Available on the Learning Hub
This programme is available on the NHS Learning Hub. We recommend you read the information on this webpage to find out more about the programme before you access the learning (https://learninghub.nhs.uk/catalogue/Caring-for-people-with-learning-disabilities).
More information about the Learning Hub and the migration of elfh programmes can be found here.
About the Caring for people with a learning disability programme
People with learning disabilities are often at increased risk of a number of health issues. This elearning has been developed to provide carers with information to reduce the risk of health deterioration in the people they support. National programmes such as LeDeR and STOMP have highlighted some of the health issues people with learning disabilities are more at risk of developing.
As people with learning disabilities can often be reliant on family and paid carers to help them manage their needs and support them to access health services, this programme aims to provide those paid and unpaid carers with health-related information that can help reduce some of the many health inequalities that people with learning disabilities face. Developed by the West Yorkshire Health and Care Partnership, we hope this programme will help reduce preventable causes of ill health and reduce health inequalities.
It has 4 sessions which have been selected as important. These are:
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Constipation awareness
Constipation awareness
Constipation is an issue that affects lots of people with learning disabilities. It can have a big impact on their health and wellbeing. It affects sleep, behaviour, eating and drinking. It can also increase the risk of seizures for people with epilepsy. This is why it is important that anyone who supports people with learning disabilities can identify when someone is constipated and knows how to reduce the risk as much as possible.
This session provides advice and support for carers about why this might be and how they can recognise the signs of constipation and reduce the risk for the people they are supporting.
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Spotting signs that someone is becoming poorly
Spotting signs that someone is becoming poorly
Most of the avoidable deaths in people with a learning disability occur because they didn’t get the treatment they needed in time. This is why it is important that anyone who supports people with learning disabilities can spot the signs that someone is unwell and know how and when to get help.
This session provides advice and support for carers on how to recognise the soft signs that someone is becoming unwell and how to record and share information with other healthcare professionals.
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Annual Health Check
Annual Health Check
People with a learning disability do not always know when they are poorly and may not be able to tell people that they feel unwell or different. Annual health checks make sure that people with learning disabilities have a yearly check of their health so that things that can make people poorly are not missed and the right care and treatment can be given.
This session provides advice and support for carers on how to help the person hey support to get an annual health check, understand what to expect and how to prepare in order to get the most benefit.
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Reasonable Adjustments
Reasonable Adjustments
Reasonable adjustments are required under the Equality Act to help ensure that people who have a disability get the right support to be able to access health services.
This session will help carers to gain a good understanding of what reasonable adjustments are and what you can do to support people to get these put in place.
More information
Further information about the health issues that people with learning disabilities are more at risk of developing can be found on the links below.
NHS England » Stopping over medication of people with a learning disability, autism or both (STOMP)
Meet the team
- Victoria Donnelly, Strategic health facilitator, Learning Disabilities Health Support Team, BDCFT
- Cherie Andrews, Senior Clinical Educator, LTHT
- Gerard Wainwright, St Anne’s Community Services
- Julie Royal-Evatt, Strategic Health Facilitation Team Manager at LYPFT
- Amanda McKie, C&H NHS Trust
NHS England TEL team
- Rebekka Campbell, Programme Manager, NHS England
- Essi Niittymaki, Senior Project Manager, NHS England
- Claire Beattie, Lead Learning Designer, NHS England
- Rachel Grant, Learning Designer, NHS England
- Catherine Moran, Graphic Designer, NHS England
- Kieron Bradshaw, Marketing and Communications Officer, NHS England
How to access
To access this elfh programme, you will require a Learning Hub account. If you do not have one, then you can register by selecting the Register button below. Note that if you hold a full elfh account, you can sign into the Learning Hub using your existing login credentials.
To view the Caring for people with a learning disability programme, select the View button below. If you already have a Learning Hub account, you will also be able to login and access the resources within the programme .
NHS healthcare staff in England – ESR
The Caring for people with a learning disability programme is also available to NHS healthcare staff via the Electronic Staff Record (ESR). Accessing this e-learning via ESR means that your completions will transfer with you throughout your NHS career.
Further details are available here.
Not an NHS organisation?
If you are not an NHS health or care organisation and therefore do not qualify for free access to the Learning Hub, you may be able to access the service if you have an existing OpenAthens account. Please go to Learning Hub and sign in with your existing credentials.
If you do not have an existing OpenAthens account, please contact elfh directly to check whether you may be eligible for access.
Registering large numbers of users
If you are a HR, IT or Practice Manager and would like to register and enrol large numbers of staff within your organisation for access onto the Caring for people with a learning disability programme, please contact elfh directly.
Organisations wishing to use their own LMS
For HR departments wanting to know more about gaining access to courses using an existing Learning Management System please contact elfh directly to express interest.
More information
Please select the following link for more information on how to use the Learning Hub