Working with Surrey and Sussex Healthcare (SASH)
The Pro- Active Community members co-designed the Countywide survey content and layout. This ensured all possible community members could participate in the 2023-2024 Strategy survey. They designed an inclusive, accessible online and paper option.
Members are also working with the Communications Team to review the hospital signage at East Surrey Hospital. They want to create an accessible environment with Easy Read signs to make finding the way around the building less worrying and easier for everyone.
Surrey Heartlands
Two members of the Pro-Active Community were invited by Surrey Heartlands Communications team to record a film of their experiences of booking and attending medical appointments for different conditions. They have shared information about diabetes, dermatology and mental health support. These films are being shown across Surrey Heartlands frontline medical and clinical staff to raise a better awareness of Learning Disability. This will encourage more reasonable adjustments are made and has already resulted in a review of accessible Easy Read documentation.
Inequalities Board
Emma Jane, Pro-Active Board member, was invited to the Learning Disability and Autism Health Inequalities Board, as a guest presenter. She talked about her journey through significant weight loss as the result of being on the steering group for the Whole Systems Approach to Obesity with Public Health England (now Office for Health Inequalities and Disparities).
Taxi Charter
Members have worked closely with Surrey People’s Group and Learning Disability England (LDE) members at their London Conference in 2023 to review how taxi firms treat adults with a learning or physical disability. The Pro-Active Community has led on designing a Disability Taxi Charter for firms to sign up to if they want to evidence their commitment to fair and equitable treatment of passengers with a disability.
SCIE
A group of Pro-Active members are working with the Social Care Institute of Excellence (SCIE) on their Co-Production Impact Research Project. The project aims to develop a framework and guidance to help individuals and organisations to showcase the impact of co-production in their projects. This will be based on a theory of change (a framework to help identify short and long term changes needed to achieve impact) providing accessible information to support people to identify and report impact.
University of Surrey
Pro-Active members joined the research team at University of Surrey in a Co-design study – Virtual consultations for people with learning disabilities, their families and healthcare providers. Doctors’ appointments through video or telephone have grown in recent months. However, this can cause difficulties for some people when accessing healthcare. Greater knowledge, guidance and education materials are needed to ensure these appointments are conducted in a way that improves care and experience for people with learning disabilities, their families, or carers. This study seeks to co-design best practice guidance and resources for Healthcare professionals.