Following on from pilot work, funded by Community Food and Health Scotland (CFHS), carried out by dietitians from the Scottish Learning Disability Dietitians Clinical Network(SLDDCN) in 2008, the Glasgow Learning Disability Partnership submitted a successful proposal for the Scottish Government’s “Equally Well” Implementation Funding.
The proposal focused on piloting and refining a Glasgow based Healthy Eating/Healthy Living Educational Programme, which aimed to make the national healthy eating messages accessible to people with Learning Disabilities. The need to continue to work with SLDDCN towards a training manual for carers was accepted as pivotal to supporting the delivery of this Healthy Eating/Healthy Living Educational Programme. Part of the funding was used to produce a REHIS accredited tailored food and health course, called the ‘Food and Health Course for Carers of Adults with a Learning Disability’.
The course was developed by a short-life REHIS working group consisting of representatives from NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, NHS Forth Valley, NHS Lothian, NHS Tayside, the Care Commission, the Scottish Consortium for Learning Disability, Enable, LD Service Users and Community Food and Health Scotland.
With the original REHIS Food and Health Course Resource pack as its base, a professional dietitian writer, directed by the Working Group has produced a tailored Learning Disability course resource pack (consisting of a PowerPoint presentation, trainers’ notes and candidate handouts), a course syllabus and an examination. The resource pack is published by Highfield.co.uk.
The course is aimed at people responsible for supporting and caring for adults with learning difficulties. Following a series of pilot courses, again funded by Community Food and Health Scotland, the course is now available for delivery by suitably approved centres. The Institute is grateful for the support received from all the members of the LD Working Group. For more information please contact Graham Walker,Director of Training on 0131 229 2968 or at gw@rehis.com
Thanks go to Berryknowes Resource Centre for permission to use the photograph
