The Vision & History of NHS Shared Professional Decision-Making Councils.

Central to the Chief Nursing Officer for England’s (CNO) vision is ensuring that the collective Learning Disability nursing voice is heard across all sectors so that the full depth and breadth of the professions’ contribution is valued and listened to in all current and future decision-making conversations.

To do this, an engaged and powerful workforce is crucial so that changes can be driven forwards. Evidence shows that collective leadership can support this drive, harnessing and enabling all nursing staff to improve the outcomes and experiences for individuals, families and populations, addressing local, regional and national unwarranted variations and inequalities.

At a national level a number of councils have already been established to collectively bring together nurses and midwives from a variety of roles, backgrounds and organisations. They are already ensuring that Chief Nursing Officer is hearing and being advised of opportunities, issues and challenges from those who are currently living and breathing this on a daily basis – a non-hierarchical approach that views everyone as leader with a valid contribution to make is at the heart of all the Council’s.

Learning Disability Nursing National Shared Decision-Making Council.

This is an exciting opportunity for Learning Disability Nursing to develop its own National Council.

It is envisaged the council will have representation from the diverse range of settings Learning Disability Nurses work within. Equally it will give opportunities to contribute to a national voice from the diverse range of individuals that make up this exciting profession.

Initially NHS England’s Learning Disability Nursing Team will be facilitating the inception of the Council, but it is envisaged that the council will quickly become self-sustaining and receive direction based on the agenda set by its members.

All Council members and subsequent chairpersons will be acting on a voluntary basis.

The meetings will be held on a virtual basis via Microsoft Teams, or similar platform and will take place bi-monthly, taking 1hr to 1 ½ hrs of the member’s time every other month.

Expressions of interest are being welcomed and encouraged from across the full spectrum of service areas, professional grades with expressions particularly welcomed from colleagues from BAME and traditionally underrepresented groups.

Download and complete the ‘expression of interest.’

Please email a brief supporting expression of interest to: -nhsi.ldspdmc@nhs.net