Sarah Ward
- Senior Lecturer in Learning Disability Nursing
- Institute of Health
- Health and Wellbeing

- Email: sarah.ward@cumbria.ac.uk
- Location: Lancaster
Biography
My most recent role in practice was as 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 LCFT where I managed a caseload which consists 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 was the first Learning Disability Nurse to be employed by the hospice. I delivered complex health acre 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
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
- Learning Disability Nurse Practice
- Autism Spectrum Disorder
- Challenging Behaviour
- Complex Health