Search results for ‘Subject term:"learning disabilities"’ Sort:
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Strategic thinking
- Authors:
- DAVIES Jill, BURKE Christine
- Journal article citation:
- Mental Health Today, September 2012, pp.12-14.
- Publisher:
- Pavilion
- Place of publication:
- Hove
People with learning disabilities are more likely to develop mental health problems compared to the general population. The Government’s mental health strategy, ‘No health without mental health’ (DH, 2011), makes several references to people with learning disabilities. In particular, it highlights the importance of mental health services for people with learning disabilities and autism, the need to ensure that mainstream services are inclusive to this group, including that staff have appropriate skills and can provide reasonable adjustments to meet individual needs. The strategy also mentions the need for early intervention to prevent later problems for children with special educational needs and disabilities, including those who have underlying or associated mental health problems. In 2012, the Government issued an accompanying implementation framework that aims to translate the ideals of the strategy into concrete actions on a local level. This article discusses what the implementation framework means for people with learning disabilities. It shows that, despite the strategy highlighting the needs of people with learning disabilities, the framework offers little specifically for this group. This raises concern that this group will remain off the radar for those in mainstream services and organisations that could support them to maintain their mental health and wellbeing.
Strategic thinking
- Authors:
- DAVIES Jill, BURKE Christine
- Journal article citation:
- Learning Disability Today, October 2012, pp.16-17.
- Publisher:
- Pavilion
- Place of publication:
- Hove
People with learning disabilities are more likely to develop mental health problems compared to the general population. The Government’s mental health strategy, ‘No health without mental health’ (DH, 2011), makes several references to people with learning disabilities. In particular, it highlights the importance of mental health services for people with learning disabilities and autism, the need to ensure that mainstream services are inclusive to this group, including that staff have appropriate skills and can provide reasonable adjustments to meet individual needs. The strategy also mentions the need for early intervention to prevent later problems for children with special educational needs and disabilities, including those who have underlying or associated mental health problems. In 2012, the Government issued an accompanying implementation framework that aims to translate the ideals of the strategy into concrete actions on a local level. This article discusses what the implementation framework means for people with learning disabilities. It shows that, despite the strategy highlighting the needs of people with learning disabilities, the framework offers little specifically for this group. This raises concern that this group will remain off the radar for those in mainstream services and organisations that could support them to maintain their mental health and wellbeing.
Mental Health Action Plan
- Author:
- NORTHERN IRELAND. Department of Health
- Publisher:
- Northern Ireland. Department of Health
- Publication year:
- 2020
- Pagination:
- 60
- Place of publication:
- Belfast
This Mental Health Action Plan aims to improve people’s experience of mental health services in Northern Ireland and ensure the health and social care system work better to be able to improve people’s experience. The actions in this plan fall into three broad categories: immediate service developments, longer term strategic objectives and preparatory work for future strategic decisions. The first category aims to provide fixes to immediate problems and immediate service developments where there has been an identified immediate need. This includes, for example, consideration of alternative methods of working for the mental health workforce to respond to the immediate, and significant, workforce pressures. The longer-term strategic objectives aim to fulfil future strategic needs and includes, for example, a workforce review to consider how the mental health workforce should be structured. The third category relates to preparatory work for future strategic directions. This includes, for example, development of an action plan for the use of technology and creating better governance structures. The document also contains a COVID-19 Mental Health Response Plan as an annex, which outlines key areas of intervention during the pandemic to help and support the population as a whole. (Edited publisher abstract)
Policy implications in Wales: current implications for Welsh people with learning disabilities and complex mental health needs including challenging behaviour
- Author:
- MATTHEWS Helen
- Journal article citation:
- Advances in Mental Health and Learning Disabilities, 1(1), March 2007, pp.37-41.
- Publisher:
- Emerald
This article provides an overview of the mechanisms for policy implementation in Wales to better meet the mental health needs of people with learning disabilities.
Building the right support for people with a learning disability and autistic people: action plan
- Author:
- GREAT BRITAIN. Department of Health and Social Care
- Publisher:
- Great Britain. Her Majesty's Government
- Publication year:
- 2022
- Pagination:
- 87
- Place of publication:
- London
An action plan to strengthen community support for people with a learning disability and autistic people, and reduce reliance on mental health inpatient care. Adults, children, and young people with a learning disability and autistic adults, children, and young people should be equal citizens in their communities. People with a learning disability and autistic people should live in their own home and have the right support in place to live an ordinary life. This includes access to education, employment, and other opportunities which help people to fulfil their aspirations. This plan seeks to make this a reality through strengthening community support and thereby reducing the overall reliance on specialist inpatient care in mental health hospitals. It brings together, in one place, the commitments that have been made by different organisations to realise this aim. This action plan is divided into six chapters. Each chapter focuses on a particular area we know to be crucial in supporting people to live ordinary lives in their communities and clearly sets out the commitments to make positive change happen. Thematic areas are: keeping people safe and ensuring high quality health and social care; making it easier to leave hospital; living an ordinary life in the community; a good start to life; working with changes to the system; national and local accountability to deliver. (Edited publisher abstract)
Mental health nursing of adults with learning disabilities: RCN guidance
- Author:
- ROYAL COLLEGE OF NURSING
- Publisher:
- Royal College of Nursing
- Publication year:
- 2012
- Pagination:
- 44p.
- Place of publication:
- London
This publication provides guidance for nurses and nursing students in mental health services in delivering high quality health care to people with learning disabilities. It is recognised that people with learning disabilities demonstrate the complete spectrum of mental health problems, with higher prevalence than found in those without learning disabilities. This publication aims to describe how to work in partnership with people with learning disabilities in their mental health care and to personalise their services. An overview of government policy and the law about learning disabilities in each of the 4 UK countries is provided. The publication then describes how mental health problems may present in people with learning disabilities, how to adapt mental health assessments to meet the needs of adults with learning disabilities, and the interventions that can be used. The vulnerability of people with learning disabilities to mental health problems is highlighted. In addition, specialist services which can provide additional support for adults with learning disabilities and how these can be accessed are described. Examples of good practice and partnership working are provided.
England and Northern Ireland policy and law update relating to mental health and intellectual disability
- Authors:
- CHAPLIN Eddie, TAGGART Laurence
- Journal article citation:
- Advances in Mental Health and Intellectual Disabilities, 6(3), 2012, pp.144-150.
- Publisher:
- Emerald
Two years ago this journal presented overviews and perspectives from across the UK relating to mental health and intellectual disability. This article aims to bring readers up to date with policy developments and current issues in England and Northern Ireland. As well as looking at changes to policy and legislation, the paper highlights the differences and shared concerns for people with intellectual disability living in the two countries, for example access to equitable health care. The review found that, in spite of shared visions of inclusion and equality in mental health care, there are major differences in how the countries approach these issues. This has been emphasised by recent shifts in policy. In Northern Ireland strategies are being designed to inform the delivery of evidence based services for the future while in England there has also been a move towards public protection within mental health legislation and the reaffirmation of the need to for more individualised services. It is concluded that although there is a desire for change, the reality is that the policies and legislation introduced to address issues such as accessing mental health care and service standards have still to make a significant impact to people's daily lives.
Policy implementation in England: developments to meet the mental health needs of people with learning disabilities
- Authors:
- CHAPLIN Eddie, O'HARA Jean
- Journal article citation:
- Advances in Mental Health and Learning Disabilities, 1(1), March 2007, pp.7-12.
- Publisher:
- Emerald
This article looks at current initiatives to improve mental health care for people with learning disabilities from around England and places them within a policy context. It highlights the areas that still fail to provide a basic care standard, some of which have been reported throughout the media from recent investigations. Where this is the case, the authors outline the response and actions that have been put in place to address these issues. The article focuses on the areas of 'rights', 'inclusion', 'choice' and 'independence'. They argue that there now needs to be cooperation between services that traditionally have not worked together for the benefit of this client group. The traditional views and values of service provides and commissioners will need to be challenged and tuned to the needs of this group of people.
Improving the mental health of people with learning disabilities in Scotland: putting policy into practice
- Authors:
- SIMPSON Neill, WHORISKEY Margaret, McCUE Michael
- Journal article citation:
- Advances in Mental Health and Learning Disabilities, 1(1), March 2007, pp.26-32.
- Publisher:
- Emerald
Service systems for people with learning disabilities in Scotland have developed in the context of the Scottish legal system and devolved policy for health. Scottish organisations are responding to the spectrum of mental health needs by working in partnership to improve quality. This article describes this system and the key organisations, and presents some findings of the National Overview Report of services undertaken by NHS Quality Improvement Scotland.
Think local act vocal
- Authors:
- HOPKINSON Patrick, POLLOCK Linda, COYLE David
- Journal article citation:
- Mental Health Care, 1(7), March 1998, pp.220-221.
- Publisher:
- Pavilion
The NHS white papers for England, Wales and Scotland herald a completely new framework for the organisation and delivery of health care services. Commentators from the field outline the main points, and analyse the implications for mental health and learning disabilities services.