Specialist Relationship and Sex Education
- Learning Disability and Autism
Sex education for adults with learning disabilities is crucial to promote healthy relationships, informed decision-making, and personal safety. Tailoring the approach to accommodate diverse learning styles and abilities is essential. Here are some key considerations and strategies for providing sex education to adults with learning disabilities.
In delivering sex education for adults with learning disabilities, it is important to approach the subject with empathy, understanding, and a commitment to promoting autonomy and informed decision-making. Tailoring the content and methods to meet individual needs ensures that everyone has access to valuable information for leading healthy and fulfilling lives.
What can you do to help?
Provide written materials in easy-to-read formats and consider the use of pictorial guides.
What does our service offer?
Group Sessions
These sessions of support explore an array of subject areas under the umbrella of social and mental wellbeing, relationships and sexual health education. These sessions aim to support holistic well-being to promote safer interactions and self-confidence/independence, and you can access our social events included!
Looking at how to stay safe online, what to look out for and how to report if something is not right.
What are the different boundaries we have with different people surrounding us. How do those relationships look different and how do we act within them.
As we talk through the creation of a wellness plan we look into our emotions and mental health. How we recognise and support Mental Health, when it's not doing well and how we maintain it when it is.
Looking into the parts of the body, how they are the same and different to others. What we need to do to look after our health needs inc exercise and nutrition. Including the ways we manage menstruation and what is "normal", highlighting the different products available for management.
What do we want from a relationship? Staying safe in relationships. What do capacity and consent mean in relationships? Staying safe with others, closing on what different relationships look like.
What services there are and how you can access them? Contraceptive methods are covered as well as STI info. The mechanics of the act and masturbation including accessing pornography and sex aids.
Online Sessions
Group-
Weekly online session
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Fortnightly social events
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Monthly LGBTQ+ Drop in
Face to Face
Group-
4 Sessions on one topic
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Face to Face in our office
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Fortnightly social events
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Monthly LGBTQ+ Drop in
Bespoke
1:1-
Bespoke lesson plan
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Courses adapted to need
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Specialist Staff
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Complex Cases
Bespoke 1:1
We know that some individuals have needs that can be complex or are in situations that may not be suitable for group work. Alternatively, they may be under 18 and unable to join our adult groups.
We offer training with 2 of our staff team, covering a range of topics such as grooming, marriage, pregnancy, forced marriage, minors, and masturbation, to name a few. Bespoke packages are written and designed for the individual’s specific needs.
Within the package, we offer:
Lesson plan sent to the commissioner for agreement before commencing the development of the programme,
Create and provide all the resources required for the teaching sessions,
Bespoke education from 2 members of our staff to the individual (and their support),
We can complete a full detailed report of what we taught within a week of delivery. This includes verbal responses, photographs of their work/activity response, and any handouts that we gave them. This should then provide a base for the decision maker to then assess the individual at a later point with regard to capacity, knowing exactly how we presented it. It also allows you or supporting staff to go over the information similarly to us to repeat the work to enhance knowledge retention.
We request from the commissioning body if applicable:
(the below will be within the quote unless you stipulate that you are able to provide this):
Accommodation and meal expense packages for 2 staff for the night prior to training until the last day of training (we travel back after the final session),
A neutral and private room to deliver the sessions (usually this can be purchased within our accommodation),
Mileage from our office location in Portsmouth,
Day rate to cover the number of days for education,
50% payment in advance with a purchase order number to confirm the dates.
£POA
Social Opportunities
Our core social education sessions are online Zoom Nights, walks-and-talks, and games sessions, which are accessible to anyone with a referral. The socials are offered throughout the month for people to come together, practice social skills, and learn valuable information to help them make safer choices and build upon their wellbeing skills.
LGBTQ+
Monthly safe space for people with a Learning Disability and/or Autism to discuss sexuality and gender identity, meet others and share experiences.
We are one of very few LGBTQ+ support services for people with Learning Disabilities. We meet online monthly for opportunities to talk about identity, create our own flags, share experiences and confidence. We are not a dating service or a place to meet dates, just allies and friends.
Coffee Morning
Are you a paid carer interested in our field and want to learn more and be the lead within your organisation, moving things forward?
Do you care for someone with a Learning Disability and want to see what resources and help exist for relationships?
Are you thinking about referring someone but would like to talk about it first?
Do you have a family member who has difficulties in this area, and you want to be around others experiencing the same?
Are you just interested in what we do and want to learn more?