An evaluation of Making a Difference Together: A Health Toolkit took place between ... a copy of the Toolkit/downloaded
Making a Difference Together: A Health Toolkit Evaluation of the Toolkit Evaluation An evaluation of Making a Difference Together: A Health Toolkit took place between Summer 2015-Feb 2016. An evaluation survey to gain feedback on the Toolkit showed that although the Toolkits were used predominantly with people with a learning disability they were also found to be effective in supporting people with dementia, people with communication difficulties, people with hearing impairments and people whose first language was not English. Feedback from professionals on the impact of the Toolkit has included: ‘The availability of the kit gives me more confidence about communicating with patients.’ The Toolkit has had an impact on ‘my practice and raised awareness/profile of LD in the organisation’ ‘it has had a positive impact staff have been using the Toolkit and know where to access it’ ‘it has improved communication with the clients it has empowered staff to support clients with disabilities it has improved staff knowledge base.’ ‘We have introduced this across the Trust and staff have mentioned this has been great for a number of patients.’ ‘it has been used to enable other professionals to have an insight into the needs of people with a LD and enabling them to communicate more effectively leading to the delivery of a more person centred intervention.’
Making a Difference Together: A Health Toolkit Good Practice Examples In addition to the Toolkit evaluation a call for examples of good practice went out to colleagues who had received a copy of the Toolkit/downloaded the Toolkit from the website during Jan-Feb 2016. Some examples of the good practice in the use of the Toolkit received are collated below. Russells Hall Hospital, Dudley, West Midlands The Toolkit is used in training of staff throughout the Trust, including the teaching of graduate nurses. A new initiative has established Learning Disability champions within the Trust, who use the Toolkit on the wards. University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust Flash cards are used with patients who are unable to communicate. The flash cards and Communication book have also been used with a patient who was unable to communicate to enable staff to understand the patients likes and dislikes and fears of being in hospital. The Toolkits have been used to teach staff about learning disabilities and autism. Worcester Health and Care NHS Trust The Toolkit has been distributed to key areas within the Acute Trust which include A&E, Medical Assessment Unit and Pre Op Assessment. The Toolkit is used as a reference by staff to highlight the needs of people with LD and how their personal and care needs can be met whilst in acute services. The easy read documentation is used to help with communication around understanding, capacity and medical intervention. The Toolkit is used in staff training in conjunction with LD champion training, face to face training, direct on the ward training and training sessions with peer supervision and support and the Trusts six point ward based assessment in medical notes. ASIST Advocacy Service The picTTalk app, developed as part of the Toolkit, was used with a young person with autism and communication difficulties aged 5 years. The picTTalk app immediately provided a vehicle to engage the young boy which stimulated a conversation. Flash cards previously used with the young boy by his parent, as a communication aid, were photographed and uploaded into the picTTalk by his sister to personalise the app for the young boy. In addition an adult with learning disabilities was introduced to the picTTalk app and felt it would be useful to use when she was feeling stressed/anxious as at these times she suffered with communication difficulties. She felt the picTTalk pictures and the ability to create a conversation would enable her to continue to communicate during these periods. George Elliott Hospital, Nuneaton The Acute Liaison and Health Facilitation Nurse uses the Toolkit as part of all the Learning Disability Awareness training delivered in the Hospital. As part of the workshops on the Toolkit barriers to using the Toolkit are discussed along with consideration of ways these can be
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Making a Difference Together: A Health Toolkit overcome. It is hoped this will help staff to consider ways to utilise the Toolkit effectively as part of their everyday practice. A Toolkit is available to access on all the main wards at the hospital. Within the hospital the Toolkit has been used effectively on the stroke ward to support a person with a learning disability who had had a stroke. The Toolkit has also been used by staff providing end of life care. This has been used directly with people with learning disabilities but also in once case with the family of person with learning disability. The Toolkit was used to help the carers to consider ways to explain a death to a person with a learning disability. Keele University Prof Sue Read has shared the resource with a University in Canada who felt the resource was excellent particularly the app. The University in Canada wish to adapt the Toolkit for use in Canada by converting the Toolkit into French and adding Canadian contacts details. Other Examples The keyring of Communication Flash cards have been issued to housekeepers in one hospital to enable them to communicate with and understand the needs of patients. Community nurses have downloaded the communication cards onto their phones so they can access these when working with people with learning disabilities and communication needs in the community. ‘The Toolkit enabled explanation about a videofluroscopy assessment and provided reassurance to a service user.’ ‘The cards helped to show non English speaking patients some of what entailed in the examination.’ ‘The Toolkit has been used to support a patient with LD who was going into hospital and explain a hospital visit, to support patients to make their needs known, the picture cards have been used with a person with communication difficulties to set patient goals.’ ‘The Toolkit has been used with a person with LD to help with understanding a blood test.’ The resources on the website were accessed ‘to make use of the communication book and also to provide details of the online system to carers to allow them to make up personalised communication aids.’ The Toolkit resources were used in the ‘Production of leaflets and as part of a strategy to increase awareness of ASD amongst the criminal justice system.’ Feedback from the evaluation also revealed that the flash cards had been used for bereavement support and for a very young patient to play with, to divert their attention, whilst they were having an injection. February 2016
