LeDeR review finds death of autistic teenager Oliver McGowan was ‘potentially avoidable’

An independent Learning Disability Mortality Review (LeDeR) has found the death of autistic teenager Oliver McGowan at a Bristol hospital was ‘potentially avoidable’. Oliver had mild autism, epilepsy and learning difficulties, and was admitted to Southmead Hospital in November 2016 after having partial seizures. His parents Paula and Tom McGowan said they repeatedly told doctors … Read more

Join us and become a Bild trustee

Join us as a trustee to help us enable excellent support, champion the rights and improve the quality of life of people with learning disabilities, autistic people and people with mental health difficulties. Professor Gerry Simon set up the British Institute of Learning Disabilities – now known as Bild – in 1971 because he was … Read more

Bild launches new Positive Behaviour Support qualifications

Bild is launching two new blended learning qualifications in Positive Behaviour Support. We are offering a Certificate in Positive Behaviour Support and a Diploma in Practice Leadership of Positive Behaviour Support. The Certificate (level 4) is for people who provide direct support, and the Diploma (level 5) is for practice leaders who work alongside colleagues … Read more

New PBS helpline offer for families and carers during Covid-19

Bild is offering a Positive Behaviour Support (PBS) helpline to support families and carers of people with learning disabilities, mental health issues or autistic people with the challenges of living with Covid-19 restrictions. Supporters, carers and family members might want to discuss how they are doing, to gain reassurance that they are doing the right … Read more

Blog post – Co-production

Bild’s Learning Disability Advisor and Educator Kate Brackley is writing a series of blog posts for us to share her experiences. She talks to us about co-production and what it means. We all want to work together effectively. What the word co-production really means is working together much better, and having the right qualified person … Read more

Launch of new Helping People Thrive booklet

Helping People Thrive is a new practical guide looking at how to transform the lives of people with a learning disability and/or autistic people who have been detained in hospital or in long term segregation for too long. The Department of Health and Social Care has worked with Baroness Sheila Hollins to bring together stories … Read more

Coronavirus and loneliness

Kate Brackley works at Bild and has been writing a series of blog posts for us to share her experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic. This week she is looking at the issue of loneliness. Everyone suffers with loneliness throughout their lives from time to time, and it does affect most people especially throughout this difficult … Read more

Is ‘being’ the new ‘doing’ in learning disability services? What we can learn from pandemic inactivity/activity

As part of Learning Disability Week 2020, Ambient Support shared their experiences of how the Bild PBS Coaches programme has helped them to meet the challenges of the lockdown restrictions. Ambient Support’s learning disability services locked down to the outside world at the outset of the Corona virus threat and this led to some considerable … Read more