Sarah Ward

Biography

Prior to joining the nursing team at the University of Cumbria, I was Lead Nurse for Dementia and Learning Disabilities at Blackpool Teaching Hospital. Sitting within the Corporate team, I led on the strategic development and implementation of dementia, learning disability and autism strategies for the Trust, which involved the development of policies and procedures, service user engagement, designing and delivering training, and inputting into complex decision making and safeguarding.  

Prior to this role I was Clinical Lead for the Complex Needs and Learning Disability Teams in Central Lancashire. As part of the services leadership team, I was responsible for the clinical leadership and management of the staff team to ensure the delivery of a high quality specialist service to people with a learning disability and or autism. The service promotes good access to mainstream healthcare and specialist health care interventions to a diverse and complex population and aims to reduce health inequalities and premature mortality. I held overall responsibility for the development and delivery of the autism diagnosis and post diagnostic pathway and service in Central Lancashire. 

I started work as a Community Learning Disability Nurse in 2014 with the Lancashire Care NHS Foundation Trust, where I managed a caseload consisting of adult service users who presented with challenging behaviours and complex health needs. I developed my career working in different areas of the service, including children’s and adult’s services and as Service Manager for the Supported Living services in Lancashire. 

Qualifying in 2013 I stared my career in a children’s hospice as the first Learning Disability Nurse to be employed by the hospice. I delivered complex health care to children and young people with life-limiting conditions and end of life care. I was involved in developing a service for young people aged 18 – 25 to ensure appropriately transition of their care. 

Qualifications and memberships

Advanced Certificate in Caring for People with Dementia – Uclan - 2021 

BSc Hons Community Specialist Practitioner (Learning Disabilities) - Chester University - 2017 

Institute for Applied Behaviour Analysis (IABA) - Manchester University - 2015 

• Assessment, analysis, and implementation of Positive Behaviour Support. 
• Assessing, analysing and risk management of severe challenging behaviour. 

Multiprofessional Support of Learning and assessing practice Certificate – University of Central Lancashire - 2015 

DipHE Learning Disability Nursing - University of Cumbria 2013

Academic and research interests

I am currently undertaking Professional Doctorate in Health and Social Care at Uclan, and the focus of this research is to explore the impact of reasonable adjustments on avoid deaths in people with a learning disability.  

• Autism Spectrum Disorder 
• Challenging Behaviour in people with a learning disability and or autism 
• Complex Health and complex decision making 
• The application of the Mental Capacity Act in learning disability care and decision making.  

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