Advanced Physiotherapist for Warrington Community Learning Disabilities Team and ARC NWC intern Navakanth Rajulapati is aiming to explore the perceptions of service users, carers, and professionals as to whether the Dynamic Support Database identifies the risk of early placement breakdown.

Navakanth, who is based within ARC NWC member Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust, said: “Too many people with learning disabilities are admitted to mental health hospitals due to presenting with behaviours that challenge or risk placement breakdown. The findings from the project will lead to improvements in the use of Dynamic Support Database to prevent unnecessary hospital admissions in line with the National Transforming Care agenda.”

The database is held by the learning disabilities team and a service user is placed on it if they are identified as being at risk of admission which results in additional support being put in place in the community.

Navakanth added: “Warrington Community Learning Disabilities Team has been implementing the Dynamic Support Database for several years to try to minimise inpatient admissions. By improving the awareness of the Dynamic Support Database among carers, service users, primary and social care staff, the risks can be identified early, and with intensive support from Learning Disabilities team unnecessary admissions can be prevented.”

Working alongside the ARC NWC Person Centred Complex Care and under the supervision of Kathryn Berzins from the ARC NWC IMPaCT theme, has ensured public involvement and consideration of health inequalities was embedded from the start.

Navakanth is keen to stress the benefits of this approach. “Using the Health Inequalities Assessment Tool HIAT – FOR-EQUITY (forequity.uk), I Identified the problem we needed to address is the unnecessary admissions to learning disability or mental health wards due to the risk of placement breakdown. The wider determinants of health inequality relevant to this project are access to health and social care and suitable housing. These two determinants intersect in a way that inadequate community care can lead to extended hospital stay. I work with two public advisors with lived experience of supporting people with learning disability and five service users with learning disability and/or autism. Service users and carers were involved in reviewing patient facing materials and research question.”

As well as disseminating his finding through a publication, Navakanth will present them to Learning Disabilities teams, and service users group in addition to creating an internal newsletter.

Link to poster: PowerPoint Presentation
More about ARC NWC Internships here.