Learning Disability and Autism matters.
- Learning Disability Carers on-line forum. DCA host a fortnightly Microsoft Teams for family Carers of adults with learning disability. This runs every other Thursday from 4pm – 5.30pm. It is an informal session where carers can share information and support each other.
We do often have speakers as well for part of the session. Adult Social Care, Learning Disability Health Liaison Services and the Voluntary Sector have all been represented and family Carers welcome the opportunity to ask direct questions to senior managers.
Peter Dawson, Learning Disability and Autism Community Engagement worker at DCA hosts this forum and will send Carers and invite on a regular basis should they wish to join. His email address is peter.dawson@derbyshirecarers.co.uk - Learning Disability Partnership Board. There are three local Learning Disability Partnership Boards throughout the county and there is always space for interested learning disability Carers to join one in their area. They meet, face to face, once every two months, on a Thursday morning in different parts of the county.
The aim of these Boards is to improve the day to day lives of people with learning by interested parties working together and sharing ideas and information. Dawn Nash at County Offices can be contacted for further information at nash@derbyshire.gov.uk or Peter Dawson, email address above, is also available to give you an informal overview. - Derbyshire Autism Partnership Board
The Derbyshire Autism Partnership Board brings together autistic people, their parents, carers, the voluntary sector, local health and social care professionals, local authorities, and other services to work with Commissioners to develop and improve services for autistic people of all ages across Derbyshire and Derby, as well as to raise awareness of autism, and to support the delivery of the action plan for the Derbyshire Health and Social Care All Age Autism Strategy (2023-2028).The Derbyshire Autism Partnership Board meets over Microsoft Teams 4 times per year and is looking to engage further with autistic people, their families, carers, and support networks.
For more information, or if you are interested in coming along, please send an email to, asch.ac-commissioning@derbyshire.gov.uk
-
Experts by Experience Meetings
In conjunction with the Autism Partnership Board, we run an Experts by Experience meeting. In the context of this meeting, an Expert by Experience can be described an autistic person, someone who has personal experience of autism, or someone who provides care or support to an autistic person.These meetings are a safe space for Experts by Experience to meet and discuss issues that they would like raising at the Autism Partnership Board. Professionals can attend these meetings by invite for discussion or feedback.
These meetings are held over Microsoft Teams 4 times per year, and they are facilitated by the Derbyshire County Council Autism Project Officer.
For more information, or if you would like to come along, please send an email to, asch.ac-commissioning@derbyshire.gov.uk
- The Good Health Group. This is a group of people with learning disabilities, Carers and health and social care professionals who meet to share information and health concerns that particularly effect people with learning disabilities. These meeting happen every two months and alternate between being on-line and being face-to-face at The Post Mill Centre in South Normanton.
The best person to contact for further information is the Chair of the Good Health Group: Rachel Johnson Rachel.johnson10@nhs.net - Amber Valley Learning Disability Family Carers Group. This group usually meets on the last Wednesday of the month at the Field Terrace Community Centre in Ripley from 10.30am - 12noon. Coffee, tea and biscuits are enjoyed and the group often has a speaker on current issues relating to learning disability and care. New comers are always welcome. Peter Dawson can be contacted for further information
Learning Disability Week 2023. This was the last week in June and to mark this DCA held an open Microsoft Teams Session. The Transforming Care and Partnership Team from DCC attended and listened to four family carers talk about their roles and some of the issues facing them.
The conclusions of this session were that: Family Carers and Service Providers can, and should work together more in the future to listen to one another and to jointly plan for the future and to change the culture so that everyone involved in the lives of people with learning disability and autism are equally valued and appreciated as experts.
