View in web browser

Workforce update for

services that support people with a learning disability and/or autistic people

Welcome to this workforce development update for adult social care services that support people with a learning disability and/or autistic people. It shares the latest news, resources, events and funding opportunities from Skills for Care and partners.

⇨ Find previous editions of this newsletter
⇨ Sign up to receive future editions of this and other newsletters from Skills for Care

News from the sector

The Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training on Learning Disability and Autism

You can now select Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training on Learning Disability and Autism as a training category in ASC-WDS. This is a simple way to record and track which staff have completed the training. Having this information stored in one handy place can save you time and help you to evidence completion of the training during inspections.

⇨ Log in to your account and update your training records now

Health Education England (HEE) webinar

On Thursday 23 March there was a webinar held by HEE (now part of NHS England) for Integrated Care Partnerships (ICPs) and employers. The session covered:

a campaign update from Paula McGowan OBE
the Health and Care Act 2022 and Code of Practice
an overview of The Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training on Learning Disability and Autism and the next steps
a Q&A session.

A recording of the webinar will be available on the HEE website soon.

Help us test an identification of deterioration tool

RESTORE2 is a tool for care homes, people who live in supported living and staff who support people who live in their own homes. Based on nationally recognised methodologies, it helps people to be more aware of the signs of physical deterioration and know how to get medical help quickly.

Skills for Care have been asked to make the tool and supporting trainer materials more accessible for people working in and drawing on social care.

We are looking for carers to test the tool and work with us to record an information video on how to use it.

We can pay you for your time in line with Skills for Care’s participation policy.

If you’re interested in this opportunity or would like to discuss this further, please email Carl Laverick at Carl.Laverick@skillsforcare.org.uk

New training resources to help support personal relationships

Everyone has the right to have personal relationships, including the full breadth of people who draw on care and support services, regardless of the type of support they access. However, historically within social care, there has often been a focus on the protection of people as a solution to keeping them safe which has prevented people from forming relationships.

Skills for Care and Supported Loving have developed a package of training materials to help social care employers develop the skills and knowledge needed to support people who draw on services with personal relationships.

⇨ Find out more and access the training materials

#CelebratingSocialCare

At Skills for Care, we celebrate social care year-round but throughout April we’re celebrating a little bit louder, and encouraging everyone to join in.

We want everyone to take some time this month to recognise the vital work of the social care sector and the important impact that people working in social care have on our communities and people who draw on care and support.

We’ll be sharing good news stories from the sector across our website and social media channels. You can get involved by sharing your own good news stories and shoutouts on social media.

Take a look at our #CelebratingSocialCare webpage where you can find more ideas about how you can get involved, including a suite of images and assets for you to use.

⇨ Find out more about #CelebratingSocialCare

Guidance and resources from the Government, regulators and advisory bodies

SEND and AP improvement plan

The Department for Education has published a special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) and alternative provisions (AP) improvement plan to provide better support for children and young people with SEND or AP.

⇨ Find the improvement plan

Health and Disability White Paper

On Wednesday 15 March, alongside the Spring Budget, the government published the Health and Disability White Paper. It sets out reforms, largely to benefits policy, with the aim of helping more disabled people and people with health conditions to start, stay and succeed in work and have a better experience of the benefits system.

⇨ Read the White Paper

News from the sector

Accessible Information Standard: Open letter to NHS England

All providers of NHS care or other publicly funded adult social care must meet the Accessible Information Standard (AIS). However, many people are not receiving information in a way they can understand or do not have the right support with communication.

Healthwatch has written an open letter to NHS England to ask for action to improve the AIS. The letter asks for the standard to be reviewed, for information about the review to be shared publicly and for NHS England to explain how they will make sure the revised standard is upheld.

⇨ Read the letter

‘Why are we stuck in hospital?’ project

The University of Birmingham’s Department of Social Work and Social Care Research, together with Changing our Lives, have been running a project called ‘Why are we stuck in hospital?’ It looks at the perspectives of people with learning disabilities and/or autistic people, their families and staff who care for them when transforming care for people in ‘long-stay’ hospitals.

They have produced a ‘People's 10 top tips for helping them leave hospital’ resource and an accessible film for people and their families.

⇨ Find the top tips and more about the project

SCIE have also produced a new resource which highlights research into the experiences of people with learning disabilities and/or autistic people in ‘long-stay’ hospitals.

⇨ Access the SCIE research and resources

NHS safe and wellbeing reviews

Following the tragic deaths of Joanna, Jon and Ben at Cawston Park hospital, NHS England set up safe and wellbeing reviews for people who are autistic and/or have a learning disability who are in mental health hospitals.

A thematic review (February 2023) found that 41% of people did not need to be in hospital and could have their needs met in the community.

⇨ Find the review and an easy read version

Supporting Autistic Adults Intimate Lives (SAAIL)

SAAIL is a participatory research project funded by NIHR School for Social Care Research. SAAIL has conducted an analysis of English health and social care policy and guidance documents pertaining to autistic people to see how they represent and prioritise intimate lives.

⇨ Read the press release sharing these findings

They found that intimate lives are often entirely left out of these documents and that when this was mentioned it was disproportionally focused on risk and danger. However, they identified the Core Capabilities Framework for Supporting Autistic People as an exceptional document in this regard and an example of good practice.

To help practitioners include intimate lives in social care assessments, they have produced guidance and a practical topic menu resource.

‘Sectioned but with no plan for treatment: Khalid’s story’

VoiceAbility have published examples of ways to seek people’s views. Khalid’s story is an example of how advocacy can ensure that people’s voices are heard.

⇨ Read Khalid’s story

Discriminatory abuse: Developing practice responses

Research in Practice have published a podcast which explores what discriminatory abuse is and considers official statistics and wider research findings. It discusses how to recognise potential discriminatory abuse, how discriminatory abuse features in Safeguarding Adult Reviews and what this means for developing practice.

⇨ Listen to the podcast

Accessible information about local elections

Learning Disability England have produced a set of accessible resources and information about the upcoming local elections that are happening in some areas of England in May 2023. A big change this year is that you will now have to bring a photo ID with you when you vote. Everyone can get this from their local council but you need it in advance of the election.

⇨ Find the resources

Mental Capacity Act small payments scheme: Consultation results

The results of the Mental Capacity Act small payments scheme consultation were published in March. The government decided not to implement a small payments scheme, which would have allowed parents and families seeking access to small payments on behalf of the person they care for. They have instead said they will prioritise other barriers and underlying issues with the current process.

⇨ Read the full consultation response or an easy read version

Events

BILD International Positive Behaviour Support Conference

The theme for this year’s conference is ‘Kindness, Connection and Coproduction: Looking for the heart and soul of PBS’. This event will take place from 10-12 May in Newcastle and online.

⇨ Find out more and book tickets

Get involved Consultation on restrictive practices in schools The Department of Education is holding a consultation on the use of reasonable force and restrictive practices in schools, which closes on Thursday 11 May. ⇨ Find out more and respond to the consultation

Read, watch and listen!

The Piano

In this Channel 4 series, Claudia Winkleman hosts the search for the UK's best amateur pianists. The programme features talented people with learning disabilities and autistic people.

⇨ Watch it on Channel 4

An Irish Goodbye

The short film won an Oscar at this year’s award ceremony. It features actor James Martin, who is the first person with Down’s syndrome to win an Oscar.

⇨ Watch it on iPlayer

Inside Our Autistic Minds

In this two-part series, Chris Packham helps autistic people illustrate how their minds work, helping them connect with their friends and family in a new, more authentic way.