This newsletter lists key highlights of work done in February 2024 and upcoming work in the pipeline for March 2024.

 
Enjoy reading!  

We have a new resource explaining the role of Learning Disability Nurses and how they can support you to ensure your relative’s health needs are met. Find the information sheet on our website from the link below:

The government recently published an updated version of statutory guidance, Working Together, which emphasizes the key role of early help. Early help is support that improves a family’s resilience or reduces the chance of the problem getting worse. 

What does early help look like for children with learning disabilities whose behaviour challenges and their families?

For some good practice examples, please see our report “Investing in early intervention” produced with Mencap, Cerebra, CDC and the University of Warwick. 

Being in contact with other people who have been in their shoes has proved to be invaluable for many of the families who contact the Challenging Behaviour Foundation. The CBF Family Carer Email Network has over 500 members – that’s a lot of brains to pick!

You can share experiences, information and receive support – without any obligation to reply or to identify yourself.

Join by completing a short form below.

Have you listened to the CBF’S podcast, Challenge Accepted? If so, we’d love to know what you thought and what you’d like us to talk about in the next series. Feedback also helps us to secure funding for future episodes, so please do complete our short survey from the link below.

If you want to catch up, you can listen here or wherever you usually get your podcasts!

Emma Austin-Garrod, Vivien Cooper and Linda Hume representing the CBF successfully delivered a webinar detailing our research findings on how the system contributes to trauma experiences for families. The webinar also introduced co-produced workshops that were developed as a result of this research. The workshop supports professionals to understand the experiences of families navigating health, social care and education systems and the trauma they experience in this. It explores the factors that contribute to traumatic experiences and encourages professionals to reflect on how their service can prevent or mitigate any further trauma to families.  

CBF staff go the extra - extra mile in double marathon fundraiser! 

CBF’s Finance & Fundraising Lead - Helen, will be taking on not one but two marathons in April to help raise funds for CBF.  Helen ran the London Marathon in 2018 for us and will now be taking on not only the London Marathon on 21st April, but also Brighton Marathon two weeks earlier on 7th April.   

Helen said “I have been lucky enough to get another chance to run the London Marathon this year and will be raising much needed funds for the CBF again. As I am asking so many lovely people to support me twice, I thought I should do twice the challenge so I will also be running Brighton Marathon two weeks before London. I fully expect to be twice as broken by the end of it!”.   

Helen is being joined in her training by Carina, our Team Administrator, who will be running the Virtual London Marathon, starting at midnight so she can finish in time to get to London and support Helen on the day. 

Please consider showing your support for this double challenge.

Nearly 13 years since the Winterbourne View scandal was exposed, and over 20 since Valuing People was published, children, young people and adults with a learning disability continue not to have their needs met. The government set a target tin the NHSE Long Term Plan to reduce the number of in inpatient beds for people with a learning disability and/or autistic by 50% by the end of March 2024 , this target is likely to be missed as currently the reduction in the number of people with a learning disability and/or autistic people stands at 30%. 
  
Members of the Challenging Behaviour National Strategy Group alongside interested others have worked together to identify what the barriers are that are currently stopping children, young people and adults with a learning disability from living good lives in their local communities – and what actions are needed to overcome these.  
  
This work has resulted in the development of a Lifelong coproduced action plan. This plan is a living document – it can be updated over time, as progress is made and as people take action. If new issues emerge, these can be incorporated, and solutions can be co-produced. If you are interested in knowing more about the action plan and getting involved, please email actionplan@thecbf.org.uk  
  

Our new project, “Insider Voices”, focuses on the culture of inpatient services and how this can be improved. We are co-producing the film with people with lived experience and representatives from the Royal College of Nursing and NHS England.

The film will be launched in May 2024.