The keys to life delivery

Much has been done since The keys to life was first launched in 2013, with delivery focused across our four strategic outcomes. This delivery has included:

A Healthy Life

  • The Scottish Commission for Learning Disability (SCLD) commissioned a scoping report on effective interventions for parents with learning disabilities.

SCLD published a report with examples of good practice around Relationships,

Sexual Health and Parenting Education for children and young people with learning disabilities.

  • The Scottish Learning Disabilities Observatory (SLDO) worked with primary health care services to understand access and improvements to care for people with learning disabilities and long term conditions.
  • The University of Glasgow has undertaken research on physical activity, mental and physical health, and its wider determinants, in the lives of adults with learning disabilities.
  • The Scottish Government has included people with learning disabilities in the new Mental Health Quality Indicators, so that people’s experiences can be improved.
  • Scottish Learning Disabilities Observatory (SLDO) undertook a comprehensive survey of people with learning disabilities using mental health hospital beds.
  • SCLD and Information Services Division (ISD) are incorporating Learning Disability Statistics Scotland (LDSS) into national routinely collected health and social care data.

Choice and Control

  • SCLD mapped the activity of Third Party Reporting centres, which are safe and private spaces for people to report hate crimes, and this was then used to inform practice, in partnership with Police Scotland.
  • Scottish Learning Disabilities Observatory (SLDO) identified the impact of hate crime on the everyday lives and health of people with learning disabilities.
  • IRISS and the University of Dundee explored the challenges in hate crime data recording and made recommendations on how to increase reporting.
  • Glasgow and Strathclyde Universities developed resources to help tackle bullying and increase understanding and acceptance of people with learning disabilities. Schools based lessons are part of the personal and social education curriculum.
  • SCLD commissioned the Centre for Public Scrutiny to better understand how scrutiny bodies are impacting the lives of people with learning disabilities across Scotland and explore its potential to drive positive outcomes for people with learning disabilities.
  • SCLD carried out a scoping study of advocacy provision for adults with learning disabilities, identifying good practice and areas for improvement.

Independence

  • People First (Scotland), PAMIS, SCLD and other learning disability organisations, contributed to the Accessible Transport Framework and Action Plan.
  • We added a measurement of out of area placements to the Learning Disability Statistics Scotland dataset.
  • Dr Anne MacDonald led a two year project reporting on delayed discharge, out of area placements and positive behavioural support for people with learning disabilities and challenging behaviour.
  • SCLD commissioned a scoping study to explore the housing landscape for people with learning disabilities in Scotland and assess the role of housing in contributing to positive outcomes for people with learning disabilities.
  • We have supported access to the creative arts by funding delivery organisations including Music-all.

Active Citizenship

  • SCLD commissioned a mapping and scoping project to identify areas of asset based practice across Scotland and to determine its efficacy for people with learning disabilities.
  • SCLD commissioned a scoping study to map the employability landscape for people with learning disabilities in Scotland and an SCLD employment task group was formed to carry forward the recommendations of this report. The task group reported in 2018.
  • Using The keys to life development fund, we invested in local projects across four themes – employment, hate crime, parenting and social connectedness. SCLD helped us to support those projects to maximise learning, including the production of a series of "How to Guides".
Young boy sitting head to head with woman