TY - JOUR AB - Purpose The purpose of this paper is to review the role and ability of commissioners to implement policy and be transformational leaders.Design/methodology/approach The role and ability of commissioners to implement policy is reviewed against the Institute of Public Care’s Commissioning Cycle and experience of working with commissioners across the UK over the past 29 years.Findings Empowering commissioners to be transformational leaders and enabling them to secure good outcomes for people with learning disabilities will require broadening the responsibilities for creating an inclusive society past commissioners of health and social care.Originality/value The Transforming Care Programme and the failure to meet targets illustrate that policy implementation in the arena of learning disabilities is still a pertinent issue. This commentary adds to the discussion by highlighting the challenges commissioners face when trying to implement policy and the need to take the conversation about inclusive communities wider than health and social care. VL - 22 IS - 1 SN - 1359-5474 DO - 10.1108/TLDR-10-2016-0030 UR - https://doi.org/10.1108/TLDR-10-2016-0030 AU - Broadhurst Sarah PY - 2017 Y1 - 2017/01/01 TI - Commissioning an ordinary life T2 - Tizard Learning Disability Review PB - Emerald Publishing Limited SP - 38 EP - 42 Y2 - 2024/04/25 ER -