Join us at our 7th Annual Learning Disabilities and Autism: Equality and Empowerment conference which will help you to develop a greater understanding of how care is going to be delivered in England over the next five years through keynotes, panels, knowledge sharing and dissemination of best practice - discussing contentious issues and challenging topics, as well as assessing the way forward.
Our fully CPD Accredited programme of expert speakers will feature an overview of the latest policy and guidance from organisations such as Care Quality Commission (CQC), NHS England and NHS Improvement and United Response plus many more… Further discussions around the delivery of the NHS Long Term Plan's targets on how to improve the standard and selection of services available to people living with learning disabilities, autism or both.
You will have the opportunity to question, discuss and debate the very latest policies, projects and emerging models of care, as well as sharing your own stories and experiences with the conference and contributing to wider thinking about Learning Disabilities and Autism.
Open Forum Events are delighted to be gaining a reputation for “truly inspirational” health and social care conferences. Our delegates are telling us that they leave our events with “new ideas and approaches” they can “actually apply” within their own organisations. We are proud to be recognised as a leading organiser of national conferences informed by the experiences of people living with or affected by learning disabilities and autism.
Faizan has lived with Mosaic Edwards' syndrome since birth. All babies born with Edwards' syndrome will have some level of learning disability and sadly, the majority of babies born with Edwards' syndrome will not live past their first birthday. Faizan, now 18, has struggled with a speech impediment so severe that it prevented him from being able to say his own name until 2019.
With support, Faizan has learnt to speak with confidence about overcoming a disability and will Chair sessions of the conference.
Read more about Faizan's story in the Manchester Evening News here.
Unfortunately, we’ve seen too many times over the past few years that people with a learning disability and autistic people are not getting access to the right care. Despite significant national attention on this issues, over 2,000 people remain in hospital which is not in line with best practice. In this session, we’ll talk about how the CQC have put in place a new role to focus on implementing changes to our regulation specifically for people with a learning disability and those that care for autistic people.
Join us to understand CQC’s key work areas in ensuring the right services are regulated and registered, that we are responding to risks swiftly and taking appropriate action and understanding pathways and healthcare.
Debbie will be taking questions following the keynote.
United Response’s ‘Am I Your Problem?’ campaign challenges the indifference, discrimination and sometimes outright hostility shown towards people with learning disabilities or autism. The charity polled 150+ people it supported about their experiences within different social settings; the widespread prejudices and, in some instances, malice they face is often not acknowledged, recognised or reported as a hate crime. Joanne will be co-presenting alongside a person born with learning disabilities who will share their personal experience(s) of discrimination.
This talk will be an opportunity for MacIntyre to share their work on how using a planned transition and evidence based PBS framework approach, leads to real life changes and a life that makes sense to the most complex people they support.
NHS England published it’s Long Term Plan in January 2019, and made a commitment in that document to improve access to sight, dental and hearing services for children attending special schools.
This NHS' Sensory Project is a three-strand initiative focused on delivering improved services for children and young people with disabilities and autism in residential special schools. This presentation will explore the Sensory Project in further detail.
This presentation will be delivered virtually.
Everybody communicates through behaviour; Jonathan will be exploring why it is important to empathise with and meet the needs of the people you support. Jonathan will facilitate a discussion exploring the reasons behind behaviour. It is important for us all to understand that all behaviour is communication, but to also be able to interpret what is being communicated. The talk is an opportunity to reflect on current practices and learn from one another in terms of useful hints and tips.
We'll be working with venues to ensure lunch at our events is as delicious as ever and caters for a range of dietary preferences - whilst being served in a safe and seamless manner. Some of the new measures we will be introducing to this effect are:
Where possible, we will request food is sourced locally to reduce food miles, use seasonal vegetables, red tractor certified meat and eggs from free range hens.
The NHS has developed new standards with which NHS Trusts can measure the quality of care they provide to people with learning disabilities, autism or both. The four standards concern:
Sarah Egley and Tracey Brailsford will present on their experience(s) of implementing the Learning Disabilities and Autism NHS Standards into an NHS Trust; providing delegates with a pathway for doing so themselves in a manner that ensures meaningful collaboration with carers and people who have a learning disability or autism.
Jill Thorburn co-founded Mind Of My Own after spending in excess of 25 years in social work senior management in local authorities, private and voluntary providers. Always passionate about children being able to fully participate in their lives Jill’s work was featured in a number of Government papers on innovation and partnership development in children’s services including Every Child Matters.
During this presentation Jill will talk about why she is driven to make sure that all children can have their voices heard. She is now one of the founders of Mind Of My Own, a tech for good company that makes world leading digital participation tools for children and young people. These apps are designed and conscientiously co-produced with young people for young people. We believe that every child is able to have a say and we build apps to make sure they all have a chance to have their voices heard to safeguard themselves and promote their wellbeing.
Eden Futures is a leading specialist supported living provider for adults with learning disabilities, mental ill health and autism. Its business has grown substantially and now employs 1,200 people in the Midlands and the North of England. The team provides care and support to 650 service users ensuring they’re able to live independently in the community while occupying shared houses, sole apartments and specialist bungalows. Its vision is to support as many people with learning disabilities, autism and mental health needs as possible to increase their independence and live fulfilling lives.
This talk with be an opportunity for Project Choice to share the exciting work they do with SEND young people. Project Choice is a Specialist Post-16 College providing work experience as well as a supported internship programme that helps young adults between the ages of 16-24 with disabilities, learning disabilities, difficulties and/or Autism gain work experience and improve employability and independence skills. The College is NHS-based within Health Education England.
We provide internships within healthcare settings and other NHS partner organisations, creating supported environments and helping to get Interns ready for the working world.
In 1976, armed with a single phone in a rented office, Dimensions began supporting people with learning disabilities, autism and complex needs out of institutions, helping them lead ordinary lives in their local communities.
Forty years on, our work is fundamentally unchanged: we support people with learning disabilities and autism to have a louder voice, choice and control in their lives. Our 7000 colleagues deliver ambitious, effective, personalised support often with those whose previous support has not been successful. Working alongside our colleagues are family members and many of the people we support. They could be quality checkers, interviewers or members of our Council. Their voices and experiences inform the research we use to deliver improved outcomes. Together, we continue to prove that life really can get better.
Brian Evans, Matron for Learning Disabilities, Autism and Complex Needs at University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Trust will present a case study that reflects on the care planning and facilitation of reasonable adjustments to ensure a patient with learning disabilities, complex needs and an acute fear of hospitals and medical intervention received fair access to good quality healthcare and treatment.
Pendulum Hotel & Manchester Conference Centre is the ideal solution when searching for conference venues in Manchester. Top-of-the-range conference suites, 3 star value hotel accommodation, delicious dining and friendly service are the ideal components for a successful conference or event in the heart of the city centre.
The 18 conference rooms are decked out with all the mod cons including state-of-the-art AV technology, projectors and screens, free Wi-Fi and flip charts. Our clients cover the whole spectrum and include government organisations, trade unions, large corporate companies, non-profit organisations, health and education sectors and small to medium-sized businesses.
From the get-go we strive for excellence in everything we do and our dedicated team of conference professionals go all out to make sure your conference, event or exhibition runs like clockwork.
