Services for People with Learning Disabilities

If you:

attended special school for people with learning disabilities;
or someone from the health services has told you or our carer that you have learning disabilities;

then you can come to us for help, advice and support.

What can I expect to happen?

You can contact the Adult Social Care Direct Team for advice and information.
If you have some problems that may take a while to sort out and you need help with them, then you may have your own Social Worker who can talk with you and will write down, with your agreement, what your needs are. This is called a Care Plan and it will say what your needs are, which services you may receive, how often, and when the service will be reviewed.

What does the Council provide?

Your Social Worker or nearest Social Services office can provide more information on:

Social Work Support - getting help from a Social Worker;
Home Care Scheme - support in your own home;
Day Services - help with finding something you would like to do during the day;
Residential, Rehabilitation and Respite Services - a service where you can stay for a while, learn new skills or just have a break;
Employment Services - help with finding some work that you might enjoy.

Additional help

The following groups will also be able to offer you help:

The National Health Service ( NHS ) - as well as doctor's surgeries and hospitals, one of the other services provided for people with learning disabilities is the 'Community Healthcare Team'. The people who work in this team include psychologists, community nurses, occupational therapists, physio- therapists and speech therapists. Psychiatrists are usually seen at a day appointment at the hospital. Some healthcare trusts offer rehabilitation (including learning new skills), treatment and residential services;
Voluntary Services - have a wide range of services including day centres, counselling and advice, advocacy, residential accommodation, etc. Examples of voluntary services are 'Mencap', 'Advocacy in Gateshead' and 'United Response';
Independent Services - mainly provides residential and rehabilitation accommodation and some outreach support. These residential services are not run by the Council.

What to do if you need any of these services

For services provided by the Council, you must have talked to a Social Worker and the services required to meet your needs must be stated in your Care Plan;
For services provided by the National Health Service, you usually need to see your doctor, a health care worker (for example, a Community Nurse) or a Social Worker;
For any residential services, even those run by private or voluntary groups, you need to have a Social Worker who will work with you and write your needs in a Care Plan (unless you have the money to pay the full cost of the service);
Services provided by voluntary groups are open to anyone who needs to use the services they provide. You can contact the group direct or ask someone to contact them on your behalf.

Will I have to pay for these services?

There are no charges for advice, information or help from a Social Worker or visits by a Social Worker when he or she is working with you to find out what your needs are and what would be the best way to help you.

Where we arrange other services such as day or residential care, there may be a charge towards the service depending on your circumstances. If you do need to pay some money, you will be told exactly what the cost will be before you decide whether you want to use this service.