The valued people project : users-views on learning disability nursing

Undoubtedly a well educated and trained workforce is crucial to the development of quality care for people with learning disabilities. Notwithstanding this and unsure as to the need to continue to commission educational programmes for one part of this workforce; pre-registration learning disability nursing, South Central Strategic Health Authority (SCSHA) commissioned the ‘Valued People Project’ (VPP) to undertake a detailed strategic review of educational commissioning, along with the specialist learning disability health workforce more generally. This project has recently been completed and provides a unique ‘evidenced based’ expert evaluation for the future strategic direction of education commissioning and leadership for workforce issues in specialist learning disability services, as well as the wider workforce of the NHS. This is the first in a series of papers that reports on one aspect of the project; the focus group work undertaken with parents and relatives of people with learning disabilities and people with learning disabilities themselves as to the need and type of health workforce needed to support them in the future. The paper concludes by identifying the ‘key messages’ of importance from parents and people with learning disabilities concerning the future specialist NHS workforce as well as the wider workforce in the NHS.