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CQC responds to plea for guidance on relationships
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The Care Quality Commission (CQC) have just published their new guidance on relationships and sexuality after listening to self-advocates with learning disabilities and Supported Loving.
Before creating their new guidance the CQC visited self-advocates from Lancashire Friends and Relationships Group (U-Night) to consult with them. Both Lancashire Friends and Supported Loving have been encouraging providers to offer good support around personal relationships, but felt they weren’t being listened to.
The Lancashire Friends Group noticed that providers could get an “outstanding” rating without considering this important aspect. This led them to contact CQC directly and ask CQC to provide more guidance on relationships for their quality inspections.
Lancashire Friends and Relationships Group is run by self-advocates with learning difficulties promoting the right to have personal relationships and sex, which are essential to everyone.
Pictured above from left to right, Dawn Wallace, from CQC, Claire Bates, Choice Support, founder of Supported Loving and Sue Sharples, from the Lancashire Friends Group who were also invited to a further consultation with CQC.
Sue Sharples and Claire Bates said jointly, “We are delighted to support and endorse the publication of CQC’s new guidance on relationships and sexuality. This is a long-awaited document that will give providers clarity and direction in relation to a sensitive and complex area of need. It affirms the link between supporting opportunities for sexual expression and personal wellbeing, within a framework of care services regulatory responsibilities.”
“Our organisations were pleased to be consulted in the development phase of the guidance, including gaining the perspective of members with a learning disability. Our views were listened to, taken seriously and have been evidenced in the final version. Congratulations to the Care Quality Commission on taking an inclusive approach and addressing a challenging, but hugely important subject.”
You can read more below:
The views expressed in the Supported Loving blog are not necessarily those of Choice Support.
Join the Supported Loving network here or contact Dr Claire Bates for more information about Supported Loving.
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