Timothy Gibson examines the development of an innovative post registration training programme for nurses in mental health and learning disabilities

Mental health problems are a significant issue for many people with learning disabilities. As it is generally agreed that they can experience the full range of mental disorders (Hardy and Bouras 2002, Smiley 2005), it is vital that nurses develop the knowledge and skills required to meet the needs of this group. This article outlines two new post registration modules, ‘Assessing the Mental Health Status of People with Learning Disabilities’ and ‘Planning, Implementing and Evaluating Mental Health Interventions for People with Learning Disabilities’. These have been developed in response to evaluations of an existing module and seek to enable participants to work effectively with people who have learning disabilities and a mental health problem.