2 Working together
Supporting people is rarely undertaken in a bubble. You will know from your own experience that there are likely to be many different professionals involved in a person’s care, particularly as they get older. Some people are also supported by family, friends or advocates who will need to be involved in discussions and decisions about planning ahead.
As a practitioner, whatever your role, you will probably also be aware that the wider ‘system’ of health and social care can be a complicated landscape for people with learning disabilities. When we think about supporting people with learning disabilities as they age, it’s clear that many different parts of the system may, at different points and to varying degrees, need to be involved. What are the roles and responsibilities of different parts of the system and how do they all connect?
Activity 2 Who does what, why and when?
Watch members of our panel discussing who may need to be involved in a person with learning disability’s care as they get older. As you watch, make notes on any comments or recommendations that are particularly relevant to your practice. Does anything the panel say surprise you? Do any of their suggestions have implications for your ways of working?
Transcript
Discussion
Ben began by acknowledging the complexity of the system that supports people with learning disabilities and the challenges involved in getting different parts of the system to communicate with one another. He identified GPs as having a key coordination role regarding people’s health, and social services (i.e. social workers) in relation to social issues, such as housing and care packages. Ben also drew attention to examples of learning disability liaison nurses in hospitals communicating effectively with colleagues in the health and social care services in the community – it is positive to hear his account of good practice in this area. Ben – like Gail – also emphasised the importance of people with learning disabilities and family carers being meaningfully engaged in discussions about planning ahead. It is absolutely critical that practitioners learn to value the input of those who have known the person the longest as well as currently, listen to their advice and experience and involve them in decision-making.
When supporting an older person with learning disabilities it is important that you understand which other professionals may need to be involved in that person’s care (or in making decisions about the person’s care) and when. It is also essential to engage with the individual themselves, and their family carers – as Ben Briggs commented, this is usually ‘where the answers lie’.