Registration Number: {{org_field_registration_no}}

Supporting Service Users with Learning Disabilities Policy

1. Purpose

The purpose of this policy is to outline {{org_field_name}}’s commitment to providing high-quality, person-centred care and support for people with a learning disability and, where relevant, autistic people. The policy ensures that service users receive support that promotes independence, dignity, inclusion, human rights and well-being, in compliance with the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated Regulated Activities Regulations 2014 (as amended), the Care Quality Commission (CQC) Fundamental Standards, the Equality Act 2010, the Care Act 2014 and current national guidance including Right support, right care, right culture and the Oliver McGowan Code of Practice on statutory learning disability and autism training.

2. Scope

This policy applies to:

All employees, including care workers, coordinators, and management.
Service users with learning disabilities, ensuring their rights and preferences are respected.
Families, caregivers, and advocates, promoting active involvement in care planning.
Healthcare professionals and partner organisations, ensuring a multidisciplinary approach.
Regulatory bodies, ensuring compliance with legal and ethical standards.

It covers:

Understanding learning disabilities and associated challenges.
Personalised care planning and support.
Communication strategies and accessibility.
Promoting independence and inclusion.
Safeguarding and risk management.
Staff training and professional development.
Monitoring, reviewing, and improving services.

3. Legal and Regulatory Framework

This policy aligns with, and must be read alongside, the following legislation and national guidance as currently in force in England:

Health and Social Care Act 2008 and the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014 (as amended) – including the CQC Fundamental Standards: Regulation 9 (Person-centred care), Regulation 10 (Dignity and respect), Regulation 11 (Need for consent), Regulation 12 (Safe care and treatment), Regulation 13 (Safeguarding from abuse and improper treatment), Regulation 17 (Good governance), Regulation 18 (Staffing), Regulation 19 (Fit and proper persons employed), Regulation 20 (Duty of candour) and Regulation 20A (Display of performance assessments).
Health and Care Act 2022 – section 181 and Health and Social Care Act 2008, section 20(5ZA) – which require service providers to ensure that each person working for the purpose of regulated activities receives training on learning disability and autism appropriate to their role.
Section 21A HSCA 2008 and the Oliver McGowan Code of Practice on statutory learning disability and autism training (2025) – which set out the standards that learning disability and autism training must meet and form the benchmark CQC uses when assessing compliance with Regulation 18 (Staffing).
Care Act 2014 – including duties relating to wellbeing, prevention, personalisation, advocacy and safeguarding adults.
Mental Capacity Act 2005 and associated Code of Practice, including Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) or any successor arrangements, to protect the rights of people who may lack capacity to make specific decisions.
Equality Act 2010 – prohibiting discrimination and requiring reasonable adjustments for disabled people, including people with a learning disability and autistic people.
Children and Families Act 2014 – particularly in relation to Education, Health and Care (EHC) plans and transition from children’s to adults’ services.
Accessible Information Standard (AIS, DAPB1605) issued under section 250 of the Health and Social Care Act 2012 – requiring providers of NHS and publicly funded adult social care to identify, record, flag, share, meet and review information and communication support needs for disabled people, including those with learning disabilities and autistic people.
NICE guidelines and CQC guidance relating to people with a learning disability and autistic people, including Right support, right care, right culture, which describe what good care looks like and how CQC inspects services for this group.

4. Understanding Learning Disabilities

A learning disability is a lifelong condition affecting a person’s ability to process information, communicate, and develop new skills. Levels of impairment range from mild to profound, requiring tailored support. Common challenges include:

Difficulty with communication and understanding.
Need for structured routines to support daily living.
Associated conditions such as autism, epilepsy, or mental health needs.
Increased vulnerability to safeguarding risks.

5. Personalised Care Planning and Support

Each service user receives a comprehensive, person-centred care plan that considers:

Individual strengths, preferences, and goals.
Health and medical needs, including sensory or mobility impairments.
Emotional and behavioural support, ensuring consistency.
Daily living activities, supporting independence and autonomy.
Communication preferences, ensuring effective interaction.
Family and advocate involvement, promoting collaborative decision-making.
Regular reviews and adaptations to reflect changing needs.

6. Communication Strategies and Accessibility

{{org_field_name}} will meet the communication and information needs of people with a learning disability and autistic people in line with the Accessible Information Standard (AIS) and the Equality Act 2010. This means we will:

Identify, record, flag, share and regularly review each person’s information and communication support needs where these relate to a disability, impairment or sensory loss.
Use clear, simple and concrete language, avoiding jargon, and check understanding.
Provide information in accessible formats (for example Easy Read, large print, audio, pictorial or digital formats) and in the person’s preferred language or communication method.
Offer and support the use of alternative and augmentative communication (AAC) methods where needed, such as Makaton, objects of reference, communication passports, social stories and assistive technology.
Make reasonable adjustments to appointments, visits and meetings (for example allowing extra time, reducing noise, supporting familiar routines, or involving a known supporter).
Train staff to recognise and respond appropriately to non-verbal communication, distress, and behaviour that may indicate pain, anxiety or sensory overload.
Ensure that families, carers and advocates are involved in communication planning where the person wants or needs their support, in line with the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and best-interests decision-making.

7. Promoting Independence and Inclusion

We empower service users by:

Encouraging choice and decision-making in their daily lives.
Providing opportunities for community engagement, including social and recreational activities.
Supporting education, employment, and skill-building opportunities.
Encouraging self-care and household management, where appropriate.
Respecting cultural and religious preferences.

8. Safeguarding and Risk Management

People with a learning disability and autistic people may be at increased risk of abuse, neglect, discrimination and restrictive practices. {{org_field_name}} will uphold people’s human rights and ensure compliance with Regulation 13 (safeguarding service users from abuse and improper treatment), the Care Act 2014 safeguarding duties and local multi-agency safeguarding arrangements.

We will:

Complete comprehensive, person-centred risk assessments that balance safety with the person’s right to choice, control, independence and positive risk-taking.
Implement robust safeguarding policies and procedures, including clear reporting routes for concerns, whistleblowing, and escalation to the local authority and police where required.
Ensure all staff can recognise and report all forms of abuse, including hate crime, mate crime, financial abuse, coercive control, organisational abuse and discriminatory abuse towards people with a learning disability and autistic people.
Use positive behaviour support (PBS) approaches wherever behaviour may challenge, focusing on understanding the person, identifying triggers, improving quality of life and preventing restrictive interventions.
Ensure that any restrictive intervention (for example physical intervention, use of PRN psychotropic medication, environmental restriction, or constant supervision) is:
- a last resort;
- the least restrictive option;
- clearly justified, proportionate, time-limited and regularly reviewed; and
- recorded, reported and reviewed in line with legal and CQC requirements.
Apply the Mental Capacity Act 2005 to all decisions, including those about risk and restrictive practices, and seek authorisation and legal advice where there may be a deprivation of liberty in a community setting.
Work collaboratively with local safeguarding adults boards, commissioners and specialist learning disability and autism teams.

9. Staff Training and Professional Development

{{org_field_name}} must ensure that all staff are competent to support people with a learning disability and autistic people safely, effectively and compassionately, in line with Regulation 18 (Staffing) of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014 (as amended).
We will:

Ensure that every person working for the purpose of regulated activities receives statutory training on learning disability and autism appropriate to their role, as required by section 20(5ZA) HSCA 2008 and the Health and Care Act 2022.
Use the Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training on Learning Disability and Autism, or an equivalent programme that demonstrably meets the standards set out in the Oliver McGowan Code of Practice on statutory learning disability and autism training, including: co-production and co-delivery with people with lived experience; role-specific content and levels; and robust evaluation.
Maintain detailed records of training needs analyses, training delivered, attendance, competence assessment and refresher dates, and use this information as part of our governance and supervision arrangements.
Provide additional specialist training, where relevant to people we support, including:
- communication and AAC for people with complex communication needs;
- positive behaviour support and safe, lawful use of restrictive interventions;
- epilepsy and rescue medication;
- dysphagia and safe eating and drinking;
- mental health, trauma-informed practice and sensory processing.
Ensure new staff receive an appropriate induction that includes learning disability and autism awareness and supports completion of the Care Certificate (where applicable).
Promote a culture of continuous professional development (CPD), reflective practice and learning from incidents, complaints and feedback from people using the service, families and advocates.

10. Monitoring, Reviewing, and Improving Services

To ensure service quality and compliance, we:

Conduct regular audits and quality assurance reviews.
Gather feedback from service users, families, and professionals.
Implement improvements based on evaluation findings.
Update policies and procedures in line with new research and legislation.
Monitor compliance with the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014 (as amended), including the Fundamental Standards, and use CQC guidance as a benchmark when auditing care for people with a learning disability and autistic people.
Regularly review our implementation of the Accessible Information Standard (AIS) for people with a learning disability and autistic people and incorporate the AIS self-assessment framework into our quality assurance processes.
Monitor delivery and impact of learning disability and autism training against the Oliver McGowan Code of Practice, taking action where training, competence or culture do not meet the required standard.

11. Policy Review and Updates

This policy is reviewed annually or sooner if:

There are significant changes in legislation or best practice.
Feedback suggests improvements are required.
There are significant changes in legislation, CQC guidance, information standards or national codes of practice relevant to this policy, including updates to the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and Regulated Activities Regulations, the CQC Fundamental Standards, the Accessible Information Standard or the Oliver McGowan Code of Practice.

12. Meeting CQC Fundamental Standards for People with a Learning Disability and Autistic People

{{org_field_name}} will evidence compliance with the CQC Fundamental Standards in ways that are specific to people with a learning disability and autistic people, including:

Regulation 9 – Person-centred care: each person has a detailed, accessible, co-produced care and support plan that reflects their choices, goals, sensory needs, communication preferences, relationships and culture.
Regulation 10 – Dignity and respect: staff support people in ways that uphold their privacy, bodily autonomy, identity, sexuality and family life, and challenge discriminatory language or behaviour.
Regulation 11 – Need for consent: staff understand and apply the Mental Capacity Act 2005, assume capacity unless proven otherwise, support people to make their own decisions and record best-interests decisions where capacity is lacking for a specific decision.
Regulation 12 – Safe care and treatment: we identify and manage specific clinical and environmental risks relevant to people with a learning disability and autistic people, including epilepsy, choking risk, constipation, mental health needs, sensory overload and transitions between services.
Regulation 13 – Safeguarding from abuse and improper treatment: we prevent and respond to abuse, including inappropriate use of restraint, seclusion, segregation or psychotropic medication, and ensure practice is least restrictive and rights-based.
Regulation 17 – Good governance: we have effective oversight of outcomes and experiences for people with a learning disability and autistic people, including analysis of incidents, complaints, restrictive interventions and feedback to drive improvement.

Regulation 18 – Staffing: we ensure safe staffing levels, appropriate skill mix and that all staff have completed statutory learning disability and autism training that meets the Oliver McGowan standards for their role.

Responsible Person: {{org_field_registered_manager_first_name}} {{org_field_registered_manager_last_name}}
Reviewed on: {{last_update_date}}
Next Review Date: {{next_review_date}}
Copyright © {{current_year}} – {{org_field_name}}. All rights reserved.

DC50-Supporting Service Users with Learning Disabilities Policy