Learning Disability JSNA

What needs to be done and why?

Improve healthcare access by increasing the uptake of Health Action plans, annual health checks and screening. Improving healthcare access will create opportunities to tackle obesity, diabetes and respiratory problems.
Improvements in identification and diagnosis should be Borough-wide, with the knowledge that those in areas of high deprivation and those with parents with lower qualification levels may need more extensive support. Community and educational setting support should acknowledge the challenges faced by families in navigating systems and accessing timely diagnosis.

The percentage of patients registered with a learning disability if increasing in Hartlepool with 0.8% of patients in 2023/24.

Improve social inclusion for those with learning disabilities.
Create opportunities to support the participation in sport and leisure activities.
Improve social isolation to allow for opportunities to keep in touch and meet with friends.
Create opportunities to actively contribute to events within the local community.

The percentage of patients registered with a learning disability if increasing in Hartlepool with 0.8% of patients in 2023/24.
The proportion of adults with learning disabilities living in their own home or with family has steadily increased to 89.5% in 2022/23. Ensuring individuals stay connected through activities.

Investment in supported employment programmes, vocational training and employer engagement to reverse the widening employment gap between those who are in receipt of long term support for a learning disability (aged 18 to 64) and the overall employment rate.
Provide information to individuals, before they leave education, for informed decision making about future employment options. Provide support for a fixed-period after leaving education to assist those looking for voluntary or paid work.
Support to employers should be provided using recommendations from the Learning Disability Employment Programme which includes resources for inclusive hiring practices, job coaching, tailored support and supported internships to promote inclusive recruitment and workplace adjustment.
Staff within existing services should be trained and/or upskilled to provide support to service users looking for work and within work.

The gap in the employment rate between those who are in receipt of long term support for a learning disability (aged 18 to 64) and the overall employment rate has been lower in Hartlepool than the difference for England for 10 years. In Hartlepool, the percentage point difference remained consistent between 2017/18 and 2021/22 however experienced an increase to the latest data point at 62.6 percentage points. The difference for Hartlepool remains lower than the region and nation.

The development of integrated care pathways that provide holistic support across health and social care systems to identify and support individuals with learning disabilities at risk.
Staff within Hartlepool’s existing services should be upskilled to identify and support mental health need and safeguarding concerns within this group.

The rate of individuals with learning disabilities involved in Section 42 safeguarding enquiries increased between 2015/16 and 2017/18 to surpass the national rate. Latest data in 2018/19 shows 52.7 per 1,000 people on the GP learning disability register were involved in Section 42 safeguarding enquiries. In the same year, 77.2 per 1,000 were in the North East and 50.9 per 1,000 in England.
There is a strong association between learning disabilities and mental health conditions with around 40% of those with a learning disability experiencing mental health problems5.