Learning disabilities
Learning Disability What's going on in Sefton?
We know that there are at least 1300 people in Sefton with a
learning disability.
This page will tell you about what is going on in services for
adults with learning disabilities in Sefton, as well as an update
on services for children with disabilities, and our new Transition
service.
Sefton is committed to improving 'life chances' for children and
adults with learning disabilities and although we know that there
is a lot more to be done, we hope that we are going in the right
direction. We are also committed to listening to what people with
learning disabilities have to say. We believe that service user and
carer involvement is fundamental to the development and
modernisation of services in Sefton.
Within Sefton there is a Sefton Disability Partnership Board,
which has it's own website.
You may want to get involved with our 'Getting Involved
Group'
Sefton has a Getting Involved Group, which is run by and for
people with learning disabilities. It is held every other month,
usually on a Friday. It starts about 10.30 am and finishes at 2.30
pm. (with lunch provided). People First Bootle and People First
Southport play an active role in the organisation and ongoing
development of the group.
If any one is interested in 'getting involved' in the Getting
Involved Group, please phone 0151 934 2835 for more
information.
Frequently Asked Questions...
What services are available
for children with disabilities?
Sefton Social Services has one Children with Disabilities team,
which covers the whole of the Borough. The team can provide and
arrange social services for children with a disability and their
families via a social work assessment of need.
New initiatives are always being developed to improve services
for children with disabilities and we currently have a range of
'in-house' provision, including a resource centre for children with
special needs, Saturday clubs, holiday play schemes and a teen
club.
Sefton also has its own children with disabilities
register/data-base.
What is Person-Centred
Planning?
Person-centred planning is high on Sefton's agenda. Both staff
and family carers have been trained in the different styles of
planning for and with children and adults with disabilities.
Further training has recently commenced in conjunction with Helen
Sanderson Associates. The Partnership Board is also about to
recruit a Person-Centred Planning Co-ordinator.
What is Transition from
children's services to adult services?
(Please view the Transitions co-ordinators page)
What services are available
for adults with a learning disability?
Sefton has two social work teams for adults with learning
disabilities, one based in Southport (North) and one based in
Waterloo (South). Social workers provide community care assessments
for people with learning disabilities, and they work in partnership
with the Community Learning Disability Team who provide health
assessments for adults with learning disabilities. In the North,
Health and Social Services are based together in the same
office.
The community Learning Disabilities Teams are currently
undergoing a review, which is involving consultation events with
family carers and service-users.
Sefton has eight social services resources for adults with
learning disabilities, which include both respite provision and day
centre provision. The day centres are currently going through a
programme of modernisation and much emphasis is being placed upon
accessing community- based activities. Supported work initiatives
are a priority and it is hoped that the scheme, 'A chance to be
included', will continue in order to enable more adults with
learning disabilities to get jobs. Sefton is working closely with
its partners in Housing and there has been significant progress in
the area of people having their own tenancies.
The Mersey Care NHS Trust provides health-led provision for
adults with learning disabilities, including a day centre in
Southport, 2 assessment units, (North and South) and a number of
supported living placements based on a tenancy model.
In April 2002 a 'pooled budget' was created by health and social
services. Its present remit is to meet the needs of individuals
with high support needs, 'challenging behaviour' and who require
intensive health and social care packages. With the aim of
reversing the trend of providing institutional care out of
Borough.
We have also recently acquired funding to enable us to advertise
for a Adults with Learning Disabilities data base co-ordinator. We
know that our statistics and data currently held is inaccurate and
hope that such a post will enable us to collate accurate figures,
which will in turn enable us to plan our services more
effectively.
Sefton is currently undergoing a Best Value review of its
Learning Disability services and the role and function of the
Community Learning Disabilities Team is also being reviewed.
Although this means there are going to be changes to services in
line with the requirements of the White Paper, it is intended that
service users and family carers fully contribute to the planning,
development and resulting modernisation.
What is the Partnership
Board?
Sefton created its Learning Disabilities Partnership Board in
2001 and it now meets every other month. The Board has 8 sub
groups, which aim to meet on a monthly basis. The chairs of the
groups also meet on a monthly basis so that each group can provide
an update on its work. Each group has an action plan, which is
based on the 11 aims and objectives of the White Paper. The sub
groups are as follows:
- Transition
- Choice and Control (including person-centred Planning)
- Housing
- Fulfilling Lives
- Workforce training and Planning
- Quality and Best Value
- Supporting Carers
- Health
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Last Updated on 2/9/2010