Learning Disability Health Service Quality-Checkers and User-Led Quality Measures

The project builds on and fosters user-led initiatives to evaluate quality. Instead of assessing quality purely in terms of  metrics and minimum compliance standards, this project seeks to lay the groundwork for an evaluation system that addresses the issues that matter to people with learning disabilities themselves and help service providers to introduce the innovations that will embed inclusive and respectful cultures and  working practices.

The project is based on principles of co-design and co-working. It has been designed in partnership by the Centre for Disability Studies (University of Leeds) and CHANGE (a disabled people’s organization focusing on equality and inclusion for people with learning disabilities). Apart from a rapid research synthesis carried out by the University of Leeds, the research will be carried out on a co-working basis by an academic researcher employed by the University (and seconded to CHANGE) and a researcher with learning disabilities employed by CHANGE.

The work will be carried out in two main phases. The first phase maps out current user-led quality-checking of health and social care services in England and identifies emerging principles and examples of good practice on which to build. In the second phase, we will  draft, in consultation and collaboration with people with learning disabilities across the country, tools which could be used by quality-checkers with learning disabilities for:

• Emergency department services
• Community services
• Acute hospitals services
• GP services
• Dentistry services
• Mental health services
• Learning disability services.