A life like no other
A national audit of specialist inpatient healthcare services for people with learning difficulties in England
The Healthcare Commission has, on 3rd December 2007, published “A life like no other” which reports on the first national audit of specialist inpatient healthcare services for people with learning difficulties in England.
Downloads:
The full audit report: Audit report (pdf)
Easy read summary of audit findings: Audit easy read report (pdf)
News release: Healthcare Commission news release (pdf)
Summary of audit recommendations: Audit recommendations (pdf)
BILD's response
BILD's response has also been issued on 3rd December 2007:
Read the full text of BILD's response
Or download it: Word format pdf format
Accompanying DVD
BILD is pleased to have worked closely with and on behalf of the
Healthcare Commission to produce a DVD which accompanies the Healthcare
Commission’s report of its national audit of specialist inpatient healthcare
services for people with learning difficulties in England.
As part of the audit, teams that included people with learning difficulties,
family carers, clinicians and Healthcare Commission managers visited inpatient
services. Some of the team members talk about their experiences on this DVD.
As well as presenting some of the audit findings, the DVD highlights examples of
positive practice.
The DVD is available from Healthcare Commission: telephone 0845 601 3012.
Full text of BILD's response
Issued 3rd December 2007
"PEOPLE WITH LEARNING DIFFICULTIES HAVE A RIGHT TO HIGH QUALITY SUPPORT" SAYS THE BRITISH INSTITUTE OF LEARNING DISABILITIES
The Healthcare Commission has today published “A life like no other” which reports on the first national audit of specialist inpatient healthcare services for people with learning difficulties in England.
The audit was undertaken in response to the Commissioners’ investigations in Sutton and Merton and Cornwall that had revealed wide ranging institutional abuse. Although nothing as serious was discovered, and there were pockets of good practice, overall the report is both bleak and depressing. This is because it paints a picture of generally poor standards of care, unwelcoming environments, a lack of care planning and little or no involvement of people in choices or decision making. Front line staff are badly trained and supported, with a lack of supervision, management and leadership. The quality of the support offered is often not monitored or checked in any way.
Keith Smith, BILD’s Chief Executive, said “people with learning difficulties are being treated like second class citizens. They have a right to high quality support to enable them to participate fully in their local communities”.
In response to the report, BILD emphasises the importance of:
• Training, developing and supporting the workforce
to work in person centred ways that focus on rights, choice, independence and
inclusion. Particular emphasis must be placed on communication and positive ways
of providing behavioural support. The widespread use of PRN medication to
control behaviour is unacceptable.
• Provide access to independent advocacy to enable greater involvement in choice
and decision making and to safeguard people.
• Monitoring and checking the quality of the support offered by focussing on the
outcomes for individuals. Such monitoring must actively involve the individual,
their family and people who know them well.
The report is an indictment of what has happened in the past but now must be used as a springboard to a better future for people with learning difficulties.
In conclusion, Keith Smith says
“The Healthcare Commission are to be applauded for the way in which they have
involved people with learning difficulties and family carers in the planning,
visits and report writing linked to this audit.
However, there needs to be a real commitment from all stakeholders to radically
improve the quality of specialist healthcare support and deliver person centred
outcomes. What is happening in peoples’ lives is not acceptable and cannot be
allowed to continue. BILD is keen to see both action and accountability accepted
by all stakeholders including the Healthcare Commission, the Department of
Health, Strategic Health Authorities, Partnership Boards and provider
organisations.”
Page ref: 'hcc_audit' Owned by: enquiries@bild.org.uk Last updated: 02/12/2007