New RCN Publication – Safety, Equity and Expertise: A UK review of Learning Disability Nursing

/ Daisy Hack / Leave a comment

The Royal College of Nursing’s latest UK-wide review of Learning Disability Nursing delivers a stark reality check: Learning Disability Nursing is not just important — it is safety‑critical. And right now, it’s under threat.

Why this matters now

People with Learning Disabilities continue to experience profound health inequalities, including avoidable deaths and poorer access to care.

Learning disability nurses (RNLDs) are the professionals working to close that gap — ensuring reasonable adjustments, preventing harm, and advocating for safe, person-centred care across complex systems.

Without them, systems fail.

The headline: essential, but invisible

Learning disability nursing is a safety‑critical profession, not an optional extra — yet its contribution is consistently misunderstood, undervalued and under-recognised.

Key pressure points identified within the review:

  1. A shrinking workforce – numbers are declining while demand is rising.
  2. A fragile education pipeline – fewer students and reduced placement opportunities.
  3. Risky early careers – new nurses often work with high responsibility and limited support.
  4. A visibility crisis – the role is poorly understood across systems.

What’s at stake?

When Learning Disability nursing expertise is missing, risks increase — including avoidable harm, poor communication and premature death.

The call to action:

– Recognise and protect Learning Disability nursing as a safety‑critical role within the nursing profession.

– Improve workforce visibility and data

– Stabilise education and expand placements

– Strengthen early career support

– Make the impact of RNLDs visible and valued

The bottom line: Learning disability nursing is essential to safer, fairer care. The question is not whether it matters — but whether we act. In the South East of England, the challenges identified in this RCN review are not abstract — they are being felt now.

As systems continue to shift toward community-based and integrated models of care, the demand for Learning Disability Nursing expertise is rising faster than supply — increasing risk for people with Learning Disabilities and the teams supporting them. This national review provides not just evidence, but a clear mandate for local action: to strengthen education pathways, invest in early career support, and ensure RNLD expertise is visible, valued and sustainably embedded across South East services. 

One way in which we are trying to tackle these issues, is through the continued development of the South East RNLD Workforce & Education Community of Practice, which is strongly supported by the KSS LD CoP.

For more information on this, please visit our Learning Disability Nursing page: Learning Disability Nursing – Kent, Surrey & Sussex Learning Disability Community of Practice

You can also access the full RCN publication here:   

https://www.rcn.org.uk/-/media/Royal-College-Of-Nursing/Documents/Publications/2026/June/012-541.pdf

Join Us in Medway: A Learning Event for Everyone Working with People with Learning Disabilities & Autistic People

/ dmarsden49 / Leave a comment

The Kent and Medway Learning Disability and Autism Community of Practice is hosting a free, face-to-face learning event at the Medway Campus of Canterbury Christ Church University. It runs from 1pm to 4pm. Places are limited.

This is not a conference. It is a participatory, hands-on space built around what staff across Kent and Medway have told us they actually want: space to think together, practical tools, real examples from lived experience, and connection with others doing similar work. Whether learning disability and autism is your whole role or part of it, you are warmly invited.

Step-free access is in place, refreshments are available throughout the day, and attendance counts towards your CPD log.

Places will go quickly. To book or for further information, contact r.germaine@nhs.net.

Learning Disability and Autism: Working Together to Improve Practice
16 July 2026 | 13:00 to 16:00 | Medway Campus, Canterbury Christ Church University
Free to attend | Limited places

LDA_Learning_Event_Flyer_July2026

A new learning disability nursing post at Canterbury Christ Church University — please share widely

/ dmarsden49 / Leave a comment

This Learning Disability Week, Canterbury Christ Church University (CCCU) is advertising a new clinical academic post in learning disability nursing, and we wanted to make sure it reaches as many people as possible across the KSS community.

The post is a Lecturer in Academic Learning Disability, based in Canterbury with some travel to Medway, at 0.4 FTE (15 hours per week) on a fixed-term contract of 24 months. It is a clinical academic role, meaning the person appointed will split their time between academic duties and clinical practice — exactly the kind of bridging role that learning disability nursing needs more of.

The role sits within the School of Nursing, Midwifery, Allied and Public Health at CCCU and focuses specifically on the health and wellbeing of people with learning disabilities and autistic people. The successful candidate will contribute to teaching, curriculum development, practice supervision and assessment, and scholarly activity. There is also a specific remit to develop a sustainable model of long-arm practice assessment, and to work with the Head of Placements to grow learning disability placement capacity in the region.

This is a real opportunity to shape how the next generation of nurses understands and responds to the needs of people with learning disabilities. Every nurse who graduates with better knowledge, skills and confidence in this area is a step towards closing the health inequalities gap.

If you are a registered nurse with a learning disability field background, current NMC registration, and a passion for education, we would encourage you to look at the full job description and person specification. A teaching qualification and HEA Fellowship are listed as desirable rather than essential, so do not let those requirements put you off applying.

You can apply here:
https://staffspace.canterbury.ac.uk/ce0226li_webrecruitment/wrd/run/etrec179gf.open?WVID=902714Bjox&LANG=USA&VACANCY_ID=936091Im1H

Please share this post with anyone in your network who might be interested — colleagues, students approaching registration, or nurses considering a move into academia. The right person for this role may not be actively job-hunting; they may just need someone to forward them this link.

Daniel Marsden, Senior Lecturer in Learning Disabilities and Autism, Canterbury Christ Church University

Building a Shared Voice for Learning Disabilities Nursing in Kent and Medway

/ George Matuska / Leave a comment

Across Kent and Medway, learning disabilities nurses work in every part of the system, community, acute, mental health, forensic services, CAMHS, social care, and beyond. They are often the people who connect services, advocate for individuals, and make the system work for people with learning disabilities.

In February 2026, more than 35 professionals came together to share their experience. What they told us was clear:

Learning disability nursing is vital, but the workforce is under pressure, not always visible in decision-making, and at risk if we do not act together.

From that work, several recommendations were made to Chief Nurses across Kent and Medway. One of the strongest messages was the need for a shared, collective professional voice.

A new opportunity

We are now creating a Kent and Medway Learning Disability Nursing Shared Decision Making Council.
This will be a space where learning disability nurses can come together across organisations and roles to:

  • share insight and lived experience from practice
  • influence local and system-level decision-making
  • support Chief Nurses with advice and professional leadership
  • strengthen collaboration and consistency across Kent and Medway

This approach aligns with the national Shared Decision Making Council model, which recognises that leadership should be collective and that every nurse has a valid voice.

Who can get involved?

We are inviting expressions of interest from:

  • all registered learning disability nurses
  • working in any role, band, or setting
  • across any organisation in Kent and Medway

We particularly welcome interest from colleagues from underrepresented groups and different parts of the system to ensure the council reflects the full diversity of the profession.

What to expect

  • voluntary role
  • virtual meetings every 2 months
  • around 1 to 1.5 hours per session
  • opportunity to shape the future of the profession locally

Why this matters

The report highlighted that without learning disability nurses, there are clear risks, including missed diagnoses, poorer outcomes and widening inequality.
This council is a practical step to ensure that does not happen and that the voice of the profession is visible, heard and valued.

Get involved

If you are a learning disability nurse working in Kent and Medway and want to be part of this, we would really like to hear from you.
Please complete the Expression of Interest form here:

https://forms.office.com/e/3JVNTNQd2f

Launching during Learning Disability Week
Be part of something that will shape the future of our profession