Midlands and Lancashire Commissioning Support Unit’s Post

This study revealed significant health disparities among people with learning disabilities, prompting targeted prevention efforts, increased awareness of intersectionality, and a focus on admission avoidance for this population. Find out more: https://lnkd.in/edzAs3jV The primary objectives of this study were: To examine the health of people with learning disabilities in Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland using data from the Aristotle system To identify significant differences in the health of people with learning disabilities compared to those without To explore any health inequalities experienced by people living in areas of high deprivation (the 20% most deprived neighbourhoods according to the Index of Multiple Deprivation). The study produced the following key findings. The registered population of people with learning disabilities across LLR is 4,925. People with learning disabilities are significantly more likely to live in high-deprivation areas (20% most deprived neighbourhoods) compared to those without learning disabilities. The learning disability population is four times more likely to be at risk of emergency hospital admission than the general population. A higher percentage of people with learning disabilities and health conditions live in the 20% most deprived areas compared to those without learning disabilities but with the same health conditions. People with learning disabilities are more likely to have health conditions, with a fourfold increase in the likelihood of having five or more chronic conditions compared to those without learning disabilities. Common conditions include asthma, hypertension, and diabetes.

https://lnkd.in/e5SeXVBC Six policy actions for healthier, longer lives with and for people with learning disabilities Ensuring education health and care plans are acted on to enable a solid foundation for life, with appropriate diagnoses, interventions, support and opportunities as early as possible A focus on people with learning disability who may or may not have autism, rather than autistic people who do not have a learning disability Ensure adequate training of health, care and support staff to avoid issues such as diagnostic overshadowing (assuming illness is because of a person’s disability rather than fully exploring the cause of symptoms) and reduce restrictive practices such as restraint and seclusions Making sure people with learning disabilities are registered with GPs and local hospitals, with more emphasis on prevention such as regular health checks and engagement with mental health services, rather than living in psychiatric units. This requires adequate support and staff skills to be developed in community A focus on human rights, leading to a sense of belonging in communities – an ordinary life – and ensuring people with complex learning disabilities who do not use words are included and valued An increase in the number of learning disability nurses. These professionals possess the fundamental clinical skills of a nurse with additional specialist skills, knowledge, attitudes and values. Their role includes reducing health inequalities through reasonable adjustments, increasing access to other health and support services, enabling and delivering health screenings and supporting people and their families to navigate health systems effectively

Supporting adults with learning disabilities to age meaningfully As people with learning disabilities age, their needs evolve, requiring more tailored support. A recent study funded by the NIHR (National Institute for Health and Care Research) highlights the growing demand for specialised care to address challenges like health, mobility, and social inclusion in later life. Families and caregivers are also seeking more guidance to navigate these changes effectively. It's crucial to develop long-term strategies that support ageing individuals with learning disabilities, ensuring their quality of life remains high. Discover more insights from this research below. https://ow.ly/MOM650TiIQV #ScienceforaSaferWorld

The Right of Children with Disabilities to Early Learning Opportunities: Children with disabilities have an equal right to early learning opportunities, as these foundational years shape their cognitive, social, and emotional growth. This right is enshrined in international frameworks such as the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which emphasize inclusive and equitable education for all. However, barriers such as stigma, inaccessible infrastructure, and lack of inclusive policies often deny them this crucial right. In India, the Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Karyakram (RBSK) plays a pivotal role in addressing these challenges. As a flagship initiative under the National Health Mission, RBSK focuses on early identification and intervention for children with developmental delays and disabilities, ensuring they are equipped to benefit from inclusive education. By integrating health and education, RBSK bridges critical gaps, emphasizing that early detection of disabilities must be coupled with timely access to learning opportunities. RBSK adopts a holistic approach to disability management, aligning with the principles of inclusive education. Through its health screening teams, RBSK identifies conditions under the "4 Ds"—Defects at birth, Diseases, Deficiencies, and Developmental delays including disabilities—among children up to 18 years. Following diagnosis, these children are referred to appropriate interventions, including therapeutic, rehabilitative, educational, and social support. RBSK’s focus on creating linkages between healthcare providers, schools, and parents ensures that children with disabilities receive not only medical care but also the tailored educational opportunities they require. This integration is critical in equipping families, teachers, and institutions to provide accessible and inclusive learning environments. By prioritizing the needs of children with disabilities, RBSK underscores the importance of early learning in shaping a child’s future. The program highlights the societal benefits of inclusive efforts, fostering empathy and understanding in classrooms and communities. For children with disabilities, access to early learning through comprehensive interventions enables them to build essential skills, gain confidence, and participate actively in society. #inclusiveefforts #RBSK #Earlychildhooddevelopment #RightsOfChildren #LiveWithDignity #AccessibleHealth #SDG #CRPD

🚀 NSW Education to Build New Cloud-Based Platform for Disability Support in 2025 🚀 In an exciting move towards a more inclusive and streamlined education system, the NSW Department of Education is set to roll out a new cloud-based platform in 2025, designed to simplify the process for students with disabilities requesting additional support. Key highlights: - Cost: $5 million contract with Sydney-based partner Ingenuity Partners to develop the platform, set for completion by August 2027. - Benefits: The new system will help streamline the provision of resources for students with disabilities, making it easier for schools and educators to support their needs. - Strategic Alignment: The Salesforce platform was chosen as part of the Department’s “reuse before rebuild” strategy, ensuring cost-effectiveness and leveraging existing expertise. This is a great example of how technology can be used to drive accessibility and efficiency in education. I'm looking forward to seeing the positive impact it will have on students with disabilities across the state!! https://lnkd.in/gtmz5meE #EdTech #NSWEducation #Salesforce #CloudTechnology #DigitalTransformation #SalesforceEducationCloud #InnovationInEducation

It's a deeply concerning reality that places of education, healthcare, and society at large often expect individuals with disabilities to fit neatly into one predefined set of needs, ignoring the complexity of their experiences and challenges. This narrow approach can result in the denial of essential healthcare or educational opportunities for those with multiple sets of needs, exacerbating existing disparities and barriers to access. In educational settings there's a tendency to categorise students with disabilities based on singular criteria, such as cognitive impairment or physical disability.This oversimplified view fails to recognise the multifaceted nature of disabilities and the diverse support requirements of each individual.As a result, students with complex needs, such as those who may have both physical and learning disabilities, may not receive the specialised support and accommodations they require to thrive academically. Similarly, within the healthcare system, individuals with disabilities are often pigeonholed into receiving care that addresses only one aspect of their health condition. For example, a person with a physical disability may also experience mental health challenges, yet mental health services may be inaccessible or inadequate due to a focus on the primary disability. This fragmented approach to healthcare fails to acknowledge the interconnectedness of physical and mental health and neglects the holistic needs of individuals with disabilities. Moreover, societal expectations and norms can further compound the challenges faced by individuals with multiple sets of needs. There may be a prevailing belief that individuals with disabilities should conform to a certain standard of independence or functionality, regardless of the complexity of their circumstances. This mindset can lead to discrimination and marginalisation, as individuals who do not fit the narrow mould are often overlooked or excluded from essential services and opportunities. Addressing these systemic issues requires a paradigm shift towards a more inclusive and person-centred approach. Educational institutions and healthcare providers must recognise and accommodate the diverse needs of individuals with disabilities, offering tailored support that addresses the full spectrum of their experiences. Additionally, society as a whole must challenge ableist attitudes and advocate for the rights and dignity of all individuals, regardless of their abilities or challenges. By embracing diversity and adopting a more nuanced understanding of disability,we can create environments where all individuals are valued, supported, empowered to achieve their full potential. It's imperative that we move away from standard approaches and instead embrace the rich complexity of human diversity in all its forms. #MTICBIAI #MyTraumaIsChronicButIAmIconic #HolisticHealthcare #DiverseNeeds #DisabilityRights #Intersectionality #AccessForAll #BreakingBarriers #DignityInDisability

How can having the right social care staff help people with learning disabilities live healthier, happier lives? People with learning disabilities very often suffer from poor health, low self-esteem, and experience discrimination. But did you know that having the right Social care staff can make a huge difference and help people with learning disabilities live happier, healthier, and much longer? Let’s talk about seven key considerations. 1.      The right care staff will take the initiative to patiently and creatively help service users to understand their health; this may be accomplished with the use of colourful information charts that are in the language of the service user, easy to read and understand. 2.      The right care staff will ensure that administering drugs to service users with learning disabilities is done correctly and is used almost as a last resort. Drugs must not be used as the primary method to keep learning disabilities clients settled. The sad reality is that sometimes people with learning disabilities are given too many drugs to manage their behaviour. 3.      The right care staff will be adequately trained, competent, sufficiently experienced, and knowledgeable to give medicines safely at all times. 4.      The right care staff will take the initiative to motivate and support service users to keep all their medical appointments, and to do all necessary health checks. 5.      The right care staff will treat all service users with love, care, compassion, respect, dignity, and courtesy at all times, with no exceptions. 6.      The right care staff will empower service users with learning disabilities to unnoticeably, safely, and smoothly transition into the care home family and into the wider community, where this is appropriate. 7.      The right care staff will value service users, engage them as much as possible in their care, talk with them, not above or about them, and promote their independence. CONCLUSION: Individuals with learning disabilities will experience problems recalling basic information, such as telling the time, relating to time, maintaining self-care, and other necessary activities needed to maintain daily life skills. Therefore, spotting, recruiting, properly training, motivating, and retaining a cadre of the right care staff is critical to success in the learning disabilities and social healthcare sector. Please let me know your comments.

💡NHS England and NHS Employers have launched a pledge to employ more people with learning disabilities. The pledge is split into three stages: 🔵Step one – commitment. Organisations are asked to confirm their Two Ticks accreditation (given by Jobcentre Plus to employers who commit to taking positive action to encourage applications from people with disabilities) and pledge their further commitment to employing more people with learning disabilities. 🔵Step two – ready. By pledging to step two, employers need to have created an action plan to employ more people with learning disabilities. 🔵Step three – success! By pledging to step three, employers need to confirm that they are employing more people with learning disabilities, and to sharing their success stories. ✅How can we remove barriers and take steps to accelerate employment of people with learning disabilities in the NHS? https://lnkd.in/esRWWGrs

Do you see me 👀 is the theme for this year's #learningdisabilityweek2024 and the focus is on being seen, heard and valued. This week is about raising awareness and celebrating the achievements and things that people with learning disabilities #can do and also learning about challenges and barriers that people face. It is not for me to tell you about people's experiences and stories about a life lived with a learning disability, you can head over to Mencap to learn more about and hear people's stories firsthand . What I can tell you is about my experience both working with and raising someone with a learning disability. Counselling and Personal Therapy is possible for adults with a learning disability and everyone should be able to access the same mental health support. Many therapists won't work with this client group but I draw on my lived experience of raising my son who has a learning disability and I use this experience to be able to relate to adults with learning disabilities, modifying their therapy and often using creative interventions to help people express their inner thoughts and feelings. A common theme running through this client group is the lack of opportunity for fulfilling work and not having structure in the day or feeling valued. We know that many adults with learning disabilities can, with the right support, lead a fulfilling life, contribute meaningfully to their communities, and have relationships. However, in my opinion, the system is not currently designed to help young adults with learning disabilities transition into rewarding jobs or careers in adulthood. There are minimal supported internships but more needs to be done to provide better and more rewarding opportunities for young adults leaving their sixth form provision. We know through research that employment fulfills several critical psychological needs such as time structure, social contact, collective purpose, status, and activity. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) report from 2019 emphasises the benefits of employment for disabled individuals, indicating that employment can significantly enhance the mental and emotional well-being of disabled people by providing a sense of purpose. A study by Warwick Institute for Employment Research (IER) outlines how employment contributes to an individual's sense of identity and self-worth, which are crucial for mental health and well-being. Engaging in meaningful work helps people feel valued and connected to society, which can be particularly beneficial for those with disabilities I hope the new incoming government will place a higher emphasis on valuing adults with learning disabilities and recognising their potential, and if you know of organisations and opportunities for adults with learning disabilities, please feel free to highlight those in the comments. #learningdisabilityweek2024 #learningdisabilityweek

Let me introduce myself; I am Adebola, passionate about working with individuals with neurodevelopmental disabilities. My journey into the field of learning disabilities began over 2 decades when I observed the impact a supportive environment had on a client who had a son with cerebral palsy; looking at the transformative impact of tailored interventions for the child, the psychological transformation of the family, I knew that I would commit my career to ensuring that all individuals, regardless of their learning differences, receive the support they need to thrive, relieving the burdens of families and the society at large. I have a deeper understanding of the unique challenges and strengths of individuals with learning disabilities. My abilities have been honed to tailor instructions to meet diverse needs, foster collaboration amongst all stakeholders, and advocate for required resources needed to create supportive learning environments. Ø I organise HelpMeBeMe, an annual conference to create awareness, educate and train the different stakeholders in the society and those involved in the field of learning disabilities to create/enable a level playing ground and, also to ensure that none is left behind. Ø I develop and oversee programs that provide comprehensive support for both students and adults with learning disabilities across various sectors of society. Working with a team, I created plans which enabled collaborative and people-centered approaches which resulted in improved school enrollments, increased self-esteem, and increased self-advocacy skills, positive disposition towards people with disabilities in general. While advocating and creating awareness, I have been opportune to work closely with schools, teachers, parents, support staff and religious organisations to create a cohesive team dedicated to fostering a positive and inclusive environment for all. My personal life’s goal is to constantly be innovative, create inclusive environments and deliver top notch services to all stakeholders. I believe that every individual has unique strengths and abilities, and it is our responsibility to harness these talents through a holistic approach. Do share in the comment section, what compelled you to do what you do?. #20daylinkedinchallengeWithHaoma #learningdisabilities #autism #rbt #ilovewhatido #behaviouranalyst #neurodevelopmentaldisabilities