An education programme for social care staff: improving the health of people who have a learning disability and epilepsy

This article will describe and examine course feedback from a local training initiative, which contributes to the improvements in the health status of people with a learning disability, who have epilepsy. The aim is to analyse how an education programme that focused on epilepsy and its management, together with a borough wide epilepsy protocol developed the skills of the local workforce. This education programme provided a framework for social care staff, enabling them to work both safely and effectively in their support of individuals with learning disabilities that have epilepsy. Learning disability nurses led this training initiative, in response to the health needs of people with learning disabilities. Success was achieved through the collaborative working across a number of agencies and through consultation with family carers and people with learning disabilities. For the purpose of this article the term social care staff refers to people employed within the community residential/day services both in statutory and nonstatutory agencies.