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Minister meets school shaping new health and education support for children with a learning disability

The Chair of Governors at Ysgol Maes y Coed, the Minister for Mental Health and Wellbeing, the Head Teacher at the school, Improvement Cymru

8 November 2024

Ysgol Maes y Coed welcomed the Minister for Mental Health and Wellbeing, Sarah Murphy, to the classroom to learn about an innovative new project aimed at improving health and wellbeing for children with a learning disability.

The children in Bryncoch, Neath have taken part in a six-week challenge to explore key topics, such as physical health, mental health, personal care, hygiene, healthy eating, and positive behaviour.

Parents and carers were also invited to virtual sessions to help create a holistic support system and encourage learning at home.

Minister for Mental Health and Wellbeing, Sarah Murphy, said:

“Strong relationships between education and healthcare are key to caring for the children in our communities who have a learning disability, so I’m really pleased to see the progress this project has made. We know children with a learning disability experience health inequalities and early intervention can make all the difference.

“We are already seeing the benefits of a proactive approach, such as identifying health problems earlier and empowering individuals to monitor their health. These can lead to better lifelong health outcomes and I’m excited to see the impact this can have for children and their families across the country.”

New health education resource pack

As part of the project, a new health education resource pack is being co-produced by children, parents, school nurses, and teachers. The final version will be made available across health and education in Wales to promote a consistent and audience-informed approach to supporting learners with a learning disability.

The resource pack will align with the Annual Health Check, the Once for Wales Health Profile, and the Individual Development Plan. It will be integrated with the Education Curriculum for Wales and support the National Vision for Infants, Children and Young People with a Learning Disability, which outlines the need for access to information to stay healthy.

The Minister for Mental Health and Wellbeing talks to the Chair of Governors and Head Teacher at Ysgol Maes y Coed. Helen Glover, Head Teacher at Ysgol Maes y Coed, added:

“We’re really proud of the children and the way they’ve engaged with the syllabus. This is a new way of working for our school, but it has reinforced to us how important it is for services to be informed by those with lived experience.

“Our learners involved in the project are from key stages two and three. We can already see they are more aware of healthy behaviours and better prepared to make informed decisions about their wellbeing.

“Crucially, these lessons can benefit children with complex learning needs not just today, but in the future as they transition to adult services. The resource pack will be a huge help for places where, like our school, health and education complement each other.”

Key collaboration

The project is a collaboration between Ysgol Maes y Coed, Improvement Cymru, and the School Nursing Service from Swansea Bay University Health Board. Improvement Cymru, part of the NHS Wales Executive, provided project management, strategic direction, and resource allocation.

Rebecca Curtis presents the National Vision for Children and Young People to the Minister for Mental Health and Wellbeing. Rebecca Curtis, Senior Improvement Manager of the Learning Disability programme at Improvement Cymru, said:

“Strengthening the collaboration between health and education sectors is essential to achieving improved wellbeing outcomes, more integrated efforts, and streamlined care pathways.

“We’ve collected data at both entry and exit points of the project. This has enabled us to capture the children’s attitudes and experiences of health services, which will inform future improvements across the system for those with a learning disability.”

There were valuable insights gathered from participants throughout the project, including:

  • Children and young people face communication barriers and struggle to understand medical information when it's not adapted to their needs or presented in accessible formats.
  • Expressing feelings or symptoms is often challenging for those with a learning disability, which complicates the diagnosis and treatment they receive.
  • Many healthcare professionals report they lack sufficient training in working with children with a learning disability and may not know how to make necessary adjustments for effective communication.
  • Healthcare facilities often lack acceptable reasonable adjustments for children with a learning disability, especially those with sensory sensitivities, which makes accessing their health appointments challenging.
  • Families are often unaware of the health profile for children with a learning disability, which outlines necessary reasonable adjustments for accessing healthcare services.
  • Special schools across Wales welcome more health involvement and collaboration to meet the needs of their learners in a safe and familiar environment.

The finalised health education resource pack will be made available to health and education stakeholders in Wales in March 2025.

There are a range of resources for children, parents, carers, and healthcare professionals available from Improvement Cymru, including the Once for Wales Health Profile.

Visit www.improvementcymru.net/learning-disability for more information.