Learning Disability Week 2023

Next week is learning disability week.

There are numerous events happening during the week throughout the Trust and at Whalley for service users.

Oliver McGowan Training

Take part in the 000 The Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training this Learning Disability Awareness Week. This training is for all staff and aims to provide the right skills and knowledge to provide safe, compassionate, and informed care to autistic people and people with a learning disability.

Monday 19 June

A fun interactive session for service users looking at achievements and the ‘Steps to work programme’ run by Strawberry Fields. Hosted at Strawberry fields.

To support Leaning Disabilities Week, ward manager, Jeff Leatherd, is offering service users and staff sessions to support anxiety and stress and exercises in breathing and relaxation. The sessions are held Monday to Friday 2pm to 3pm at the Maplewood dance room. A session will also be held on Friday 23 June between 10pm and 12pm.

Those who attend will receive a certificate and a copy of the exercises. Jeff tell us that Qigong looks after both internal and external stressors whilst supporting longevity.

Tuesday 20 June

A Death Café hosted by People first at the library at Walton Life Rooms 1pm to 3pm. 

“There’s still a massive stigma surrounding death and conversations about this inevitable part of life can be really difficult, especially for people who have a learning disability. It’s often the case that people who have a learning disability feel left out of death; they’re sometimes excluded from making funeral arrangements for themselves and conversations about loved ones who are sick and dying. This way of ‘protecting people’ can actually be really damaging to their mental health so it’s important that we make planning for death and illness more accessible for everyone.”  The Death Café with People First | PSS (psspeople.com)

Wednesday 21 June 2023

Come and meet our Halton Learning Disabilities Team on 21 June at Widnes Market from 10am to 3pm. See the attached poster for more information.

Friday 23 June 2023

From 9pm to 4.30pm at Holiday Inn – Lime Street.

The e Liverpool Community Learning Disability team are hosting a conference on the theme “Breaking the Stigma”. This will be about understanding how we can all do our part to reduce the stigma and inequality that people with learning disabilities face, across health and social care. It will involve educational talks around what a learning disability is, human rights and equality, reasonable adjustments, health inequalities as well as opportunities to ask questions to members of the team and experts by experience. 

See the attached poster for more information.