Guidance for referring to the learning disability community hubs

Criteria for 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.

The teams provide specialist interventions to people with a learning disability in order to:

•  Ensure access to mainstream health services, to have their physical and/or mental health needs assessed and treated.
• Provide specialist interventions where physical and/or mental health needs cannot be met by mainstream health services.
• Provide specialist assessment and interventions following an increase in behaviours of concern. This may include self harm, placing themselves at risk, harming others, damage to property, disruptive behaviours that are impacting on the wellbeing of other people.

For people with autism the team provides a liaison service to support access to mainstream health services, to ensure services are making reasonable adjustments. The service also provides an autism diagnosis pathway.

There is flexibility in regards to the age criteria for young people already known to services who are in the process of transitioning to adult services. This can be discussed with the team.

Please note - access to the specialist learning disability service for service users who have been placed in Lincolnshire with complex health and behavioural needs post April 1, 2016 will be recharged to the placing Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG)

Services we do not provide

Please be aware that we do NOT provide the fopllowing services:

• Diagnostic service for assessment of learning disabilities.
• Support with learning difficulties eg dyspraxia, dyslexia.
• Specialist health interventions for people with autism or ADHD who do not have a diagnosis of learning disabilities.

How to complete the referral form

The form must be completed fully in order for the team to decide on the appropriate intervention and allocate the appropriate professional. An incomplete form will be returned to the referrer and may delay the team’s response.

Please read on for specific guidance on what is required for each section of the form.

Communication

Please be clear about the person’s preferred method of communication as this will inform how we contact the person eg appointment letter in easy read format, email, telephone, text. Please describe in as much detail as possible the person’s communication needs, this should include details of how the person communicates with people they are close to, other professionals and peers. For instance, do they use any communication tools, do they have a communication passport?

People often use a variety of different communication styles dependent on their emotional wellbeing, life experiences and relationships, please give details about this for example, do they communicate more clearly if a family member is present? Do they have difficulty talking to professionals?

Outcomes and expectations

Please be clear about the person’s perceptions of their current situation and whether or not they have contributed to the referral process. Often the person being referred has a different understanding of their needs and aspirations to that of their carers or other professionals.The teams work to a person-centred model of care and require an initial understanding of the person’s view of their situation.

Outcomes

We aim to assess and devise a plan of care within 12 weeks. We need to ensure we focus on the person’s actual needs and are able to measure the accuracy and effectiveness of our interventions. As part of the assessment and planning process we will have specific goals/outcomes which will be informed in part by the referral.

Risk

Please be clear about the risks that person presents to themselves and others. Please differentiate between historic risks and current risks. Give as much detail as possible and include a description of how those current risks are managed.

Circumstances leading to the referral

Give details regarding the events that have led to this referral, please be specific and give a concise picture of the person’s current situation, where it is pertinent to do so a short history of the person’s difficulties can be included. History taking will be a part of the initial assessment so please be concise.

Further advice and contact information

For further advice on our referral process and services available please contact your local community hub team.
 
Learning Disability Community Hub Team (West) Unit 2,
St George’s,
Long Leys Road,
Lincoln,
LN1 1FS
Telephone: 01522 309137

Learning Disability Community Hub Team (East) Beech House,
Toot Lane,
Fishtoft,
Boston
PE21 0AX
Telephone: 01205 318070

Learning Disability Community Hub Team (South) Johnson Community Hospital,
Pinchbeck Road, Spalding, PE11 3DT
Telephone: 01775 652102

Learning Disability Community Hub Team (South West)
Beaconfield Resource Centre,
Beacon Lane,
Grantham,
NG31 9DR
Telephone: 01476 858259