Our staff and communities marked Learning Disability Week (16 to 20 June) with a series of activities and events to help improve the experiences of people with learning disabilities (LD) in our hospitals. This year’s theme was ‘do you see me?’ which is about people with learning disabilities feeling valued and seen.

Kickstarting the week, we hosted our annual LD transition conference so our staff could learn more about supporting patients as they move from children to adult services, something that can be a difficult change. The event featured expert speakers from other organisations and helped our staff improve their knowledge so they can provide better care for our patients and their families.

As a thank you for all their hard work, we held a tea party for our LD working group. Bringing together patients, carers and family members, the working group is passionate about making improvements at our hospitals for people with learning disabilities.

LD patients receive care throughout our hospitals, not just from our Learning Disability team. We raised awareness throughout the week by running a competition for our wards to showcase their skills and knowledge on information boards. Our LD team was out and about promoting hospital passports, bespoke cards which give invaluable information so our staff can provide the right care for each patient based on their individual needs.

Our Senior Learning Disability Nurse, Jose Lorenzo Carreon said:

“We had an excellent week raising awareness, challenging stigma, and celebrating the lives and experiences of people with learning disabilities. This year’s theme encouraged our staff to reflect on how they perceive and interact with people with learning disabilities, urging them to see the person beyond the disability. 

It is important that we continue to provide person-centred care and implement reasonable adjustments for people with a learning disability.”