Bee Happy: Our Health and Wellbeing since COVID-19 Learning Disability Report (2022)

Summary

Healthwatch Stockton-on-Tees collaborated with Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council Community Based Learning Disability Day Services (CBLDDS), with help from the key workers who provide support to those who attend this service. This enabled us to engage with people with a learning disability to find out their views and experiences of their health and wellbeing over the past year.

One focus group was carried out at each of the four services across Stockton-on-Tees. In total we heard from 26 people who attend the day services.

Findings

The overall findings of this engagement, based on what people have told us, show that:

• The key workers at CBLDDS, the doctors, nurses and catering services at North Tees Hospital, the GPs, primary care nurses, dentists, and ‘Creative Support’, have given people with a learning disability, positive experiences of health and care.
• With support from family members and carers, a range of health care appointments have been easily accessible.
• There have been difficulties with communication and accessing information from some health care services. (Ref: Healthwatch Stockton, Accessible Information Standards Report)
• People with a learning disability have experienced confusion around health messages and media stories.
• Outside of day service provision, there’s a lack of opportunities for those with a learning disability to be able to participate in, and access enjoyable and meaningful activities which enhance learning and communication since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
• The lack of access to opportunities and participation in the local area has also had an impact on how people feel, their health and wellbeing, and their social contact, and continues to do so as the COVID-19 restrictions have lifted.
• Family members and carers of those with a learning disability have taken longer than expected to recover from the COVID-19 virus.
• A wide range of factors supporting health and wellbeing have also been identified.

Recommendations

Based on the findings, the following recommendations have been made:

1. Provide better access to local areas for people who use wheelchairs.
2. Provide more opportunities for people with a learning disability to participate in local activities that are enjoyable and meaningful, and that enhance learning.
3. Provide more opportunities for people with a learning disability to have social contact, and to communicate with others in a safe space, outside of day service provision.
4. Provide targeted health and wellbeing support for people with a learning disability, and their families and carers, to support their understanding of health messages.
5. Ascertain the effects of post-COVID infection on family members/carers of people with a disability.