Learning disabilities - guidance

Guidance sections provide a space for resources that help convert principles or policy into action. The resources are grouped by country, then listed alphabetically by author/issuing body and then by date.

You might also like to refer to the policy and agencies and communities sections for further information on people with learning disabilities.

Some of the resources below are in PDF format - see how to access PDF files.

UK wide
England
Northern Ireland
Scotland
Wales

UK wide

Disability Rights Commission (DRC) (2007) Equal Treatment: Closing the Gap - One Year On (PDF 130.1KB)
Report of the Reconvened Formal Inquiry Panel of the DRC's Formal Investigation into the inequalities in physical health experienced by people with mental health problems and learning disabilities.

Foresight Mental Capital and Wellbeing Project (2008) Learning difficulties: future challenges (PDF 3.7MB)
The Foresight Project on Mental Capital and Wellbeing aimed to advise the Government on how to achieve the best possible mental development and mental wellbeing for everyone in the UK in the future. This report draws together the findings for "Learning difficulties" and identifies key challenges for the future. The report is listed on the Mental Capital and Wellbeing Project Outputs page.

Foresight Mental Capital and Wellbeing Project (2008) State of the art science review: SR D3. Adult intellectual (learning) disabilities (PDF 187.1KB)
The review describes the challenges that exist to maintain and develop modern services for learning disabilities in the present and likely future context.

Foundation for People with Learning Disabilities (2012) Good healthcare for all
This booklet was funded by the Department of Health and provides practical hints and tips for people with learning disabilities, family carers and anyone who supports a person with learning disabilities on how to go about using the NHS, what to expect, real life examples of challenges and how they can be overcome as well as some advice about how to get help and some useful contacts to get more information.

Foundation for People with Learning Disabilities (2008) What about us? Promoting emotional well-being and inclusion by working with young people with learning difficulties in schools and colleges
Guidelines for improving the experiences of young people with learning difficulties in mainstream education. Young people with learning difficulties who attend mainstream schools and colleges need to feel safer and more secure between lessons, new research has found.

Foundation for People with Learning Disabilities (2006) You are not alone. Caring for a son or daughter with a learning disability and emotional difficulties
These guidelines have been written for parents and carers of young people with learning disabilities who want to know what help is available if their son or daughter develops an emotional health problem, and how they might go about getting that help.

Foundation for People with Learning Disabilities (2005) Shaping the future together
A pack to help organisations develop services and approaches that respond to what people with learning disabilities say they want.

General Medical Council (2012) Learning disabilities
This website aims to help doctors provide better care for people with learning disabilities by: identifying the issues; highlighting patient perspectives and showing how to put GMC guidance into practice. It expands on the guidance in 'Good Medical Practice' and 'Consent' and demonstrates how it applies to general practice when treating patients with learning disabilities.

Mencap (2010) Getting it right campaign
The 'Getting it right' campaign aims to support local campaigners, health professionals, GP surgeries, hospitals and health care authorities to work together to make improvements to support people with learning disabilities.

Mencap (2007) Death by indifference
This report follows on from Mencap's Treat me right! report and campaign in 2004, which exposed the unequal healthcare that people with a learning disability often receive from healthcare professionals.

Ministry of Justice (2008) A guide to the Human Rights Act: a booklet for people with learning disabilities
A booklet aimed at helping people with learning disabilities understand the human rights act.

National Children's Bureau (2007) Effective support for parents with a learning disability and their children: seminar held at the NCB 7 December 2007 (PDF 411.1KB)
Summaries of the presentations delivered at the seminar and the key messages contained within them.

People First Lambeth (2007) We are not stupid (PDF 2.07MB)
This book looks at the issues which affect people with learning difficulties, such as bullying, racism, relationships, choice and independence and staff. It is told from the point of view of people with learning difficulties.

Royal College of Nursing (2011) Learning from the past – setting out the future: developing learning disabilities nursing in the United Kingdom (PDF 138.1 KB)
Learning disability nurses play a central role in the lives of people with learning disabilities, from developing and implementing care plans to providing advice, education and support to people throughout their care journey. This publication sets out the key issues and actions required, both now and in the future, to enable learning disability nursing to develop and progress in line with the increased demand on its services. It also details areas of priority for the RCN.

Royal College of Nursing (2010) Dignity in health care for people with learning disabilities (PDF 925.3KB)
This publication focuses on the experiences of people with learning disabilities, areas for improvement in relation to dignity, practical ideas on what nurses can do to improve dignity and sources of further information and support. It also includes information relating to the particular health needs that people with learning disabilities may have, and provides guidance on working in collaboration with other service providers.

Royal College of Nursing (2011) Meeting the health needs of people with learning disabilities: RCN guidance for nursing staff (PDF 1.7MB)
This is the updated second edition of this guidance which aims to support nurses and nursing students in delivering high quality care to those with learning disabilities. The guidance provides a definition of learning disabilities; outlines some specific health needs; and explains relevant legislation.

Royal College of Nursing (2010) Mental health nursing of adults with learning disabilities. RCN guidance (PDF 472KB)
This guidance is aimed at nurses and nursing students who work with adults with learning disabilities. It includes examples of good practice and partnership working.

Royal College of Nursing (2007) Pregnancy and disability: RCN guide for midwives and nurses (PDF 397.1KB)
This guidance is for nurses and midwives who encounter disabled women and contribute to their childbearing experience.

Social Care Institute for Excellence (2010) At a glance 22: Personalisation briefing: Implications for community learning disability staff
This At a glance briefing examines the implications of the personalisation agenda for community-based health and social care staff supporting people with a learning disability.

Social Care Institute for Excellence (2008) SCIE Guide 25: Having a break: good practice in short breaks for families with children who have complex health needs and disabilities
This guide has been written for commissioners and service providers responsible for services for children with complex health care needs and their families.

Social Care Institute for Excellence (2007) SCIE Guide 16: Community-based day activities and supports for people with learning disablities
This guide looks at what services and individuals can do to help people with learning disabilities. The guide gives information from the current knowledge base and points to examples of good practice.

England

Centre for Disability Research (2008) People with learning disabilities in England (PDF 571.9KB)
This report aims to summarise information that is available from nationally representative data sources on the life experiences and services used by people with learning disabilities in England.

Commission for Social care Inspection (2009) Supporting disabled parents: a family or a fragmented approach? (PDF 1.27MB)
This CSCI study seeks to examine the experiences of disabled parents and their families and to see how far council policies, services and practice are providing appropriate support.

Department of Health (2010) Health Action Planning and Health Facilitation for people with learning disabilities: good practice guidance
The guidance provides practical support in putting people with learning disabilities at the centre of all action relating to their health, not just through person-to-person work on health outcomes, but also through wider engagement with people with learning disabilities and their families and carers in reviewing and planning services. An easy read version is also available.

Department of Health (2009) World class commissioning for the health and wellbeing of people with learning disabilities
A practical guide to support commissioners to meet the needs of people with learning disabilities, and ensure they are fulfilling their duty to promote equality.

Department of Health (2009) Equal access? A practical guide for the NHS: creating a Single Equality Scheme that includes improving access for people with learning disabilities
This is a guide to support the NHS to include people with learning disabilities in their equality schemes, with practical examples of reasonable adjustments to achieve equality of access.

Department of Health (2009) Improving the health and wellbeing of people with learning disabilities
This document provides practical support for commissioners and contains a range of tools, techniques, key reference documents and case studies to help commissioners to improve the health and wellbeing of people with learning disabilities.

Department of Health (2009) Valuing people now resource pack
This pack includes a specially commissioned DVD, 'Valuing People Now, real life stories' which covers some of the key messages and priorities in Valuing People Now. It also contains new guidance on commissioning easy read information and the recently published Health Action Planning Guidance.

Department of Health (2009) Supporting Learning Disability Partnership Boards to implement the National Carers Strategy
This booklet offers guidance to Learning Disability Partnership Boards to help them ensure carers of people with learning disabilities, and carers with learning disabilities are supported in their own right, and involved in local service developments which affect their lives, and the lives of the people they care for.

Department of Health (2009) Improving the patient experience: sharing success in mental health and learning disabilities - the King's Fund's Enhancing the Healing Environment programme
The King's Fund's Enhancing the Healing Environment, is a nurse-led environmental improvement programme. Following the success of initial projects in London, the programme was extended to 69 Trusts in England including acute, mental health, learning disability and primary care trusts.

Department of Health (2007) Good practice in learning disability nursing
This document provides good practice guidance to support learning disability nursing to make a major contribution to the health and well-being of people with a learning disability in the future.

Department of Health et al (2005) Improving the Life Chances of Disabled People
This report sets out an ambitious programme of action that will bring disabled people fully within the scope of the 'opportunity society'. By supporting disabled people to help themselves, a step change can be achieved in the participation and inclusion of disabled people.

WELD - Working with Evidence about Learning Disabilities
The WELD blog aims to keep people up to date with the latest learning disabilities evidence. Daily posts include summarised published evidence, policy guidance, reports and links to primary sources.

Northern Ireland

Bamford Review of Mental Health and Learning Disability website
This website provides information on the Review of Mental Health and Learning Disability. It was an independent review which looked at the law, policy and provisions which affect people with mental health needs or a learning disability in Northern Ireland.

Scotland

Care Commission (2008) Disability Equality Annual Report
The Public Sector Equality Duty on disability requires the Care Commission to publish an annual report providing a summary of the progress made over the past twelve months. This report covers actions taken in 2008, and will help to deliver the objectives and actions set out in the Single Equality Scheme.

Health Scotland (2008) Sexual Health and Relationships, A Review of Resources for people with learning disabilities (PDF 1.31MB)
A review of sexual health and relationships resources for people with learning disabilities which is intended to support professionals in their work. It collates reviews of resources, assessed by professionals from across the health, education, social work and voluntary sectors working in Scotland.

Health Scotland (2007) The Sexual Health Needs of Young People with Learning Disabilities (PDF 333.7 KB)
This briefing paper, which is the culmination of 2 years' work by Health Scotland, brings together evidence on effective and promising practice and highlights the views of young people with learning disabilities.

Joint Improvement Team (JIT) (2008) Capacity to Change Commissioning Strategy for Learning Disability Services
An online workbook, which is designed to inform the development of joint commissioning strategies and capacity planning for learning disability services by local partnerships.

NHS Education for Scotland eLibrary (NES) Learning Disabilities e-Library
The Learning Disabilities Specialist e-Library provides access to key documents and evidence related to learning disabilities for health professionals.

NHS Quality Improvement Scotland (2009) Tackling Indifference, Healthcare Services for People with Learning Disabilities, National Overview Report
A national overview for healthcare services in Scotland for people with learning disabilities. This overview, together with supporting information is available for download

NHS Quality Improvement Scotland (2006) Promoting access to healthcare for people with a learning disability
This best practice statement is designed to improve access at the point of entry into NHSScotland for children, adults and older people with a learning disability, by providing guidance for healthcare staff.

NHS Quality Improvement Scotland (2004) Learning Disability Quality Indicators
These indicators focus on six key elements of learning disabilities services that have an impact on the quality of care a person with learning disabilities receives throughout their heathcare journey.

Scottish Executive (2006) Having Your Say? The Same As You? National Implementation Group: Report of the Advocacy Sub Group
The follow up report to 'The same as you?' review of services for people with learning disabilities - report on advocacy.

Scottish Executive (2006) Changing childhoods?: The same as you?: National Implementation Group: Report of the Children's Sub Group
Follow up report of The same as you? review of services for people with learning disabilities - report on children's services.

Scottish Executive (2006) Make My Day! The Same as You? National Implementation Group: Report of the Day Services Sub Group
A follow up report of the same as you? review of services for people with learning disabilities - on day services.