Learning Disabilities and Autism

Our services

We provide specialist health support to people with learning disabilities who require assessment and/or treatment for their physical or mental health, including support with behaviours of concern.

• A single point of access (SPA) for all referrals
• Four community hubs - a multi-disciplinary team which provides the whole range of specialist learning disability professions
• Autism diagnosis and liaison - providing a liaison service which supports access to mainstream health services and ensures reasonable adjustments are made
• County-wide community home assessment and treatment team

Referrals

The service will work with adults over 18 who have a diagnosis of learning disability and associated physical and/ or mental health needs who are registered with a Lincolnshire GP. For a referral please contact your local GP or speak to your learning disability community team worker at Lincolnshire County Council.

All referrals are made through our Single Point of Access on:

• Telephone: 0303 123 4000 or
• Email: lincs.spa@nhs.net

Community Learning Disability Hubs

The service is provided in four community hubs across Lincolnshire. These hubs are based at:

• Beech House, Boston
• Sycamore Centre, Grantham
• Units 1 and 2, St George's site, Lincoln
• Johnson Community Hospital, Spalding

As well as a number of satellite clinics which are used to enable choice and care close to home, when required.

The four community hubs provide a integrated multi-discplinary approach to supporting people with a learning disability.

Each hub has specialist nurses, psychology, physical and mental health liaison nurses, psychiatry, occupational therapy, physiotherapy, speech and language therapy and specialist liaison nurses for people with autism.

The team work together, with other organisations to provide a single assessment process to reduce how often people have to tell their story. The team then discuss all referrals and allocate the appropriate professional to support service users and carers with their individual needs.

Liaison with health services

In each hub there are liaison nurses for physical health, mental health and autism. They work with local health services and service users and carers to ensure equal access to mainstream services, helping to develop reasonable adjustments and provide appropriate training for professionals.

Enhanced Support and Liaison Service

Following engagement with those who use our services, the Trust’s previous Community Home Assessment and Treatment Team (CHAT) and the Transforming Care Liaison Service (TCLS) have merged under the new Enhanced Support and Liaison Service.

They will provide seven days a week support between 8am and 8pm for people at risk of placement breakdown and/or hospital admission.

The team will also support people to access to psychiatry, psychology, speech and language therapy and occupational therapy to help tackle any specific issues they may have, or liaise with mainstream mental health services to support with reasonable adjustments and timely discharge.

By combining the two existing teams the Trust have been able to combine the skills , knowledge and expertise of both teams and provide a more robust and bespoke offer for autistic people or those with a learning disability who may be experiencing a crisis in their mental health.

Moving into my own home - Wayne's story

[Video URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QAKr2elJSVg&feature=youtu.be]

Annual health checks - Lorraine's story

[Video URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rWJvQfe7mu8]