Karen Laing 

“When I was younger, I spent most of my time in Starthmartine Hospital where my parents worked. There were always discos, pantomimes, and summer fetes. I grew up around people with learning disabilities and they were always a part of my social interactions. It definitely had an impact, as both my sister and me have gone into learning disability nursing, although admittedly, we hadn’t realised that it was even a profession in the early days!”

“I started my work experience at Strathmartine but then moved to the university to complete my training. Around this time, all the hospitals and institutions were closing. People with learning disabilities who had been resident most of their lives were being relocated into the community.”

“It may be my background, but I do think that the immediate move into community care was very isolating for some people. It can be more difficult for those with a learning disability to build relationships, find jobs and feel safe. We are now, as a society, moving towards acceptance but I still see tackling loneliness and stigma as a major concern in my work.”
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“I want to make life easier for people. Even attending an appointment at the doctor’s surgery can be a complicated experience to navigate for those with a learning disability. What I find frustrating is that many professionals are focussed on the task, not realising the importance of tailoring their interaction. A breakdown in communication is dangerous, as it might get in the way of someone being able to access routine scans and checks.”

“In the team, we are advocating for people, asking practitioners to speak more slowly, and sharing knowledge with them about how to break down procedures into understandable sections. A brilliant example is our relationship with the sexual health clinic. Following a conversation around health needs and best practice the nurses instantly began offering double appointments and bigger rooms – these considerations make all the difference.”

“It’s so nice to be with a group of people who understand you from the get-go. Sometimes I find it hard to explain why my role is important. For instance, I carry a bag of stress balls, counting gadgets, fidget toys, Rubik’s cubes, wiggly worms and crimples – it’s not the toolbox you immediately associate with nursing. When talking to the rest of the cohort we were able to have a meaningful conversation about how these sensory items help people refocus in times of stress.”

“Honestly, I was happy just plodding along. I knew myself; appreciated my skills and I didn’t have any ambition to change. The programme reinforced my sense of self. It was the encouragement I needed to take something good and make it even better. I have a supportive team and I’m so glad that we’re now talking constantly, dissecting every aspect of our practice, and using this to develop.”

“The programme has built up my confidence. I have no sense of embarrassment at advocating and asking for things, because I know they are necessary. When the people in my care can’t get their voices heard, I see it as a challenge to request changes on their behalf. As learning disability nurses, we can end up doing the most unusual things when tackling inequities, from finding ways to pay parking tickets to giving advice about someone’s ill snake!”

“We were hosting an anxiety support group before the COVID-19 pandemic hit. The course was six weeks to learn how to cope with anxiety, and friendships within the group blossomed from the first session. By the time the drop-in sessions moved online, the group were already familiar with one another and were comfortable staying in touch by phone or laptop. Creating these friendship groups reduced lockdown loneliness and has even allowed us to discharge people from our caseloads because they now have an effective social support network.”

“I have so many ideas to take forward and I want to be a team leader who can set up mixed discipline groups with an optimistic attitude. Tayside is split into three districts Dundee, Angus, and Perth, so I would like to work collaboratively across localities, sharing training and developing staff. Once we have this core I envisage workshops for people with learning disabilities, awareness-raising sessions for the communities they live in and an effective system that lets us all connect within our shared society safely and successfully.”