The economic contributions of learning disability nurses
LSE were awarded funding to undertake a study exploring the economic case for investing in building the Registered Nurse for Learning Disability (RNLD) workforce capacity
Inclusive Health – enhancing the lives of individuals with learning disabilities
In 2019 we funded a scoping review, undertaken by the University of West London, to identify learning disability nursing interventions and their impact on the health of people with a lived experience of a learning disability.
In 2024 we established our Learning Disability Nursing Programme in which we are funding a series of research and education projects to support the needs and outcomes of people living with a learning disability and the nursing staff who support them. The programme will be delivered over a four-year period at a cost of around £360,000. Read more about our learning disability nursing programme here.
Sarah McGloin, Head of Grants and Impact, and Deepa Korea, RCN Foundation Director, published an article in the Learning Disability Practice Journal exploring the literature available on health inequalities, the declining learning disability nursing workforce and the importance of evidence-based, person-centred care. Read the article here.
A learning disability is a lifelong condition which significantly affects an individual’s ability to carry out everyday activities, understand new or complex information and learn new skills (NHS, 2018; Mencap, 2022). There are currently 1.5 million people in the UK with a learning disability which accounts for 2.16% of adults and 2.5% of children (ONS, 2020). Despite this, NHS figures from 2012-2022 show that the number of registered learning disability nurses in England has fallen by 31% in the past decade - from 4,353 to 2,983 comparatively.
Meet Samantha
Following the arrival of her second daughter who has Down's Syndrome, Samantha decided to change careers. She was awarded an Into Nursing education grant of £7,500 to undertake a BSc in Learning Disability Nursing, enabling her to support people with learning disabilities.
Resources to help people with learning disabilities understand the benefits of vaccinations
The RCN Foundation, NHS England, and charity Beyond Words, have developed illustrated resources designed to meet the needs of people with learning disabilities.
The RCN Foundation fund scoping review at University of West London
In 2019, the RCN Foundation funded the University of West London to undertake a scoping review of learning disability nursing. A four part report was produced to illustrate their findings.