personal ways. And all are experts in the programmes that we deliver. Our charity very much works as a team. So, we ensure that every person we meet will have the opportunity to thrive. Because we believe everyone should benefit from all the programmes that we offer.

Jeremy Hay

Chief Executive Officer

Yasmin Ahmed

Head of Operations, Governance and Quality Assurance

Claire Milon

Head of Young People Services

Neil Sainsbury

Head of Adult Services

Chris Taylor

Head of Business Development and Partnerships

Our Qualifications

Our staff are highly trained, both internally and externally. Therefore they are skilled to deliver in their particular roles. We also value experience of real life situations that our staff bring to our work. We’re trained in mandatory areas such as safeguarding and member care. In addition, we have specialist training. This includes behaviour management, learning support, dance and art, and how to get the best resolutions. For every single person we work with.

The world needs to see that people with learning disabilities and autistic people have so much to offer. Because they can contribute, like anyone else, towards economic development, social cohesion and the community spirit. People often ask me how do you speak to someone with a learning disability. That, sadly, shows me how far we have to go. The answer, by the way, is speak to them exactly the same way as everyone else. My friend Stephen, who has a learning disability, and I talk about Wycombe Wanderers football club and go to every home game together for years as friends.
Jay Hay
Jeremy Hay
Chief Executive Officer

Work At Our Autism and Learning Disability Charity

We are confident that we have a team that understands how to really help people with a learning disability and autistic people. However, we are always looking for other individuals to join our growing team. We are committed to the continual development of our talent. We rate life experience over qualifications and invest in training our team.

If you’d like to work with us and have something to offer, then please do get in touch.

Who We Work With

Our approach is centred in creating long-term, meaningful partnerships with other organisations. Because the provision of services that make a real difference to people with learning disabilities and autistic people relies on a joined-up approach. And across many different types of organisation. We work with key organisations to do this. They include:

Our work involves relationships with other key individuals and organisations. We are proud of what we do and what we can achieve. And we very much believe that we should be the first port of call for anyone who needs anything to do with learning disability and autism.