Evaluating workforce needs for higher specialist training for psychiatry of intellectual disability in Kent, Surrey and Sussex: a workforce scoping service evaluation

Purpose Whilst recruitment and retention of high-quality staff is vital to providing a good service, at the time of the evaluations, Kent, Surrey and Sussex (KSS) was the only area of the UK without a Higher Specialist Training (HST) scheme in intellectual disability (ID). The purpose of this project was to identify barriers to recruitment and support the need for change. Design/methodology/approach This evaluation included conducting interviews with 16 practitioners in the region with links to ID to consider the gaps in training and find solutions. Findings Four themes were identified, namely, good experiences are important to recruiting people into the ID field; bad experiences or lack of exposure to people with ID are likely to prevent engagement with this field; there is an ongoing need for specialist psychiatrists in ID services; and there is a developing need for specialists in neurodevelopmental disorders. Finally, the challenge means we need to think differently about developing a workforce. Seven recommendations to support workforce delivery in KSS were developed. Originality/value This paper highlights an important rationale for ongoing need for HST in ID work and also reasons to engage people in this field. This has not been undertaken in the ID field in this way previously.