On 19th October Changing Our Lives held a Quality of Health Conference at the Midlands Arts Centre. The conference showcased the Quality of Health Principles; a set of best practice standards that have been developed by people with learning disabilities in partnership with their peers with physical and sensory disabilities, people on the autistic spectrum, people with mental health issues and older people. Our self advocates used factual but fun 'roving reporter' films and presentations to tell health providers and commissioners what people who are 'vulnerable' expect in terms of person centred healthcare.  They successfully demonstrated the power of user led audits and the positive impact these have on the health experiences of people with learning disabilities.

The Principles have been used by people with learning disabilities as the basis for audits of health services including a general hospital, mental health services, GP practices, pharmacies and dentists. We highlighted the positive changes that have taken place in these healthcare services for people with learning disabilities as a result of the audits.

The conference was well attended by key senior figures from health and social care from across the West Midlands and a live twitter feed helped to highlight key issues.  Professor Steve Field, Chair of the NHS Future Forum and also the National Inclusion Health Board, closed the conference saying, "Your presentations were wonderful and gave me great hope. The work you are doing is great and is influencing the national commissioning board at the highest level. The Principles will be included in NHS contracts for 2013".

You can view photos, download a the presentations and read the speaker's biographies below.

On Thursday 13th September 2012, I went to Grapevine to meet with Hayley Archer, who I will be jointly working with on the Health Self Assessment Framework, as a Regional Health Champion for the West Midlands. The reason for this meeting was to complete the training, which we delivered to self advocates from across the West Midlands to develop them into Local Health Champions. The training took place at the BVSC in Birmingham.  It was a pleasure to meet Hayley as she is really passionate about this piece of work. She is very bubbly and kept saying how much she is looking forward to working on this project. I believe that Hayley will be a very good person to work with because of her drive and determination. She was an excellent role model for the self-advocates that attended the training days.

The Local Health Champions will be part of a Peer Review Team that will visit their area of the West Midlands, to check that what people have said in the Health Self Assessment Framework is really happening. The team will compromise of representatives from the Strategic Health Authority, Equip 4 Change, family carers and Hayley and myself as the Regional Champions.  Part of our role as Regional Health Champions, meant training self advocates from across the West Midlands to become Local Health Champions. This training spanned over two days, where we showed self advocates the main areas of the health self-assessment framework, including the red, amber, green system and what the colours meant. We also explained to them what's expected of them at the validation days in the different areas that they will visit across the West Midlands. Finally we told them the importance of working in co-production.

On day one, we started the training with an icebreaker to get to know everyone. We looked at the self -assessment framework and presented scenarios, so everyone had an opportunity to discuss the evidence that they were given. They had to decide in their groups if their response was red, amber or green. In the afternoon, we looked at what it meant to be a good leader and a good supporter. Lucy and I explained about co-production and how we work.

On day two, we used the same scenarios, which we had looked at on day one and brought them to life using role play. We did this so Local Health Champions know what to do and what to expect on the validation days. We created a similar scene to the meetings that will take place and by doing this session they understood their role better and, thought of relevant questions to ask professionals.

The Quality Health Principles were launched in November 2011.

Siraaj Nadat led Sandwell's Big Health day on 19th June 2012. This was an opportunity for local people with learning disabilites to get together with healthcare professionals and commissioners to decide what things need to get better for people's health and whats working really well. As there were so many things people wanted to do to improve health for people with learning disabilities, it was decided that the main priorities would go to a meeting of the People's Parliament on 3rd September, where the Parliament MPs and senior figures from around the borough will create a big action plan to make sure nothing gets lost.

We made a film of the Getting Ready event which was run before the Big Health Day.

Siraaj Nadat led a Getting Ready health event today (29th May 2012) at the Public in West Bromwich. The Getting Ready event is part of the learning disability Health Self-Assessment that is happening all around England. At the Getting Ready day, we have been asking local people with learning disabilities what good things are happening with health care and what needs to get better. This information is then fed into a Big Health Check Day where people with learning disabilites work with professionals to prioritize what needs to be done locally to make health care better.

All of this information, along with information from the local council and the Primary Care Trust is then sent to the NHS West Midlands. NHS West Midlands check to see if this information is correct and then each local authority area is told how they are doing and what they need to do better.

The Big Health Check Day is happening at the Public on 19th June. If you want any more information about it email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Sandwell Peoples Parliament met on 8th May 2012 to follow up on key actions that professionals had committed to at the Health Parliament meeting last June 2011, when MP's presented their Health White Paper.

The Parliament focused on Health Facilitation, Health Books for young people and the Acute Liaison Nurse who works at Sandwell General Hospital supporting people with learning disabilities before, during and after their stay in hospital to make it a more positive experience.

Siraaj Nadat, who talked about Death by Indifference 74 Deaths and counting, a progress report 5 years on from Mencap's Death By indifference Report, opened the session. Death by Indifference reported the appalling deaths of six people with a learning disability – deaths that the six families involved and Mencap believe were the result of failings in the NHS. Siraaj focused on the Confidential Enquiry into the premature deaths of people with learning disabilities, the work of which he monitors and evaluates. He also talked about bridging the gap between people with learning disabilities and healthcare professionals, highlighting the importance of Health Facilitation and Acute Liaison:

"It is vital that you develop your learning and understanding and listen to the views of people with learning disabilities within Sandwell. You are all responsible for people's lives and that means you are accountable." (Siraaj Nadat)

It was inspiring to see MPs challenging professionals about their work and holding them to account. The MPs showed real professionalism and really took control of their Parliament, posing questions that needed answers. A wonderful sight to see!

The MPs highlighted the serious breakdown in services around transition for people with learning disabilities. Gilbert Pommel (Interim Commissioner for Learning Disability) was there

Jan Britton (CEO Sandwell Council) concluded the Parliament.

Sandwell People's Parliament will continue to work on the health agenda throughout 2012 to improve the health inequalities of people with learning disabilities.