Staff from 17 organisations across Greater Glasgow and Clyde came together in November 2022 at an engagement event held by Sandyford Sexual Health Services. Sandyford is hosted by Glasgow City HSCP for NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde.

The aim was to bring a broad range of stakeholders together to plan and prioritise a programme of work to support adults with learning disabilities around their relationships and sexual health. This was identified from a Staff Training Needs Assessment in 2021.

Adults with learning disabilities can access any of the range of services at Sandyford Sexual Health Services from contraception to testing for sexually transmitted infections. However, this new programme of work will importantly include not only information on sexual health services but educational elements. This will include but not exclusively explaining what is a healthy relationship, how to seek help if you’re in an abusive relationship, how to give and gain consent, what is contraception and when would you go to a service.

Rhoda MacLeod, our HSCP’s Head of Adult Services (Sexual Health, Police Custody and Prison Health Care) welcomed everyone to the event. Rhoda talked about the scale of the gap that must be filled for this client group, to ensure they have a positive sexual health life like we aspire for the rest of the population. 

Rhoda said: “Although it’s a right … it poses risk … but we need to overcome our own fears/concerns to ensure we help people identify and manage the risks.  Knowledge is power and enables people to keep safe. We must recognise the importance of joined up working across organisations so we ensure staff supporting adults with learning disabilities are empowered to deliver the information and support that individual’s need for interactions. This is an opportunity which we must take.”

This was followed by a range of talks giving insight into a range of current practice, wish lists to enable this programme of work to happen and what adults with learning disabilities are telling us they want.  The speakers included staff from health services, HSCPs and the third sector. 

Alongside the event, Jo Zinger, Health Improvement Lead, Sexual Health undertook some focus group workshops with adults with learning disabilities. Jo said: “I asked people what their needs were on this topic and how easy it’s for them to access Sandyford services.”

One response to Jo was: “Thank you for listening to me and taking your time to explain what all the different words mean. It’s the little things like not being able to read the registration forms that make me anxious going for appointments.”

During the day participants worked as individuals or collaborated in groups on their tables to generate action plans on a range of themes including policy and structure, training and easy read resources. These were recommended to be collaborative and co-produced across organisations to include adults with learning disabilities. 

A participant said: “Yesterday was a fantastic day and I have already had a conversation with my manager about the small changes that can be made now to support the bigger changes.”

Nicky Coia, Health Improvement Manager (Sexual Health), concluded the event with an overview and thanks to all who took part. He said: “We must capture all this positive energy and passion from participants whilst prioritising actions to assist the programme of work to move forward. The next steps are a report to be presented to appropriate management structures. Working groups will then be developed to take the programme of work forward.”

If anyone would like further details or to be involved in this programme of work then contact Jo Zinger, Health Improvement Lead - Sexual Health at jo.zinger@ggc.scot.nhs.uk