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This program provides guidelines and training to healthcare workers for addressing the sexual health needs of people with learning disabilities. It aims to improve accessibility, address barriers, and promote inclusive and holistic care.
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SHIELD Sexuality & Learning Disabilities TheKey to Assessing inequalities and meeting future needs. Teresa Day Health Promotion Specialist Sexual Health Education & Learning Disabilities
Sexreality Sexuality is an important facet of everyone’s life. Unfortunately, traditional approaches towards the sexuality of people with learning disabilities have been characterised by denial and repression. Denial of sexuality has a dehumanising effect.
SHIELD Sexual Health Innovative Education for Learning Disabilities This programme and its associatedguidelines has been produced as a response to the sexual health needs of people with learning disabilities.
The Isle of Wight PCT & NHS Trust working partnership in consultation with the Learning Disability Partnership Board (LDPB) believe that all people with learning disabilities will benefit from guidelines that describe and explain workers' roles and responsibilities and those with sexuality issues may benefit from a SHIELD trained staff intervention as appropriate . Background
Current BARRIERS • Physical barriers - poor accessibility to health care facilities • Administrative barriers - short appointments and long waiting times
Communication barriers - inability to describe symptoms, with differential diagnosis difficult and diagnostic overshadowing possible • Attitudinal barriers - negative assumptions and attitudes about people with learning disabilities • Knowledge barrier - limited theory and practice experience of the health needs of people with learning disabilities.
Some people with learning disabilities need help and guidance in relation to their sexuality and sexual behaviour. Staff will need support and guidance and formal training in this sensitive area to ensure that consistency and best practice are pursued and that their clients are not stigmatized or de-sexualized
TheSHIELDProgramme is designed to: • Provide staff with relevant current information • Facilitate and increase staff confidence and competence in dealing with situations at work relating to sexuality • Give clear guidance and protocol on how to respond in specific situations.
People with learning disabilities need to receive consistent information and messages. • The programme should be used by workers across all disciplines involved in the lives of people with learning disabilities. • Parents, carer’s, volunteers, friends and relatives, as well as people with learning disabilities themselves, also need to know what is in this programme
People with learning disabilities have the right to be supported by workers with relevant and current knowledge, skills and resources in relationship and sexual well-being. • This means that staff should • be familiar with relevant policy and guidelines and receive formal training in their use • have access to support and supervision from their line manager • have access to specialist and peer support where required
have access to relevant and appropriate training on an ongoing basis have access to appropriate information and resources both for their own professional use and for their professional use for people with learning disabilities work to their own level of competence. However, this should never diminish the service offered to the person seeking support. Assist SHIELD facilitators to run appropriate educational groups and workshops have the right to hold their own values, beliefs and culture but not so they may refuse to support the person's individual choice. have the right to contribute to the assessment of the person's needs and wants.
ISLE OF WIGHT – LEARNING DISABILITY CLIENTS projected
Key Messages • People with learning disabilities should be enabled and appropriately supported to access primary care-based health services • Improving the health of people with learning disabilities by planned and co-ordinated health assessment, health education and health promotion must be a priority • Planning, implementing and practice must be needs-based • Good physical and mental health and well being enables social inclusion
Preventative health care has not traditionally been a high priority area in learning disabilities services. This is what HAS TO CHANGE asthe health care focus shifts towards healthpromotion and disease prevention.
SHIELD Lead Teresa Day 01983 814287 teresa.day@iow.nhs.uk For any further information Please contact
