Kent and Medway Learning Disability and Autism workforce events

Canterbury Christ Church University will be hosting a series of learning disability and autism workforce events in 2024, aimed at:-

  • Care staff and professionals working directly with people with learning disabilities and/autistic people, from education, health and care services.
  • Education, Care and Health managers.
  • Police and community support workers
  • Anyone in Kent and Medway working with this diverse population

The first event will feature a presentation from CCCU MSc student and Makaton Trainer Katie Potts and her practice based research investigating how can Makaton be embedded into schools and their wider community.

To book a free place on this first event, please click here

SUPPORT NEEDED: VODG is calling on the #health and #socialcare workforce to share their views on how we can reduce the reliance on psychotropic medications

The essential role of the health and care workforce in reducing reliance on psychotropic medications – ‘STOMP’ and ‘STAMP’

STOMP (Stopping Over Medication of People with a learning disability, autism or both) and STAMP (Supporting Treatment and Appropriate Medication in Paediatrics) are national projects, launched by NHS England and involving many different organisations, aiming to stop the overuse of psychotropic medicines. 

It is estimated that on an average day in England between 30,000 and 35,000 people with a learning disability, autism or both are taking prescribed psychotropic medication without appropriate clinical justification. 

This is a medication which results in alterations to perception, mood or consciousness. Long-term use of these medicines puts people at unnecessary risk of a wide range of side effects including weight gain, organ failure and even premature death.

We have launched a questionnaire to hear from colleagues across the health and care sector, including family carers, about your experiences of using STOMP and STAMP within your job roles and how awareness and understanding of STOMP and STAMP could be improved. 

Understanding the views of health and care professionals with experience in supporting people is essential to identifying opportunities and building solutions to prevent the overuse and inappropriate use of psychotropic medications.

The questionnaire is open now until Friday 16 December 2022.

This project is a collaboration between VODG, the National Development Team for Inclusion (NDTi)Learning Disability England (LDE) and Skills for Care and is funded by Health Education England. 

Find out more on our project page here: www.vodg.org.uk/resource/stomp-and-stamp-the-essential-role-of-the-health-and-care-workforce-in-reducing-the-reliance-on-psychotropic-medication.html   If you have questions about the survey or would prefer to talk through your views with a researcher, please email research.policy@vodg.org.uk

Development of a Kent, Surrey & Sussex Learning Disability Community of Practice

You may be aware that the Kent and Medway Learning Disability Community of Practice (K&MLDCoP) is three years old this year and during the last six months has been reviewing its goals and aspirations.

Click here to review an overview of major events over the last three years

It’s model up to this point has been to enable and encourage local membership to contribute to activities based around the three main purposes, those of:-

  1. Eradicate health inequalities for people with learning disabilities
  1. To promote person centred care and support
  1. To encourage equality and access.

This has led to three well attended and evaluated conferences, engagement via social media and IT, and a growing number of clinical and academic projects.

As a result of a review over the last few months, the K&MLDCoP has been considering ways of building on its firm foundations, which has led to a successful bid for resources from Health Education England in Kent, Surrey and Sussex (HEE KSS) to allow them to open up this resource to a wider community.

With this in mind the K&MLDCoP will become the Kent, Surrey and Sussex learning disability Community of Practice over the next six months which will culminate in a 2016 launch Conference.

The CoP are looking for volunteers from across Kent, Surrey and Sussex to get involved in the Conference planning and the continued development of the CoP.

Outline for the conference:

  • A free one day event open to anyone with an interest or working in Learning Disability
  • The day will be made up of a number of short workshops/ presentation provided by community members to showcase the work they are currently doing in field of Learning disability across KSS. This will be videoed and shared via social media (click here to see the 2015 conference details: https://goo.gl/uF0pDp )
  • During the conference the CoP will also host the first meeting of ID Workforce stakeholder group, the information shared at this meeting will guide the future ID workforce development plan for HEE KSS, and is crucial to our work as we move it forward.

We would like as many of you as possible to either attend this event, or put forward someone else in your organisation who can, in order that we can continue to help you make a positive difference. If you would like to know more or would like to be involved in this exciting new start for the CoP, please contact them at kandmldcop@gmail.com

Please feel free to forward this information to any other groups or individuals in your area you think would like to be part of this exciting development.

We look forward to hearing from you soon

Best regards

George Matuska on behalf of

Kent and Medway Learning Disability Community of Practice,
email: kandmldcop@gmail.com
Website: https://kentlivewell.wordpress.com/
Twitter: @kandmldcop

Reasonable Adjustments Conference Report & Presentations – 17th June 2015

This year’s Conference was based on how we can all implement reasonable adjustments for people with learning disabilities in our work. The conference participants and the Community of Practice team found each of the presentations insightful, interesting and thought provoking. The audience participation and inclusion generated great debate and key questions for reflective thought.  Main focus with regards to barriers to ensuring services and people are well adjusted to meet the needs of these individuals.  There were lots of opportunities for networking which allowed all to address some key questions and barriers to ensure services and people are well adjusted to meet the needs of these individuals.   Delegates shared personal insights and experiences, while remembering that people with learning disabilities are no less human than anyone else.

All the presentations and and resources from the day are available on the conference page. Please click here

Professor Chris Hatton from The University of Lancaster was guest speaker and he opened the event with the provocative question – “are you well adjusted? “

The event was a great success in showcasing some of the excellent work and initiatives happening across Kent for people with learning disabilities particularly around access to health care and therapies.

Feedback received from the attendees from the day was very positive.   We would like to thank you all for your responses; which are invaluable to making next years Conference even more of a success.

Individuals who could not make the conference were able get involved via twitter using the #LDWeek15 and #ldcop15 hashtags. A full transcript of this conversation including photos are available by clicking here.

The day was held during Learning Disability Awareness Week “inclusion” and all participants wanted to mark this by having their support shared via the below photo being shared on Twitter.

#ldweek15 picture

For further details on the whole day click on the conference page by clicking here.

Tracey Rose

Community Learning Disability Nurse

Twitter @traceypockett