During 2020/21, Anna Marriott from NDTi was part of the research team looking at the impact coronavirus was having on people with learning disabilities. It was the largest scale research study about the pandemic to directly involve people with learning disabilities. The research team were also guided by an Advisory Group of people with learning disabilities.
The research team has published a Policy Brief and an Easy Read summary of this based on the findings in England. The study covered a wide range of topics, but in England, people with learning disabilities and family members have identified the issues in this Policy Brief as being the most important for policy and practice.
The Policy Brief looks at impact in 7 key areas, with recommendations for policy makers:
- Employment and money
- Mental health and wellbeing
- Social care services
- Health and health services
- Digital inclusion
- Information
- Experiences of people with greater support needs
People with learning disabilities from Speak Up, NWTDT / Pathways, Connect in the North, family carers from Inclusion East and PMLD Link and support workers from the Gr8 Support Movement have all made films to reinforce the Policy Brief recommendations.
Other Videos and Recordings
NWTDT / Pathways also held a conference about the research findings last December. It was called Leave No One Behind. You can listen to voice recordings of the sessions here:
Leave No One Behind – research findings
Leave No One Behind – people who feel they have been forgotten
Leave No One Behind – people who are still ‘shielding’
Leave No One Behind – building hope
Leave No One Behind – how can services rebuild trust
Members of the Gr8 Support Movement talked together about their experiences as support staff.
And the impact on health and health services. Watch support workers in the Gr8 Support Movement talk about the research here. The members also talked about the recommendations in the briefing. Watch the people from the Gr8 Support Movement talk about the recommendations here.
About the research team
Primary Investigators: Prof Richard Hastings (University of Warwick), Prof Chris Hatton (Manchester Metropolitan University)
Co-Investigators: Prof David Abbott (University of Bristol), Dr Stephen Beyer (Cardiff University), Dr Jill Bradshaw (University of Kent), Dr Nick Gore (University of Kent), Prof Pauline Heslop (University of Bristol), Prof Andrew Jahoda (University of Glasgow), Anna Marriott (National Development Team for Inclusion), Prof Katrina Scior (UCL), Dr Laurence Taggart (University of Ulster), Prof Stuart Todd (University of South Wales)
Partner organisations: Learning Disability Wales, All Wales Forum of Parents and Carers of People with Learning Disabilities, Scottish Commission for Learning Disability, Promoting A More Inclusive Society (PAMIS), Positive Futures, Mencap Northern Ireland, Learning Disability England, PMLD Link