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A nurse from Worcestershire has been commended for her outstanding work in ensuring people with learning disabilities have access to sex education, support, and guidance.

 Lynn Prosser, a local learning disability nurse, has been shortlisted for this year’s Learning Disabilities & Autism Awards after launching a group where people with learning disabilities can learn about healthy relationships and sex education. 

Lynn, who works with the South Worcestershire Community Learning Disability team, has dedicated eight years of her career to supporting people with learning disabilities to live happy, healthy, and fulfilling lives, ensuring they are not disadvantaged or facing inequalities.

Colleagues nominated Lynn after she recognising a gap in support for people with learning disabilities in relationships and sex education. These needs are often unmet or addressed only in reactive circumstances.

Lynn developed an eight-week pilot course, one for men and one for women, to educate people with learning disabilities about all aspects of relationships and sex education. The course covers a range of topics, including different types of relationships, boundaries, positive and negative relationships, breaking up, consent, sex and alternatives to sex, contraception, STIs, internet safety, and pornography.

Working inclusively and collaboratively, Lynn involved service users, the local social work team, the sexual health specialist team, the psychological interventions team, and the speech and language team in creating the pilot, ensuring all aspects of the course are fully accessible and appropriate for varying levels of cognition.

Amy Turton, Advanced Clinical Practitioner, RNLD, who nominated Lynn, said:  “We are immensely proud of Lynn’s commitment to equality and inclusiveness in creating this pilot. Feedback highlights that Lynn's work will make a huge difference to enable people to live a fulfilled and valued life.

Relationships and companionship, in any form, are crucial for everyone, and having the knowledge to make informed choices, understand consent and feel safe is essential.”

The awards celebrate the excellence in the support available for people with learning disabilities and shine a light on the brightest talent in the profession, dedicated to providing innovative, patient-focused, and inclusive care.  

The winners will be announced on 21^st June at a ceremony in Birmingham.

More information on the Learning Disabilities & Autism Awards including the full shortlist can be found via  the Awards website .