Staying well this winter
We know the people we work with can find it difficult to engage with the healthcare services available to them, often because these services aren’t designed to meet the specific needs of people with learning disabilities.
Tackling the health inequalities people with learning disabilities face is a priority for our Health and Wellbeing team so this winter we have been working with our health partners in South Tyneside on their annual flu vaccination programme.
The people we support can struggle to access vaccinations so our team has been working with people to help them understand what the flu jab is and how it can benefit them and providing practical support to access a jab where needed.
During October and November alone we made contact with 123 people to offer advice and support around the process of getting a flu jab. We also held flu and Covid vaccination clinics at one of our regular drop-in groups to provide opportunities for people to get their jabs in a safe and familiar environment. Seven people received their vaccinations in this way and told us they wouldn’t have done so otherwise which was fantastic news.
We also helped six other people to get the flu jab in December by booking and escorting them to appointments, while also sharing accessible resources about vaccinations on our website and social media channels. For more information about this, please visit the Flu Facts You Tube channel developed by North East & North Cumbria Learning Disability Network with Twisting Ducks.
