Dear Colleague

I hope that this email finds you well.

Some of you will be aware (and even attended) that the Intellectual Disabilities (ID) programme working across London, Kent, Surrey and Sussex (LKSS) has worked with BILD to facilitate some consultation events for the Greater London Learning Disability Practitioner Community.

The full evaluation report from these events are available now (Click on the image or here to download) and the easy read summary will be made available in the communing weeks.

As part of our offer to the system we have been able to allocate funds for stakeholders across LKSS  to undertake pilot workforce education and training projects. We are looking for innovative work that organisations have identified a need for and are willing to undertake with the caveat that all learning and resources produced as a result of the projects will be freely shared. We would particularly welcome pilot project proposals that look at children and young people and / or autism as we know that, as a programme, there is more work to do concerning these groups of people. However, we also welcome proposals that look at how the workforce can improve the quality of life for any other groups of people with a learning disability.

If you would like to approach us for funding please download and complete the “request for support form”  (click here to download the form).

Please ensure that the completed form plus any attachments is returned to me via email by Tuesday 3^rd April.

Please feel free to pass this post onto other colleagues and organisations within the region as appropriate and apologies for any cross-posting.

If you have any queries, do come back to me.

Best wishes

Rhona Westrip

Programme Manager Intellectual Disabilities working across London, Kent, Surrey and Sussex

Health Education England working across Kent, Surrey and Sussex

Stewart House | 4^th Floor | 32 Russell Square | Bloomsbury | London | WC1B 5DN

Email: rhona.westrip@hee.nhs.uk

Twitter: @HEE_LKSSID

This guidance has been commissioned by NHS England, and is designed to support social care providers who want to improve the health and therefore the lives of the people they support. The guidance has been developed by National Development Team for Inclusion with the support of VODG and many of its members.

Find out more here.

Inclusion International’s new video talks about “Participating in politics”!

What are the things that need to change so more people with intellectual disabilities can have a say in politics?

What can you do as a self-advocate if you want to get involved?

Watch the video on youtube here.

Rod Landman, who has lead the charge against ‘Mate Crime’ at ARC for many years now, through various projects and work with providers, people who access support, the Police, academic institutions and advocacy groups. His passion is to ensure it continues to be recognised, acknowledged as a real ongoing issue, and moreover, tackled.

Read Rod Landman’s conference presentation summary here.

Within the summary you can find out about Mate Crime: ‘A Tale of Two Cities’ film.

Social care providers must adopt new approaches if they are to survive the challenges of funding cuts and policy changes, according to a new publication released today.

The VODG discussion paper, Challenges can fuel change, outlines what social care providers believe are the future hopes for the sector as well as the barriers that block progress. The publication is a contribution to Civil Society Futures, the national independent inquiry into English civil society.

Find out more here.