Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether integrated care boards have issued best practice guidance on the provision of health and social care services for those with a learning disability.

There are clear expectations of integrated care boards (ICBs) in relation to the commissioning of health services for people with a learning disability. The Model ICB Blueprint sets out the direction of travel for their role and functions in relation to commissioning services for the needs of their local population. Further information on the Model ICB Blueprint is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/strategic-commissioning-framework/

Each ICB is expected to have an Executive Lead for learning disability and autism to support the Board in addressing health inequalities, supporting equal access to health services, and planning to meet the needs of its local population of people with a learning disability and autistic people. NHS England has published guidance on expectations for Executive Lead roles which sets out further information, which is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/executive-lead-roles-on-integrated-care-boards/

There is a range of best practice guidance available to support ICBs to commission services for people with a learning disability, including guidance on Dynamic Support Registers and Care (Education) and Treatment Reviews, a service model for adults, and guidance for developing support and services for children and young people. Further information on all three guidance documents is available, respectively, at the following three links:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/dynamic-support-register-and-care-education-and-treatment-review-policy-and-guide/#heading-1

https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/service-model-for-commissioners-supporting-people-with-a-learning-disability-andor-autism-who-display-behaviour-that-challenges-including-those-with-a-mental-health-condition/

https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/developing-support-and-services-for-children-and-young-people-with-a-learning-disability-autism-or-both/

ICBs can also utilise NHS Futures, a digital collaboration platform which supports people working in health and social care to connect, share, and learn across organisations. NHS Futures has dedicated workspaces to support good practice, including resources on learning disability and autism.

The recently published NHS Medium Term Planning Framework emphasises the importance of improving outcomes for people with a learning disability, and our 10-Year Health Plan makes clear that people with disabilities are a priority group for more holistic, ongoing support from neighbourhood health services.