LEARNING DISABILITIES

Healthcare for people with learning disabilities: recommendations of the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (27th January 2010)
The Parliamentary and Health Services Ombudsman's report, 'Six Lives', highlighted failings in health and social care services that led to premature and avoidable deaths of people with learning disabilities. These letters from David Behan and Anne Williams to SHA chief executives and Directors of Adult Social Services respectively set out the action needed to respond to the recommendations set out in the 'Six Lives' report. Directors of Adult Social Services are reminded of the need to work in partnership with NHS colleagues when reviewing and reporting progress on implementation of the Ombudsmen's recommendations. SHAs are asked to report on progress by March 2010.
Letters

Valuing people now: real jobs for people with learning disabilities (20th January 2010)
The Department of Health have today issued a letter from the National Director for Learning Disabilities to Directors of Adult and Children's social Services and Chief Executives of Local Authorities, Trusts and SHAs. This is an update on the Valuing Employment Now resource pack and a reminder of the business case for investment in supported employment. Employment will remain a top priority.
Letter

MENTAL HEALTH

Legislation on hospital environments for young mental health patients (27th January 2010)
This letter from David Flory and CNO informs how from 1 April 2010 legislation places a duty on hospital managers to ensure that under 18s are treated in an environment in hospital which is suitable having regard to their age (subject to their needs).
Letter

Eager for Radical Change - New Horizons Roundtable (1st February 2010)
The New Horizons programme aims to revolutionise mental health care.

Leading figures from a variety of organisations with an interest in the agenda and people with direct experience of mental distress gathered recently at a roundtable convened by the Guardian, in association with the National Mental Health Development Unit, on behalf of the Department of Health. The debate focused on New Horizons, which replaces the 10-year national service framework for mental health.
Document

North West Mental Wellbeing Survey 2009 (25th January 2010)
The North West Mental Wellbeing Survey was undertaken in response to a growing need to understand more about positive mental health and wellbeing. With a total sample of 18,500 people across Cumbria, Lancashire, Greater Manchester, Cheshire and Merseyside, the survey is the largest, most significant and detailed investigation of the region's mental health and wellbeing ever undertaken. It identified differences between local areas, with people from Warrington emerging as having the highest overall mental wellbeing score in the North West and people in Liverpool the lowest.
Summary
Full Report (very large document)

Dementia 2010. The prevalence, economic cost and research funding of dementia compared with other major diseases (3rd February 2010)
The Alzheimer's Research Trust commissioned the Health Economics Research Centre at the University of Oxford to produce a report on the economic cost of dementia to the UK, and the country's investment in research to find new treatments, preventions and cures.

The Oxford team's findings are astonishing. They show dementia to be the greatest medical challenge of our time.

• Over 820,000 people in the UK live with Alzheimer's and other dementias.
• Dementia costs the UK economy £23 billion per year: more than cancer and heart disease combined.
• Dementia research is severely underfunded, receiving 12 times less support than cancer research.

Report

Delivering same-sex accommodation in mental health and learning disability services (25th January 2010)
The provision of same-sex accommodation across the NHS is a visible affirmation of the health service’s commitment to respecting the dignity and privacy of those who use its services. Service users’ experience while in care relates significantly to ward culture, staff attitudes and gender sensitivity, as well as physical arrangements for gender separation.

This Briefing summarises existing national policy and good practice on same-sex accommodation, explains what support is available to organisations that need to make improvements, and sets out what both providers and commissioners can do to ensure same-sex accommodation becomes a reality for all.
Briefing

Postnote: Diagnosing Dementia (January 2010)
Dementia currently affects 700,000 people in the UK, yet only 1 in 3 cases receives a formal diagnosis from a doctor. Dementia costs the UK economy £17bn a year and is one of the main causes of disability in later life. A key aim of the Department of Health's 2009 National Dementia Strategy is early diagnosis. This is intended to improve quality of life through increased support, prevention of harm and reduction in care home admissions. This briefing outlines current diagnostic practices, research into newer tools and service provision proposals that aim to increase early diagnosis.
Briefing

CARE QUALITY COMMISSION

Specialist inpatient learning disability services. Follow-up audit of services 2008/09 (15th December 2009)
In 2007 the first national audit of specialist inpatient services for people with learning disabilities took place. The Care Quality Commission (CQC) published a report and planned to follow up the report with inspections of these services.

From September 2008 to January 2009 they inspected 43 NHS and independent healthcare services and asked them to tell the CQC how they would improve their services following CQC's recommendations. CQC found that services for people with learning disabilities was mixed.
Report

Strategic plan 2010-2015 - position statement and action plan for learning disability (15th December 2009)
In direct response to the "Specialist inpatient learning disability services" follow up review which was published today, the CQC have published a five year plan outlining how it will drive up standards on behalf of people with learning disabilities. The Plan is also available in an easy read version.
Strategic Plan

COMMISSIONING

World Class Commissioning for the health and wellbeing of people with learning disabilities (25th November 2009)
Recent inquiries have demonstrated the health inequalities faced by people with learning disabilities; and the reasonable adjustments needed to overcome them. This is a practical guide to support commissioners to meet the needs of this group, and ensure they are fulfilling their duty to promote equality.
Publication

The Commissioning Friend for Mental Health Services. A guide for health and social care commissioners (2nd December 2009)
This guide, published by Commissioning Support for London and the National Mental Health Development Unit, covers mental health services across England and will act as a useful reference tool on key issues to support commissioners to carry out their day to day work.
Guide

How to use NICE guidance to commission high quality services (3rd December 2009)
A new guide has been launched at the NICE conference which explains how NICE guidance supports the commissioning of high quality services and describes how the guidance can be used throughout the commissioning cycle.
Guide

Commissioning for quality (2nd December 2009)
Primary care trusts (PCTs) have two key roles as commissioners: to drive up the quality of care as advocates for patients; and to drive efficiency and productivity as custodians for the taxpayer.

The NHS Confederations recent discussion paper, Commissioning in a cold climate, considered what commissioners need to do to prepare their health economies for the financial challenges now facing the NHS.

This paper focuses on commissioners' other key role: acting on behalf of the populations they serve to ensure local healthcare services are safe, effective and accessible and that quality of care in and patients’ experience of the NHS continues to improve.
Paper

A commissioner's guide to service user involvement in the re-commissioning of day and vocational services for people with mental health conditions (1st December 2009)
This is a concise guide for health and social care commissioners on how to involve people with direct experience of using mental health services in the re-commissioning of day and vocational services. It is based on the experiences of commissioners and service users who collaborated on re-designing and modernising local services.
Guide

Resources to support commissioners of services for women and girls who are victims of violence (December 2009)
NHS Primary Care Commissioning have a new web page to support commissioners of services for women and girls who are victims of violence.
Resources

PBC Connection - what's new (26th November 2009)
New resources, including Commissioning for COPD, have been added to the PBC Connection website to aid commissioners.
Resources

LEARNING DISABILITIES

Equal access? A practical guide for the NHS: creating a Single Equality Scheme that includes improving access for people with learning disabilities (7th December 2009)
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.
Guidance

LOCAL AUTHORITY/GOVERNMENT

LAC (DH) (2009)8 Autism strategy: improving services for people with autistic spectrum conditions (7th December 2009)
This circular highlights arrangements for the design and delivery of a new national strategy for adults with autistic spectrum conditions.
Publication

Valuing health: business case literature review (8th December 2009)
The Healthy Communities programme has produced a literature review which summarises the available evidence and research on the financial and non-financial impact of health improvement activity. This review highlights the need for a greater focus on the financial impact of health improvement activity on local government services, but does indicate that there are a number of areas where local authorities could expect to make efficiency savings. These include older people’s health and independence, workforce health and climate change and sustainability.
Report

Assessments relating to people with learning difficulties: Guidance to Local Authorities (November 2009)
The transition from school to a new learning establishment can be a difficult time for any young person. Those with learning difficulties are at particular risk of not making a successful transition. As a result, young people with learning difficulties are less likely to participate in education or training post-16 as those without, and are twice as likely to be NEET (not in education, training or employment).

The guidance is designed to help local authorities make consistent, effective and robust decisions but does not tell them what to do in each individual case. The guidance is current to March 2010 when new guidance published in Spring 2010, reflecting changes brought about by the ASCL Act, comes into effect.
Guidance

Assessments relating to people with learning difficulties: Guidance to Local Authorities - Analysis of consultation responses (November 2009)
The Education and Skills Act 2008 section 80 states that “in exercising its functions under this section, an authority must have regard to any guidance issued by the Secretary of State”.

The Education and Skills Act 2008 inserted Sections 139A to 139C into the Learning and Skills Act 2000 which placed a statutory responsibility on local authorities in relation to assessments relating to learning difficulties. The purpose of this consultation was to seek views on the draft statutory guidance.

The consultation ran from 23 April to 16 July 2009. A total of 70 responses were received. A summary of responses to each question is provided and a list of the respondents is included in the Annex.
Responses

Safeguarding children and young people: a new scrutiny guide (4th December 2009)
The Improvement and Development Agency (IDeA) and Centre for Public Scrutiny (CfPS) have published a new guide to support overview and scrutiny committees in fulfilling their critical role in relation to safeguarding children.

The guide is designed to assist both councillors and officers in shaping and developing local safe services. The document includes:

• suggestions for approaches to scrutiny
• key references and advice for further reading
• a series of questions that committee members may want to consider when testing whether local arrangements are robust.

Guide

HEALTH

Improving health, supporting justice: the national delivery plan of the Health and Criminal Justice Programme Board (17th November 2009)
The Government's national delivery plan for health and criminal justice as developed by the Health and Criminal Justice Programme Board, building on Lord Bradley's 2009 review of mental health and learning disability in the criminal justice system. This delivery plan contributes to key Government initiatives around protecting the public, reducing health inequalities, reducing reoffending and health improvement and protection.
Guidance

Tackling Health Related Worklessness (13th November 2009)
The health of the working age population who are out of work forms for focus of this synthesis report. Relevant policy, evidence and intelligence are brought together to highlight to scale of ill health preventing people from working, including policy and examples of best practice interventions for preparing the out of work for employment. A second report focusing on the health and wellbeing of the working age population who are in work will follow in spring 2010.
Report

LEARNING DISABILITIES

Taking a closer look: Child Poverty and Disability (20th November 2009)
A new report from Save the Children and The Family Fund reveals that 27% of disabled children across the UK are living in poverty.

The report shows the number of disabled children living in poverty is higher than previous figures have suggested.
Report

LEARNING DISABILITIES

Good Learning Disability Partnership Boards: Making it happen for everyone (21st October 2009)
In Valuing People Now (2009) the Department of Health undertook to publish a range of guidance for Learning Disability Partnership Boards to assist them in delivering on the goals set out in the strategy. The good practice guidance, ‘Good Learning Disability Partnership Boards: ‘Making it happen for everyone’ was launched at the NCAS (National Children and Adult Services) conference on 21 October.

This guide gives best practice examples from around the country and is based on the evidence that the most effective Partnership Boards are those:

• with strong links to other local boards and work programmes;
• where there is delegated or shared financial and commissioning responsibility; and
• where there is meaningful representation of people with learning disabilities and family carers from all local communities

Guidance

LEARNING DISABILITIES

Supporting Learning Disability Partnership Boards to implement the National Carers Strategy (2nd October 2009)
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.

Booklet

PATIENT AND PUBLIC INFORMATION

Let's Get Moving - patient resource (24th September 2009)
The Let's Get Moving (LGM) patient pack is designed to support patients in their efforts to become more active and contains helpful hints, practical examples, simple visual tools and personal planning exercises (practitioners might also wish to use the resource to guide patients towards becoming more active).

The pack has templates for relevant local information on indoor and outdoor activity opportunities. These templates should be completed locally, printed and inserted into the LGM patient pack prior to distribution to service deliverers. There is also an online search tool available on NHS Choices. Maps of local walking routes and green space are another supportive tool that can be included in the patient pack: these were very well received by patients in the LGM feasibility pilot.
Resources

Keep Warm Keep Well (24th September 2009)
The latest information to help the public maintain good health during winter.
Poster
Easy Read Leaflet
Guide for people with disabilities or long-term health conditions

Seasonal flu: why you should have the vaccination (17th September 2009)
This years campaign poster and leaflet.
Poster
Leaflet

PATIENT AND PUBLIC INFORMATION

Keep on the road for longer (28th August 2009)
If you're aged 50 or over then keeping your body in good condition is important. Taking full advantage of health checks and services, where they are available, could help keep you up and running for longer.

A range of health checks and services are available locally, ranging from eye tests to flu vaccinations. Combining these with keeping physically active, eating a healthy diet and maintaining a healthy weight will help you increase your chances of enjoying a healthy and happy later life. The old adage, “prevention is better than cure” is as true today as it has ever been.

This leaflet gives details of current entitlements and services you may be able to access, and when.
Leaflet

About MRSA: information for people going into hospital - easy read (27th August 2009)
This is an easy read version of a leaflet called MRSA screening: a positive result. This leaflet is for people who need to go into hospital for an operation or other treatment who are carrying the MRSA germ.
Leaflet

Identifying unhealthy kidneys: what do I need to know about proteinuria? Information for patients (26th August 2009)
This leaflet aimed at patients explains the meaning of proteinuria, cases, signs and tests to determine proteinuria. It also covers how to manage diabetes and high blood pressure with proteinuria.

This is part of a pack of information on proteinuria testing. Information sheets for GPs and labs have been published on the Department of Health website.
Leaflet

Managing premenstrual syndrome (PMS) Information for you (2nd September 2009)
The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists have produced this patient information leaflet which explains all about PMS and how to manage it.
Leaflet

Umbilical cord prolapse in late pregnancy - Information for you (2nd September 2009)
The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists have produced this patient information leaflet which explains what a cord prolapse is and what to do.
Leaflet

SOCIAL CARE

Transfer of Learning Disability Social Care Funding and Commissioning from the NHS to local Government (25th August 2009)
Since 1 April 2009, funding and commissioning responsibility of social care for adults with learning disabilities transferred from the NHS to local authorities. Further guidance on capital transfers and other financial and practical issues is provided.
Guidance

LEARNING DISABILITIES

Estimating future numbers of adults with profound multiple learning disabilities in England (23th July 2009)
The work in this report was conducted by the Centre for Disability Research (CeDR) at Lancaster University on behalf of the Department of Health. The aim of the project was to estimate change in the future numbers of adults with profound multiple learning disabilities (PMLD) in England over the period 2009 to 2026.
Report

FINANCE

Learning disabilities directed enhanced services (DES) (24th June 2009)
This new paper, from Primary Care Commissioning, provides four examples using different possible scenarios of how payments for the learning disabilities directed enhanced service should be calculated.
Paper

LEARNING DISABILITIES

Launch of the new cross-Government employment strategy for people with learning disabilities: Valuing Employment Now - real jobs for people with learning disabilities (24th June 2009)
The Government launched Valuing Employment Now - real jobs for people with learning disabilities. This sets out an ambitious goal to increase radically the number of people with learning disabilities in employment by 2025. The Government wants as many as possible of these jobs to be at least 16 hours per week. The strategy includes action to raise expectations throughout the system that all people with learning disabilities can and should have the chance to work: from birth and early years through education, among health and social care staff, local authorities, employment agencies, employers, and people with learning disabilities themselves and their families."
Strategy

CARE QUALITY COMMISSION

NHS trusts need to do more to meet essential standards (18th June 2009)

All NHS trusts have now declared whether they are meeting core safety and quality standards. Overall, these declarations suggest that NHS trusts have made important improvements over the past four years:

• 9 out of 10 trusts say they meet at least 90% of our essential standards;
• more trusts say they meet standards that have proved challenging for the NHS in the past.

However, the Care Quality Commission are concerned that:

• only half of trusts say they meet all current standards;
• there is significant variation between regions;
• fewer trusts say they meet key standards on child protection, safety and employment checks.

Declarations

Phase one and two national priorty indicators (19th June 2009)
These documents details the approved phase one and two performance indicators that the commission will use as part of the 2009-10 periodic reviews.
Primary Care Trusts
Ambulance Trusts
Mental Health Trusts
Learning Disability Trusts

Reviews in 2009/10 (23rd June 2009)
This report describes how the Care Quality Commission (CQC) will assess health and adult social care services over the next year.
Report

PRISONS/PRISON HEALTH

Lord Bradley's review of people with mental health problems or learning disabilities in the criminal justice system (30th April 2009)
This independent review was commissioned to examine the extent to which offenders with mental health problems or learning disabilities could, in appropriate cases, be diverted from prison to other services and the barriers to such diversion. The review has kept a broad remit and incorporated the range of mental health problems and learning disabilities across the whole of the criminal justice system, and made recommendations to government including the organisation of effective liaison and diversion arrangements and the services needed to support them.
Report

LEARNING DISABILITIES

Valuing people now resource pack (8th April 2009)
Following a commitment made in Valuing People Now and the accompanying Delivery Plan, published in January, the Department of Health have released the Valuing People Now Resource Pack. This pack is intended to raise awareness of the issues and support good practice locally and across all sectors.
Resource Pack

COMMISSIONING

World class commissioning monthly update March 2009 (10th March 2009)

Commissioning Services and support for people with learning disabilities and complex needs (16th March 2009)
The Commission for Social Care Inspection (CSCI), the Healthcare Commission and the Mental Health Act Commission (MHAC), today published a joint report reviewing how councils and PCTs commission services on behalf of people with a learning disability. The watchdogs conducted the review following a series of reports over the past decade that point to poor care for people with a learning disability, particularly those with complex needs. This is the first review to focus specifically on how councils and PCTs commission services.
Report

Health Poverty Index (March 2009)
The Health Poverty Index (HPI) is a web based tool that allows geographical areas and different ethnic groups to be compared in terms of their health poverty.

A group's health poverty is a summary measure of both their present state of health and future health potential or lack of it. The latest update of the HPI was released in conjunction with a new HPI workbook, which guides the user through some of the features of the tool and demonstrates how the index can be used to provide a single visual summary of an area's health poverty.
Information

Commissioning healthcare for people with learning disabilities (16th March 2009)
This briefing, from NHS Confederation, is intended to raise awareness of issues in the commissioning of services for people with learning disabilities that meet their specific needs and enhance the development of mainstream services that are fit for purpose.
Briefing