Starting in October 2016 we will conduct case studies of six hospitals in England. Over 18 months we will compare what happens when children and young people with and without learning disability and their families come into hospital. We will work directly with 56-64 children and young people aged 5-15 years old to understand their experience of being in hospital through talking, art activities, photography and/or going on a hospital tour. We will ask their parents to complete a hospital diary during their child’s stay and when their child is discharged from hospital ask them to review their child’s safety as an inpatient. We will interview parents at home following their child’s discharge to discuss their child’s admission and more broadly about their hospital experiences.

We will interview and survey a wide range of staff at each of the participating hospitals who are involved in the care of children and young people, to see from their perspective what they think is done well to care for children with and without learning disabilities and what can be improved.

We will also compare hospital activity between children and young people with and without learning disability, for example, numbers of hospital admissions and out-patient appointments.

 The Trusts that we are working with during Phases 2-4 include: