About Birmingham Rathbone

Birmingham Rathbone Society is a registered charity no. 516557 that supports people with a learning disability/difficulty in Birmingham to reach their full potential.

We provide support for people with learning disabilities/difficulties to live as independently as possible in their own homes and local community.  This can include support to access training, further education, volunteering and employment opportunities; securing and maintaining safe accommodation; accessing health services, managing finances and a range of social and leisure activities. 

Birmingham Rathbone is a high quality service provider having received a top review score  for our Supporting People services (2017) and ‘Good’ across the board awarded by the CQC for our Home Care service (2017). 

Birmingham Rathbone (formerly named Birmingham Elfrida Rathbone Society) was incorporated in 1985. 

The society was named after the suffragette and social reformer, Elfrida Rathbone, who was born in 1871 and founded an Occupational Centre in London in 1919 for children who had been excluded from schools because of their learning difficulties.

The charity embraced Elfrida’s philosophy that with support people with learning disabilities/difficulties can engage in work and education, live independently within the community and have freedom of choice over their own lives.