Learning Disability Week
As part of this year’s Learning Disability Week (19 – 25 June) we would like to remind people in Dorset how our specialist service can support those with a learning disability.
In the team there are health and social care professionals who are employed by both our Trust and local councils. The team work closely with families, carers and GPs to ensure the care and support we provide is tailored to the needs of the individual.
We accept referrals from anyone. The person themselves, carers, family members or professionals...
- Bournemouth, Christchurch or Poole residents can contact our referrals team on 01202 123654
- Residents across the rest of Dorset can contact our referrals team on 01305 221016.
Our teams and support available
Community learning disability teams
Our community teams around Dorset offer practical help with physical and mental health problems, relationships, behaviours, and communication, as well as advice on issues such as finance, employment and housing.
They include a wide range of specialists such as learning disability nurses, mental health nurses, occupational therapists, clinical assistants, psychologists, psychiatrists, speech and language therapists and physiotherapists, and admin support.
We have community teams in
- Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole
- Ferndown and Purbeck
- North Dorset (Sturminster Newton)
- Bridport
- Weymouth and Portland.
Find out how each of our specilist team members can support people by meeting our Weymouth and Portland team and Ferndown and Purbeck team.
CAMHS ID
This service is for children and young people aged 5-18 who live in Dorset, or are registered with a Dorset GP, with:
- an intellectual disability (a diagnosis which is made when someone presents with a significant impairment in their cognition and social functioning. It has to be present from birth and long lasting throughout that person’s life)
- emotional/behavioural/mental health difficulties.
Our aim is to:
- alleviate mental health problems/behaviours of concern
- reduce stress for the child and the family
- improve relationships and quality of life.
Psychology
Our psychology team form part of our community team and work with our clients:
- if they feel sad, angry, worried or scared
- to help our clients to find out what they are good at and what they find difficult
- to help when others are worried that someone may hurt themselves or others.
Speech and language therapy (SALT)
Our SALT team for part of our community team and work with our clients:
- to help find ways to tell or show people what clients want or need
- to help find ways to make it easier for clients to communicate
- to help clients with eating and drinking safely.
Intensive Support Team (IST)
Our Intensive Support Team offer an urgent telephone advice and referral service.
It is a specialist service focused on supporting adults with a learning disability, their families, carers and professionals working with them.
- IST will offer advice and assessment as required, liaising with services including hospitals, police and social services
- the aim is to prevent specialist hospital admission and placement breakdown by providing time limited intensive assessment and intervention.
Psychiatry
Our psychiatry team are doctors who specialise in learning disabilities. They will help:
- to assess and plan treatment for mental health difficulties
- to address problems with clients’ thoughts and feelings
- advise GP and other professionals about tests or investigations
- with medicine management and advice.
Stories from people we support
As part of Learning Disability Week, we asked people we support some questions to educate and raise awareness about learning disabilities.
Adam Black, age 37 from Blandford, was diagnosed with autism. He has been supported by our adult mental health team since 2009 and started to also get support from our community team in 2017.
Our Learning Disabilities Service provide Adam emotional support connected to his autism, provide training to his carers and provide support to his family. Our Intensive Support Team (IST) also have been helping to train a care provider to enable Adam to return to his own flat with appropriate assistance.
Adam is a very driven young man whose goal in life is to be able to buy some land and build a log cabin away from noise. Adam deals in stocks and shares to try and make money towards this goal. Adam also enjoys educating people about autism and likes to share his lived experience, and has his own You Tube channel for his film animations he designs.