People with learning disabilities and/or autism, may be considering a transition from the gender they grew up with, to a gender role they feel more comfortable with. Indeed, the person may have made this transition. As it is the case with the general population, people with learning disabilities may be exposed to discrimination, abuse, ignorance and also faced with practical and emotional stresses linked with everyday life in their new gender identity.

The Webinar will focus on how people with learning disabilities and/or autism are supported to navigate these practical and emotional difficulties and signpost to networks that may benefit and support people further. The Webinar will also consider the accessibility of information and support to this group.

Find out more here.

The Better Care Support Team, supported by SCIE and PPL, is holding a series of webinars as part of the learning and development offer to everyone working to make real the aims of the Better Care Fund – integrated, flexible support so that people can manage their own health and wellbeing, and live independently in their communities for as long as possible.

This webinar will be delivered by NHS England’s Personalised Care Group, with input from users with lived experience, and a focus on the impact of personalised health budgets on delayed transfers of care.

This webinar is intended for colleagues working in intermediate care services, be they local authority, clinical commissioning group, or third sector staff. Materials used in the webinar will be disseminated afterwards.

Find out more here.

This guideline covers care and support for adults with learning disabilities as they grow older. It covers identifying changing needs, planning for the future, and delivering services including health, social care and housing. It aims to support people to access the services they need as they get older.

More information here.

Description

Why are people with intellectual disability failed by health services?

Up to 2% of the population has an intellectual impairment. They are up to seven times more likely to have a mental health condition and commonly have complex physical illness. Despite this they remain a chronically underserved group and experience major health inequalities. People with intellectual disability encounter barriers in accessing healthcare; they die younger and a greater number of deaths could have been avoided than the rest of the population. Recognising and diagnosing ill-health in this group is a challenge for health professionals, and healthcare decisions are too often influenced by stigma and discrimination. Furthermore, NICE has highlighted the lack of adapted and tested treatments for this group.

Join the public discussion

In Mental Health Question Time on Wednesday 13th June we bring together a diverse panel of researchers and experts by experience to discuss how to build a forward-looking health service that meets the needs of people with intellectual impairment across the lifespan.

• What can be done to give people with intellectual disabilities better access to the services and treatments that other people receive?
• How can we use evidence and co-production to deliver more effective health services?
• What wider initiatives are needed to promote health and wellbeing?
• How can legislation and policy be used to support the health of people with intellectual disability?

Chaired by:

• Prof Angela Hassiotis (Chair), Professor in Intellectual Disability in the UCL Division of Psychiatry

Tickets and more information via Eventbrite

YouTube info here.

Canterbury College, room B118 at 2:30 to 4:30pm, on the 12th June.

The workshop session will be on ‘Having a Voice’ and will focus on how we can ensure that people who have learning difficulties can make their concerns heard, empowering them to have the confidence to communicate and also encouraging carers and educators to listen, encourage and to check understanding.