New plan to enhance the lives of people with learning disabilities

The framework has been developed based on recommendations from several service reviews alongside feedback from people with learning disabilities, their relatives and other key stakeholders, but is seeking feedback before it is officially published this summer.

This forms part of the States disability and inclusion strategy that was approved in November 2013 and aims to help children and adults with learning disabilities can live their best possible quality of life, now and in the future.

‘The Learning Disability Framework aims to enhance the lives of children and adults with learning disabilities, ensuring they can actively engage socially, economically, and culturally,’ said specialist mental health and adult disability services associate director Sian Ogier.

‘Amplifying the voices of individuals with learning disabilities is central to realising the framework’s vision.

‘It outlines a clear plan to ensure that people in the Bailiwick with learning disabilities can enjoy the best quality of life by focusing on access to essential sectors, including health, education, and housing.

‘A learning disability partnership board will be established to provide strategic oversight for key workstreams, ensuring the framework’s vision becomes a reality.’

Statistics from the UK show that 2.16% of adults and 2.5% of children have a learning disability and the figures are likely to be the same locally, equating to approximately 1,200 adults and 250 children with a learning disability in the Bailiwick.

Most adults with a learning disability do not require regular contact with specialist learning disability services, and are able to live independent lives with support from their families, friends and the wider community.

Central to the implementation of the Learning Disability Framework is the formation of a learning disability partnership board, which will bring together people who have a learning disability, carers, key organisations, both statutory and third sector.

It will provide strategic oversight for the workstreams which enable the vision of the framework to become a reality, identify new and emerging issues that people with a learning disability face, and jointly plan initiatives to address these.

It will be initially organised by Adult Disability Services, however the future aspiration is for it to be independently chaired and for the board’s remit to develop over time.

The framework comprises of seven overarching themes: advocacy, transition, health, education, employment and other forms of meaningful engagement, housing, the needs of family and informal carers, knowledge and the skills of paid staff.

The themes are broken into specific actions to be completed over three years, with a commitment to refresh the framework towards the end of 2027.

• The framework can be accessed at gov.gg/learningdisabilityframework. To comment on the framework, contact Adult Disability Services on 224010 or by emailing HSC.ADSESAdminTeam@gov.gg. The closing date for feedback is 4 April.