Learning Disability Strategic Action Plan 2022 to 2026

Develop and publish an overarching, cross-government strategic action plan and associated delivery plan for learning disability policy. To include appropriate, measurable, outcome focused actions, monitoring arrangements, reporting agreements and periodic review. Published by Spring 2022 and formally reviewed after two years.

An inclusive, visible and fully accessible Learning Disability Ministerial Advisory Group that fully meets the needs of people with a learning disability.

Maximise the effectiveness and reach of the Learning Disability Ministerial Advisory Group by increasing its profile and ensuring its accessibility for members, the public and external partners.

Equality and Inclusion.

To consider the impact and effectiveness of learning disability policies on people with learning disabilities, their families and carers from the Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic community.

In year one WG and LDMAG will review the impact and effectiveness of current policies to ensure that the needs of individuals with a learning disability from the Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic communities are being met.

Where gaps are identified - take action to ensure that Welsh Government policies fully meet the identified needs

Work with Improvement Cymru and partners to explore the costs, benefits and feasibility of establishing a Learning Disability Observatory for Wales.

Promote Positive Behavioural support (PBS) and Trauma informed care in health, social care and education.

Implementation of the Reducing Restrictive Practice Framework published in July 2021.

Ensure the Welsh Government’s Reducing Restrictive Practices Framework principles are promoted, understood and embedded in training and services across health, social care, education and childcare. To include appropriate monitoring, recording and reporting.

Work with sectors to ensure they consider and agree actions to support effective implementation of the Restraint Reduction Framework in childcare, education, health and social care.

Improve services for people with a learning disability.

Greater awareness amongst commissioners, providers and practitioners of person centred planning to reduce restrictive practices, promote person-centred planning and prevent harm.

Ensure all restrictive practice used is proportionate, recorded and monitored and compliant with the Welsh Government’s Reducing Restrictive Practice Framework.

Develop options and opportunities for ensuring collaboration and coproduction, including ensuring that seeking the views of people with lived experiences is maximised during the development and implementation of (and changes to) policies and services.

Develop options and opportunities for ensuring collaboration and coproduction, including ensuring that seeking the views of people with lived experiences is maximised during the development and implementation of (and changes to) policies and services.

LDMAG to contribute to a national task and finish group to understand how social prescribing could aid Wales in its recovery from Covid-19. Introduce an all-Wales framework to roll out social prescribing to tackle isolation.

Welsh Government to work with LDMAG and other partners to determine the priorities for action for a renewed strategic approach to well-being.

Integrated and dedicated activities delivered by local authorities for children and young people to support their physical, emotional and social wellbeing through suitable activities including leisure and sport.

Implement recommendations from the 2020 review of Adult Specialised Services “Improving Care, Improving Lives, National Collaborative Commissioning Unit“

1. Reduced admissions through increased community based crisis prevention /early intervention support.

2. Access to high quality, safe and effective specialised care as close to home as possible.

3. Individuals supported to return home / close to home as soon as possible.

Mortality Review and Medical Examiner Service (MES )

The new Medical Examiner Service (MES) is being rolled out across Wales. 

Ensure learning disability is embedded in the NHS Wales Mortality Review Process.

Ensure that deaths of individuals with a learning disability are reviewed as part of the new mortality review system and that lessons are identified and shared appropriately.

Contribute to the development of a “Learning from Deaths Framework”, ensuring learning disability issues are reflected appropriately.

Work with partners to establish a proportionate and appropriate process for the systematic review of deaths of individuals with a learning disability.

Roll out, monitor and evaluate the Paul Ridd Foundation Module of the Learning Disability Education Framework for healthcare staff.

Explore options for adapting and widening out this training to Social Care and other public services.

Develop modules to implement tiers two and three of the Framework.

Strengthen consistent approaches to service delivery across Wales.

Improve evidence based practice in service delivery.

Review health board approaches to delivering health checks, identify effective approaches and disseminate learning across Wales.

Develop national standards for the delivery of health checks. 

Ensure everyone has a personalised Health Action Plan that fully meets their needs.

Improved health outcomes and reduced avoidable deaths through the earlier identification, diagnosis and effective treatment of health conditions.

Improve the consistency of approach to delivering health checks across Wales.

Undertake an options appraisal to establish a digital platform to support the comprehensive implementation of the Health Equalities Framework (HEF) across Wales.

Undertake phase 1 in 2022-23 – user research – to inform development of a specification for the platform. 

Establishment of a digital system for inputting, collating and analysing data on the impact of services on the health and well-being of the individual.

Establishment of a Wales-wide local and national reporting system.

Develop policies and/ or guidance to address known/ emerging health issues and improve how mainstream NHS services identify and respond to the needs of an individual with a learning disability:

 Priorities include:

• identification, diagnosis and treatment of constipation,
• priority access to vaccinations and improve access to screening services,
• secure widespread use of the health profile,
• Secure use of Additional Learning Needs tools, review use of the flagging system and use and potential update to the care bundle

Ensure the ongoing work on tackling loneliness and social isolation continues to link with our learning disability improvement priorities.

Explore the prevalence and causes of loneliness and isolation with people with a learning disability and their families and carers.

Contribute to wider work-stream to identify solutions and ensure needs of people with learning disabilities are considered and addressed.

Promote the importance of maintaining friendships and relationships to reduce loneliness and isolation.

Better understanding of the prevalence and causes of loneliness and isolation for people with a learning disability and action taken to improve inclusion and involvement.

Work with stakeholders to review the Post-Covid-19 recovery of LA Day Service provision to ensure services meet the needs of people with learning disabilities, their families and carers.

Capture innovation and exchange good practice across local authority shorty break and respite provision and raise awareness of new approaches.

Development of effective LA Day Services.

Improved access to flexible respite and short break options that promote inclusion and well-being.

Develop, publish and launch bilingual national guidance for Children’s Social Care Services on best practice about how parents or soon to be parents with a learning disability can be best supported so families stay together and children thrive.

Welsh Government to complete work on the review of the Social Services and Wellbeing (Wales) Act 2014. Work with LDMAG to ensure the views and experiences of people with learning disabilities are reflected in the outcomes of the review to address identified gaps in provision.

Welsh Government to work with partners to support workforce planning to ensure the recruitment and development of a resilient, appropriately trained workforce. 

Provision of advocacy and self-advocacy services that meet the needs of all people with a learning disability.

Children and Young People’s Learning Disability Services.

Review the provision of children and young people’s services to identify barriers and gaps in support and to share good practice.

Promote collaborative working with stakeholders and service providers including transition services, across health, social care and education.  

To provide a consistent, accessible and easily understood, wales-wide approach to children’s services across the public sector.

Additional Learning Needs –Implementation.

Ensure the needs of learners with learning disabilities are represented at a national ALN steering group which will co-create an accountability framework to ensure successful implementation of the ALN Act.

Evaluation of the extent to which stakeholders are compliant with the provisions in the ALN Act and the initial effects and impacts of the Act.

Assessment of the extent to which the ALN Act has achieved its intended outcomes

Maximise opportunities for people with a learning disability to access apprenticeship schemes and provide support during the lifetime of the scheme.

To achieve and maintain apprenticeship starts for disabled people at above 10%.

Ensure RPB needs assessment and planning arrangements include meaningful engagement with key stakeholders including those with a learning disability.

As part of Welsh Government’s ‘Rebalancing Care and Support’ work programme, work with RPBs to promote and facilitate coproduction and inclusion of service user and carer voice in service design and delivery.

• Citizen, carer and third sector reps are supported and enabled to make a full contribution to the work of RPB boards.
• The views of disabled people are represented at board level and across the wider regional partnership.
• Co-production is embedded in the work of RPBs, and people with learning disabilities are able to be fully engaged in the work of the regional partnerships at all levels. 

Housing and Accommodation – voice and control in decision-making.

Ensure services operated by public transport providers recognise and meet the diverse needs of users. Including ensuring accessibility of timetables in all areas of Wales, through engagement with experts by experience on developing policies such as Active Travel and the Wales Transport Strategy.