Intellectual Disability Health Core Capabilities - Consultation Survey

Overview

The Department of Health and Aged Care (the Department) is leading the Intellectual Disability Health Curriculum Development Project, a short-term action under the National Roadmap for Improving the Health of People with Intellectual Disability. A key component of the project is the development of an Intellectual Disability Health Capability Framework (the Framework) in collaboration with people with intellectual disability, their families, carers and support workers, accreditation authorities, universities, health professionals and academic experts.

The purpose of the Framework is to set out clear capabilities and learning outcomes regarding health care for people with intellectual disability. The Framework will also include implementation guidelines and resources to support universities to integrate intellectual disability health care principles into their current pre-registration education curricula. The ultimate aim is to prepare graduates with the required capabilities to provide the highest quality care to people with intellectual disability throughout their future health professional careers. The Framework will also aim to support accreditation authorities to integrate these capabilities within health professional accreditation standards in future review cycles.

The draft intellectual disability health core capabilities have been developed by the Department, in collaboration with an expert drafting group. To date, the draft capabilities have been informed by:

• focus groups with people with intellectual disability, their families, carers and support workers, and academic, accreditation and clinical experts
• a survey with academic, accreditation and clinical experts, and 
• discussions with the projects Education and Training Expert Advisory Group.

Why your views matter

The Department is inviting interested stakeholders to participate in the first open consultation on the draft intellectual disability health core capabilities. We consider your views to be imperative to the development process and the ultimate success of the Framework

The draft intellectual disability health core capabilities are included in the discussion paper, available as a .pdf document at the bottom of this page.

An Easy Read version of the paper is also available as a .pdf document at the bottom of this page.

What happens next

Following this consultation, we will publish a summary of the findings ensuring that any responses included are de-identified. The findings from the consultation will be used to refine the core capabilities.

A modified Delphi will be conducted in early 2023 to seek consensus on the core capabilities that should be included in the Framework. Consensus on terms and language used will also be sought at this later stage.

Once the core capabilities have been finalised, the Framework will be developed. The development will include the creation of learning outcomes associated with each capability and guidelines for implementing the Framework into curricula.

A second open consultation on the whole Framework is planned for later in 2023.

For enquiries about the consultation please contact IntellectualDisability@Health.gov.au