Across society, people with a learning disability experience high levels of health inequality, which means they experience unfair and avoidable differences in health compared to the wider population.
Many people with a learning disability experience poorer health, and die at a younger age. The average age at death for people with a learning disability is over 20 years less compared to the wider population, and 38% of people with a learning disability die from avoidable causes.
How we support the health and wellbeing of people with a disability
Across all our services, our approach to supporting health, wellbeing and quality of life for the people and families we support is multi-faceted. We take a system wide approach to consider the everyday interactions and opportunities that existing for people to tell us what they want and need, as well as focussing on priority areas where and when they are needed.
Through this approach we have developed:
- A holistic approach to the development of individual Health Action Plans for people we support which incorporates an interactive monthly check-in and review of peoples aspirations, struggles and goals
- We have developed a Handbook for Health and Wellbeing which is accessible as a tool for our colleagues, the people we support and their families in supporting peoples physical, emotional and social wellbeing
- Created teams of Health Champions & Health Ambassadors made up of people with support worker experience and creating employment opportunities for people we support to have a direct say and influence in the ways in which was cater for health and wellbeing needs
- Every year we carry out a health and wellbeing survey to understand the experience of people we support and frontline workers. This helps us identify annual priority areas for action
- Tailoring health and wellbeing approaches to individuals cannot be done without involving people we support, their families and those closest to them, which underpins approach.