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.

Sign up to receive this and other newsletters from Skills for Care and find previous editions of this newsletter.

Look out for our spotlight on #ManagingChange during February and March.
 News from Skills for Care 

The Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training in Learning Disability and Autism
The trials of this training are continuing. The independent evaluator, the National Development Team for Inclusion (NDTi), has published its interim report. The report describes the progress so far and shares some of the early insights at this stage of the trial. You can read the report and the easy read version on the HEE website at the link below.

We would like to ask those people who have attended the trial training to complete the last and final survey, which will only take about 10 minutes. Paula McGowan OBE has sent out a note via the trial partners which includes a link to the survey.

Find out more about the Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training in Learning Disability and Autism.



The Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training in Learning Disability and Autism: Stakeholder forum
Thursday 28 April 2022 I 10:00 – 12:00
This event is for anybody who wants to find out about the latest developments with this training, and in particular, what we have learnt so far from the trial training and what will happen next.

The trial training has now finished, and the evaluation report will be published around the same time as the stakeholder forum. Our evaluation partner NDTi will provide an update on their findings and their recommendations for the future of Oliver’s training.

This is an opportunity to celebrate the work done so far and how far we have come.

⇨ Register your place at the forum.

Level 5 Commissioning for Wellbeing with a Learning Disability and Autism Focus
When support for people with a learning disability is commissioned well, it can make a significant difference to someone’s life. Skills for Care and NHSE/I are offering health and social care commissioners a fully funded opportunity to undertake the Level 5 certificate in Commissioning for Wellbeing with a Learning Disability and Autism Focus.

Watch our new film clips to hear about the many benefits of the qualification from people who have undertaken the course and what other stakeholders have to say, alongside other information about the qualification, including how to apply.
 

Annual health checks for people with learning disabilities
A free webinar by TEAMS from the National Development Team for Inclusion (NDTi) and Skills for Care was run on Thursday 3 February and will be repeated on:

  • Thursday 17 March: 10:00 - 11.30

The webinar will cover:

  • why health checks are important
  • what a health check is and how it should work
  • how to support someone to prepare for and have a health check
  • what should happen after the health check
  • some helpful reasonable adjustments
  • the role of on-line health checks
  • where to get more information
  • improving eyecare services for people with learning disabilities.

This webinar is aimed at all those supporting people with learning disabilities and includes people who work in residential care; supported living; shared lives; self-advocacy, as well as family members.

⇨ Register your free place for these events.

Joining instructions will then be sent to you one week before each event.
 Guidance from the Government, 
 NHS and key stakeholders 

Delivering safe face to face adult day care
The Social Care Institute for Excellence (SCIE) have launched a new comprehensive guide aimed at day care managers, social workers, commissioners and providers, to support the re-opening of community-based day services and day centres (with and without personal care), including specialised day centre environments, and those with outdoor spaces. The guide has a range of useful information, including practical guidance and risk assessment information.
 
Positive Behavioural Support (PBS) workforce development framework
A Positive Behavioural Support (PBS) workforce development framework has been developed by the UK PBS Alliance. The framework is for organisations of all sizes who provide health, education or social care support services to adults or children who may sometimes communicate distress and express themselves through behaviour that others find challenging to support. The framework aims to help organisations and individual services understand exactly what training and support staff and carers need to work in a PBS informed way.

It offers a planned whole organisational approach that meets needs at all levels and reduces need at the top tier three or apex of the pyramid. This supports a person-centred and holistic approach to PBS, addressing workforce and organisation needs at all levels to improve quality of life across the whole organisation, for all the people being supported and their families and carers.

⇨ Access the framework.
Fifty years of BILD
The British Institute for Learning Disability (BiLD) is celebrating 50 years of working with people with lived experience, championing human rights and working to improve support available for people with learning disabilities in the community. In order to mark this milestone, they have produced a document called ‘Who we are and what we do’, which sets out how the organisation works with partners to improve people’s lives.

⇨ Download the document.

Improving eyecare services for people with learning disabilities – a free training module
People with learning disabilities are much more likely to have eye and vision problems than members of the general population, but they find accessing eye care more difficult because of a range of barriers, including a lack of confidence among clinicians on how to adapt their practice and make reasonable adjustments.

A new online training package has been developed by Cardiff University and SeeAbility. It contains interactive material compiled by people with learning disabilities and eye care professionals with many years of experience in the field. It provides an insight into how learning disability is defined, how practice can be adapted and how barriers to can be overcome.

To access the course or find out more information please email SSECtraining@seeability.org.

Coronavirus and people with learning disabilities study Researchers from across the UK have been working on a three-wave, year-long study about the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on people with learning disabilities and what makes for better outcomes. Data from the third wave has been added and the final report has been published.

People living in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland took part and it included almost 500 people with learning disabilities. The researchers also talked to 280 family carers or paid supporters of people with severe or profound multiple learning disabilities.

They have published their full report which includes the following easy read sections:

Communication and participation in the Court of Protection
A new film has been created to help lawyers in their work with people with a learning disability or autistic people and who are subject to Court of Protection (CoP) proceedings. It includes:
  • improving planning for meetings between lawyers and the person
  • increasing understanding of the perspective of the person who is going to meet a CoP lawyer
  • demonstrating examples of good practice when lawyers communicate with a person who is the subject of CoP proceedings.
This film was created by the Judging Values and Participation in Mental Capacity Law project team at the Institute for Crime and Justice Policy Research, Birkbeck, University of London in association with VoiceAbility.

⇨ View the film.

One year on from CQC’s ‘Out of sight’ report – what’s changed?
In October 2020 the Care Quality Commission (CQC) published their Out of sight – who cares? report, that looked at the use of restraint, seclusion and segregation in care services for people with a mental health condition, a learning disability or autistic people. In December 2021 they published a progress report that describes what has been achieved against the recommendations and highlights the main areas where further work is still needed.

The report acknowledges the actions taken by the health and care system to better understand the needs of people with a learning disability and autistic people in inpatient units and the commitments made to increase community support. However, it notes that these commitments are not being converted into action quickly enough and people are still being placed in services which are not able to give them the right care. The report also finds that more progress needs to be made in reducing the use of restrictive interventions.

NDTi podcast series: ‘Talking Inclusion’
The National Development Team for Inclusion (NDTi) have published their latest 15-minute podcast. The podcast is a discussion with examples of how we ensure people’s voices are heard in shaping policy development and beyond. Listen to the latest episode of the ‘Talking Inclusion’ podcast.  
 Events and opportunities 

Supporting adults with learning disabilities to have better lives framework
The framework, commissioned by the Local Government Association (LGA) and the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services (ADASS), is aimed at services for adults with a learning disability and young people preparing for adulthood. It was launched at a webinar event on Wednesday 26 January.A recording of the webinar will be uploaded to the LGA YouTube channel soon and you can find more information on their website.

BBC documentary: ‘Inside the autistic mind’
BBC studios is looking for autistic people who are interested in being part of a new two-part documentary for BBC Two. ‘Inside the autistic mind’ will be presented by Chris Packham who will investigate how the autistic mind works; he will be talking with autistic people who are at a key point in their lives and learn about the ways that autistic people make sense of and interact with the world. He will also introduce them to people who may be able to answer their questions about their particular experiences.

⇨ Find out more and apply to take part.

Active Support - Free 30-minute introductory or review sessions
On Friday 4 March 2022 ARC England are offering introductory or review sessions to introduce or refresh staff knowledge in Active Support.Active Support can improve outcomes and reduce behaviours of concern for people with a learning disability and/or autistic people and understanding this approach can increase staff skill and improve their job satisfaction. The sessions will be delivered over Zoom by expert Christine Rose.Find out more and book onto a session.

⇨ Find out more and book onto a session.  

Research study: Developing a falls management tool for adults with a learning disability
People can be seriously hurt by falling and this can affect their confidence and mobility and lead to long term health problems.

The ‘Developing a falls management tool for adults with a learning disability’ study aims to develop a falls management checklist to support adults with intellectual disabilities and their families (and those working with them) to think about the reasons they might fall and what could be done to reduce the chance of falling.

A study team from the University of Nottingham want to talk to people with intellectual disabilities and their carers and care staff to inform their research.

⇨ Find out more and get involved.
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