Use this page to find out what the Learning Disabilities Social Care Team do, who is eligible for the service, and how to access support.
What we do
When we first get to know a new service user, we'll discuss their strengths and help them to find available support in their community.
We directly support service users, their families, and carers through crisis situations. We work with our service users to make positive changes in their lives, helping to keep them safe, promoting their independence and learning new skills.
Care Needs Assessments
We can also offer you a Care Needs Assessment. This will identify whether you have eligible care and support needs. If you do, our team will work with you to identify the right support to meet your assessed needs.
We regularly connect our service users with third sector support like the Community Wellbeing Hub, MIND and the Village Agents. We can also arrange support through a Direct Payment or a commissioned service.
We have strong links with the Complex Health Needs Service and other local providers who work within our locality. We signpost and make direct referrals to local services. We believe that this holistic approach is vital to achieve good outcomes for our service users, to manage complex decisions and risk.
Eligibility
We support any adult over the age of 18 who is eligible for social care support as defined by the Care Act 2014 and has a diagnosed learning disability.
The generally accepted definition of a learning disability includes all of the following characteristics:
- A significantly reduced ability to understand new or complex information and to learn new skills (impaired intelligence)
- A reduced ability to cope independently (impaired adaptive functioning)
- IQ of less than 70
We can also support young people over the age of 14 with a Learning Disability and their parents or carers with advice and information if they have been referred via the transition pathways from Children's Services.
How to access the service
To access the service, the person with a learning disability must be ordinary resident in Bath and North East Somerset. We will accept direct referrals from GPs and other healthcare professionals.
Alternatively, if you are a carer or a relative of a person with a learning disability, you can contact us by calling 01225 394584 or emailing LDSocialWork_Team@bathnes.gov.uk.