Health and Wellbeing

This section provides information on health and wellbeing

There are also stories from young people on their experiences of health and wellbeing.


This section is divided into the following categories:

1. General Health

2. Mental Health

3. Sexual Health


1. General Health

A book about me
The purpose of this booklet is for others to find out crucial information about a child or young person with high support needs in a short time-frame.

All About Asthma
Online information resource created by Asthma UK. Includes an information pack for people with learning disabilities who have asthma.

An Ordinary Life
This booklet contains interviews with the families of people who have complex health needs. This booklet aims to gives families in similar positions a chance to reflect on their own experiences and ideas on how to make life more ‘ordinary’. 

Autism Transition Toolkit
This toolkit, produced by the Autism Education Trust, is a summary of common issues surrounding transition for young people on the autism spectrum, as well as a guide to the considerations that should be taken by those supporting them.

CHIVA
CHIVA works with HIV positive children and young people. Its website incorporates information for non-health professionals, parents, and young people who live in a family where there is HIV.

Coram Children's Legal Centre
Leaflet on young people and medical treatment. 

Eating well: children and adults with learning disabilities - Dr Helen Crawley (2007)
These guidelines summarise the current evidence on the nutritional needs of children, young people and adults with learning disabilities in the UK. It looks at issues around nutritional health, food choice and eating well and provides both nutritional and practical guidelines to promote eating well.

Eating well: supporting adults with learning disabilities - Training Materials - Dr Helen Crawley (2009)
A training pack for those who support adults with learning disabilities. Included a training manual which provides a simple and practical guide on how to encourage eating well and a CD-ROM which provides recipes and photographs of meals, snacks and foods. The photographs will help people see what eating well looks like in terms of the sorts and amounts of foods, which meet the energy and nutrient needs of average adults.

Getting it right
Getting it right is a campaign run by a group of health professionals to improve healthcare for people with a learning disability.

GMC's Learning disability website
The General Medical Council (GMC) has a website dedicated to helping doctors provide better care for people with learning disabilities.

Health Passports
In Buckinghamshire, people with a learning disability have been using health passports since 2005.

Improving Health and Lives Learning Disabilities Observatory
Improving Health and Lives works to keep watch on the health of people with learning disabilities and the health care they receive. Their website provides lots of information.

Just Normal Young People: Supporting young people living with HIV in their transition to adulthood.
New report looking at “how young people living with HIV make the transition from childhood to adulthood and, in particular, changes in services and support for young people that occur during this time”.

Just Normal Young People: Supporting young people living with HIV in their transition to adulthood. Young people's report
New report looking at “how young people living with HIV make the transition from childhood to adulthood and, in particular, changes in services and support for young people that occur during this time”.

Live with a healthy heart
The British Heart Foundation have produced a DVD and booklet about keeping your heart healthy for people with learning disabilities.

Look Up
Information on eye care and vision for people with learning disabilities.

Moving On Up
The Moving On Up website, developed for disabled young people from BME communities, has lots of information about health and wellbeing.

Moving on Well Resource Pack
The Pack is available to anyone interested in improving transition and raising the aspirations and achievements of young people with complex health needs or disabilities.

Talk about change
This film is based on conversations with children and young people with life threatening conditions, made at their homes and in children's hospices.

What do I need to know about NHS Continuing Healthcare?
This booklet provides information for families of people with learning disabilities about the scope and process of NHS continuing healthcare, together with possible implications and questions they may want to ask.

Your Health Matters
Leeds NHS runs the 'Your Health Matters' project to help those with learning disabilities manage their health needs.


2. Mental Health

All About Feeling Down
A booklet for young people with learning disabilities about what they can do if they are feeling down. 

Counselling Directory
The Counselling Directory lists counsellors and psychotherapists located in the UK.

How to look after your mental health using exercise
This booklet, from the Mental Health Foundation, explains why exercise is important, and suggests how you can get started and stay motivated.

Mental health service transitions for young people
This guide is for all staff working with young people with mental health problems who need to move from one service to another that is, to make a 'transition'.

Supporting effective transitions in mental health services for young adults
Resources on improving the experience of young people who are moving from mental health services for children and adolescents to adult mental health services or alternative support in adulthood.

Using the Mental Capacuty Act Guide
Hft has created a guide to using the Mental Capacity Act for families and friends of people with learning disabilities.  

YoungMinds
YoungMinds is a charity committed to improving the emotional wellbeing and mental health of children and young people.

The Young Mind
This is an accessible, user-friendly handbook for parents, teachers and young adults.

You are not alone
These guidelines have been written for parents and carers of young people with learning disabilities who want to know what help is available if their son or daughter develops an emotional health problem, and how they might go about getting that help.


3. Sexual Health

Family Planning Association
The Family Planning Association have a number of resources for parents, children and people with learning disabilities about sexual health and family planning.

Growing up, sex and relationships - a booklet to support parents of disabled young people
Booklet by Contact a Family for parents of disabled young people.

Growing up, sex and relationships - a booklet for disabled young people
Booklet by Contact a Family for young people.

 

(This page was last updated on 18 July 2012)