On 17 February 2026, more than thirty-five learning disability nursing professionals from across Kent and Medway gathered for a day of honest, structured conversation about who they are, what their work does, and what needs to change. Over 500 combined years of experience were in the room.

The result is We Are Still Here. We Are Still Vital. — a new report that is ready to read and share.

What it found

Participants were clear. LD nurses see the whole person, identify what others miss, prevent diagnostic overshadowing, and change how entire teams behave. When asked what would be lost without Learning Disability nursing, answers included over-medication, people lost without a voice, earlier deaths, and — from one experienced practitioner — simply: Catastrophic.

Three collective actions

1. Formalise a Kent and Medway Learning Disability Nursing Network — quarterly, with lived experience representation, linked to the KSS Community of Practice.
2. Take LD nursing into schools and colleges — outreach into at least five settings within twelve months, co-delivered with lived experience partners.
3. Build the evidence base — a working group to develop outcome frameworks that capture the preventative impact of Learning Disability nursing.

Read it. Share it. Use it.

The report is written to be placed in front of commissioners, Chief Nurses, and workforce planners. If you’d like to get involved in any of the three collective actions, we’d love to hear from you.