Survey of Health and Wellbeing commissioners and providers

about services for people with a Learning Disability

• This survey was set up after members of Hackney People First and PohWER spoke about some of the difficulties we face

• The survey was given to the Health and Wellbeing Board members to see how they are meeting their duties under the 2010 Equalities Act

• 9 members responded to the survey, 2 remained anonymous

Do you have information about your services available for people with Learning Disabilities in Easy Read?

Once comment was “What is Easy Read”?

When you write a letter to someone using your service who has a Learning Disability, do you send an

Easy Read version of the letter?

• One comment was “Not aware what Easy Read is”?

Getting letters in Easy Read

• Maria gets letters from her Housing Association, sometimes long, detailed (other services do this too)

• She has to have help from her family or support worker to understand what they say

• She would like to have letters in Easy Read so she can understand them herself

• She says “If you are coming to do a Gas Safety Check, just tell me the time and date – and your name and phone number. That’s all I need to know”.

Some commissioners and providers have set up training for their staff delivered by people with Learning Disabilities themselves. Do you do this?

• Was not aware of this• We are involved in getting people with learning disabilities

trained to deliver training• We are in the process of arranging this• Yes - multidisciplinary annual training on LD is provided for

all practices, completed during April-June 2013

Why having us involved in training your staff is effective

• Israel will tell of his experience at the Pharmacy (could be many services, this is just an example)

• Peter will give talk about Hackney Council’s recent training for service users to become staff trainers

• Susan’s has found her new GP practice, who took part in user led training, treats her better than her old GP practice

How do you gather the views and opinions about the services you commission or provide from people with a Learning Disability?

What can go wrong with surveys

• Susan was sent a survey form some time last year – she didn’t know what it was for

• She gave it to her support worker• She doesn’t know what happened to it after that• She thinks the support worker sent it back

Our recommendations and requests

• We would like you all to use Easy Read for information and letters to us

• We would like you to use organisations like POhWER Hackney People First when seeking feedback from people with a learning disability

• We would like you all to involve us in training your staff• We would like you all to fill in this survey• We would like you to carry out this survey every year to

see how organisations are meeting their Equalities Duty under the 2010 Act