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“We need education around learning disabilities”

“Yes, it is luck at the moment. We’ve been lucky with social workers. And I think if we’re going to change anything…if we’re trying to give our experience to something that is going national, that wants to make changes here…So I mean, if there is changes that need to be done, it’s education. It’s education around whole teams. It’s not just good enough having a GP understanding you. Because it could be that the receptionist doesn’t understand you can’t wait fifteen, twenty, twenty-five minutes. Or being able to have access to a quiet room. Because actually that room is full of people and it’s impacting on sensory issues. So I think it’s education around learning disabilities, certainly around Autism, and I’m always going to bang that drum anyway. It’s been mentioned about the learning disabilities team within the hospitals. They do work really well. We’ve got some great examples from families that have used them, can phone them up prior to going and getting some idea of what… and there’ll be a meet and greet. I suppose, to a degree, no one’s mentioned a health passport. But some hospitals are using health passports where you can put all those things in place already. What are the issues? What would help? What wouldn’t help? What medication people are on. But again, they’ve got to read that each time that you go forward, but it has helped. So education around GP surgeries and hospitals. Increasing money within those learning disability teams within hospitals. And I think if they’re bigger teams and more understanding, that’s going to work. And I think that, you know, Rosie mentioned it earlier about co-production…it’s supposed to be health AND social care. Now you try and get them working together and you are banging your head against the wall. Their budget should be inclusive…It’s put up that it’s a healthcare budget. But, again, you try and separate them out…you try and join them together, sorry, and it’s impossible.”