'Ensuring quality services: core principles for the commissioning of services for children, young people, adults and older people with learning disabilities and/or autism who display or are at risk of displaying behaviour that challenges' has been produced in response to Action 19 of Transforming Care:
A national response to Winterbourne View Hospital; and restates a model of care which is known to represent best practice. Its aim is to support the commissioning of high quality and safe services which meet the needs of children, young people, adults and older people with learning disabilities and/or autism who display or are at risk of displaying behaviour that challenges, together with the needs of their families, throughout the life course.
The 14 core principles described in this document provide a foundation for Commissioners to use to review services and develop more detailed local plans and specifications for future service delivery. By describing the core principles that should be present across all education, health and social care services its use should result in:
- improved quality of life
- reduce prevalence and incidence of behaviour that displays as challenging
- reductions of inappropriate placements
- reduction in inappropriate use of psychoactive medication, restraint and seclusion.
While primarily for commissioners of education, health and social care (local authorities and clinical commissioning groups) and prescribed specialised health services (NHS England) in England; it should be implemented in partnership with wider stakeholders (eg, family carers, professionals, self-advocacy groups, family carer forums, researchers and providers).
We urge commissioners to make full use of this document in developing their service specifications, engaging meaningfully and in a co-productive way with local individuals and families and using the learning to continuously improve local decision making and investment plans. The Winterbourne View Improvement Team and our partners welcome feedback and look forward to hearing about the progress you are making.