A new Learning Disability Strategy for 2023-28 describes how the council will work with its partners to reduce health inequalities for adults with learning disability, to live a good quality of life as independently as possible within the local community.

The strategy sets out our ambitions to further integrate the work of health and social care professionals to identify solutions that improve the lives of people with learning disability.

The strategy sets out seven key priorities for the council and people with learning disability. 
These include:
• promote independence
• ensure access to good quality care and support
• progress the integration of health and social care
• ensure effective transitions
• facilitate access to employment, training and skills
• embed an evidence based and data driven approach to commissioning
• keep people safe.

The action plan illustrates how the priority areas will be delivered.

The strategy has been developed through a series of engagement events, both in person and online, with learning disability service users, family members, formal and informal carers, professionals in health and social care and the volunteer sector organisations. Furthermore, a multi-lingual questionnaire in the nine most spoken languages in Slough has been circulated to all stakeholders known to the Community Team for People with a Learning Disability (CTPLD) and the commissioning team.

The Learning Disability Strategy will be overseen by a new steering group. This will be formed by representatives of the new Learning Disability Partnership Board which will be created following stakeholders’ feedback. Implementation of the strategy will be overseen by the commissioning team.

Councillor Anna Wright, lead member for adult social care, mental health and learning disabilities, said: “This strategy has been created through engaging with our residents with a learning disability and their families and carers to ensure that we focus on what is most important to them. Our primary goal is ensuring that we help to improve our resident’s quality of life and the new steering group we are forming will help us to deliver in the seven priority areas identified.”