Summary
The theme of this year’s Learning Disability Week is “Hear My Voice”.
NHS England has taken this opportunity to explain NHS commitments to improving the health and outcomes of people with learning disabilities, with a view to transforming services to improving the quality of care.
One of NHS England’s priorities for 2015/16 involves re-designing services and delivering high quality care for people with learning disabilities, ideally via services based in the community and closer to home.
NHS England’s Learning Disability Forum has been launched this week, as a channel to assemble the voices which need to heard.
Work is underway with the Care Quality Commission to include assessment of the care received by people with learning disabilities in all acute trusts and primary care settings.
Reference
Learning Disability Week is all about listening. London: NHS England, June 15th 2015.
See also:
Reference
Why we must learn to listen – Dr Dominic Slowie. London: NHS England, June 15th 2015.
Fast-Track Sites
NHS England has established five fast-track sites to test new approaches to re-designing services for people with learning disabilities and / or autism. These allow organisations across health and care to work together and will receive technical support from NHS England along with access a £10 million transformation fund from autumn 2015.
Reference
Fast-track sites. London: NHS England, [June] 2015.
More on the Learning Disability (LD) Transforming Care Programme:
Reference
Putting people with learning disabilities at the heart of what we do – Jane Cummings. London: NHS England, June 16th 2015.
This relates to an earlier document of significance:
Reference
Transforming Care for People with Learning Disabilities – Next Steps. London: NHS England, January 28th 2015.
See also:
Reference
The key to improving Learning Disability services lies with the people. London: NHS England, June 16th 2015.
The NHS as an Employer: Learning Disability Employment Building Blocks
The aims of the Learning Disabilities Employment Programme:
Reference
Employers can’t turn their backs on people with learning disabilities – Lela Kogbara. London: NHS England, June 18th 2015.
See also:
Reference
NHS jobs pledge for people with learning disabilities. London: NHS England, June 17th 2015.
NHS England, working with NHS Employers, voluntary organisations and others, has created a support package which is available via the NHS Employers website:
Reference
Employing people in the NHS with learning disabilities. London: NHS Employers, June 17th 2015.
Regarding Mencap’s Learning Disability Work Experience Week 2016:
Reference
NHS England takes new steps to improve learning disability employment. [Online]: NHS England, November 7th 2016.
Reducing Health Inequalities and Premature Mortality for People With Learning Disabilities
NHS England, the Healthcare Quality Improvement Partnership (HQIP) and the University of Bristol’s Norah Fry Research Centre, are jointly embarking on the National Learning Disability Mortality Review Programme. This will work with agencies including the Learning Disability Public Health Observatory and the Transforming Care (Winterbourne View) Improvement Programme to reduce health inequalities among people with learning disabilities.
Reference
NHS launches world’s first national review of deaths of people with learning disabilities. London: NHS England, June 18th 2015.
Transforming Care for People with Learning Disabilities Programme: Draft Service Model
NHS England, the Local Government Association (LGA), and the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services (ADASS) have released a draft national framework to improve the care of people with learning disabilities. The emphasis is on shifting services from hospital care i.e. towards community-based settings. The Service Model involves nine overarching principles.
The Transforming Care for People with Learning Disabilities Programme involves collaboration between NHS England, the LGA, ADASS, the Care Quality Commission (CQC), Health Education England (HEE) and the Department of Health.
Reference
New draft guidelines to help transform the care of people with learning disabilities. London: NHS England, July 28th 2015.
This relates to:
Reference
Supporting people with a learning disability and / or autism who have a mental health condition or display behaviour that challenges. Draft service model for commissioners of health and social care services. London: NHS England / Local Government Association (LGA) / Association of Directors of Adult Social Services (ADASS), July 30th 2015.
