Resource Library: Autism and Learning Disability

In this short film, Tash, John, Sharon and Amy, talk about what it is like to get involved in health research (sometimes called public involvement in research). Each shares their reasons for getting involved in research and what impact it has had on their lives. Tash, John, Sharon and Amy are all involved in mental health research projects funded by the NIHR and wanted to use this film to invite other people with experience of health problems to find out more about how they too could influence research.

The North East and Cumbria Learning Disability Network has been working in partnership with Public Health Prevention in Maternity colleagues,  Northern Clinical Maternity Network, the regional Local Maternity Systems and Geordie Mums a self advocacy group made up of mums with a learning disability, to improve the experiences of care of parents with a learning disability using maternity services across the North East and North Cumbria.

In December 2023 we launched the Learning Disability Maternity Diamond Standards across the North East North Cumbria. They have been developed to support maternity services to deliver high quality, reasonably adjusted maternity care to women with learning disability.

Learning Disability Maternity Diamond Standards « Learning Disability Network (necldnetwork.co.uk)

This powerful new animation has been co-designed and co-produced with autistic people and people with a learning disability. It is aimed at helping staff and employers across health and social care to understand Oliver's Training and why it is so vitally important.

Handy guides and information about learning disability if you work in the health services.

Resources for Healthcare Professionals | Mencap

In this Capsticks briefing learn about the legal obligations under The Equality Act to provide reasonable adjustments for disabled health learners.

Supporting disabled health learners from education to work | NHS Employers

If you have a disability, a health condition or have additional requirements which mean you need adjustments, to help ensure your adjustments are documented you should consider completing an Adjustments Planner.

An Adjustments Planner could provide a useful tool to support you to progress in higher education, take up work during term time or move into employment by enabling you to plan your future.

The Adjustments Planner can support you by:

• enabling you to identify any extra support or arrangements you might need whilst you are a student or in the workplace
• raising awareness of support in education, including Disabled Students Allowance
• supporting an Access to Work application for extra support

Access to Work is a government grant that is available to help meet the costs of support in the workplace. Support from Access to Work could include:

• funding for specialist equipment to support you to do your job
• support getting to and from work and/or support when you are in work
• a support worker or job coaching support

The Adjustments Planner is a confidential, personal document that belongs to you, and it cannot be shared with others without your permission. The planner can:

• prepare you for an interview by providing a structure to support you to have more confident conversations with potential employers about your working requirements, adjustments and in-work support
• support you to apply for Access to Work by reducing the need for an Access to Work assessment

The Adjustments Planner can be used to support you whilst you are a student, working during term time, self-employment, an apprenticeship, or work experience.

Adjustments Planner: Supporting students and graduates to plan for the future - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

A digital passport that allows disabled learners, trainees and apprentices to share adjustments to improve their transition into the NHS workforce.

Using the Empowerment Passport to support disabled health learners | NHS Employers