Your Voice Counts Autism and or learning disability Report, Hampshire
Download (PDF 1.24 MB)Summary of report content
‘Your Voice Counts’ is a project commissioned by North East Hampshire and Farnham Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG). Healthwatch Hampshire produced this report at their request.
This phase 1 report was carried out between September and December 2016 and focussed on the opinions os people with Learning Disabilities and/or Autism. Over 100 people were spoken too during this project.
Healthwatch Hampshire carried out focus groups, conversations, and engagement events in five different towns throughout North East Hampshire and Farnham; Fleet, Yateley, Farnborough, Aldershot and Farnham. These events were attended by individuals, parents, carers, professionalsand volunteers from across the health and social care sector.
Our key findings included:The referral process- waiting for the referral to mental health services to be processed when at crisis point, there is a need to look at options around preventive services and how this would be more sustainable if they are put in place. Some even suggested that if this is done, they would not be at crisis point.
Resources- Alternative contact or hub of information rather than through their GP, taking the pressure off GPs as they are the first point of contact however GPs felt that they are not confident in signposting to an appropriate Learning Disability (LD) service or unknown to them
Resources- to be made available in easy read or alternative formats
Parents and carers are a big resource that is under-utilised by GPs and/or by other services
Parents and carers are not supported enough for their mental health and wellbeing
Lack of local services for mental health in their area- some are aware of the Wellbeing Centre in Aldershot and feel scared to travel to get the support they need when they are in crisis
Nearly half of the GPs that we spoke to felt that they were not confident to do a Mental Capacity assessment on their patients with a learning disability.
A number of recommendations were made based on the opinions gathered and the CCG stated they would take these into considerations when planning future services.