Learning disabilities (health and wellbeing needs in South Tyneside)

Putting the person at the centre

People with learning disabilities have told us the following [7] [8]:

• The support they receive is not always centred around their voice and what is important to them. The support provided can often be based on what is available in the community rather than what the person wants.
• People with learning disabilities are not consistently involved in meetings to make decisions about their own care and support needs. People do not always understand what is being said and jargon may be used.  
• People with learning disabilities do not need to always access specialist services. Where possible, they should be able to access mainstream services with reasonable adjustments. These are changes to support someone to access a service or appointment. They can often include easy read letters, phoning the person and making appointments longer.
• It is important for staff to receive training on how to support people with learning disabilities and their needs.

Housing

The people we spoke to said that there is not enough appropriate accommodation available for people with a learning disability. Feedback included [7] [8]:

• People and their families were not always clear about the current accommodation options available for them.
• They did not want to live in residential care and did not wish to live outside of the borough.  
• They were not aware of sheltered housing available for older people with a learning disability.
• There are not regular meetings with professionals to talk about where they live and if they are happy there.
• Young people are not always clear about where they will live in the future and what options are available to them.
• People are sometimes unaware of how to own their own home.
• There are delays in making changes to homes so that individuals can live there safely.
• There are not many accommodation options for people who need to stay somewhere in an emergency.
• People want the opportunity to make friends and have relationships.

Receiving the right support to live a good life

People with learning disabilities have they reported that they want more choice and control over accessing the community. They have told us the issues are [7] [8]:

• Feeling lonely
• There are not enough people in paid work and people need support to get a job.
• People don't always know what is available to them in South Tyneside and have to travel a long way to access activities.
• Professionals often make assumptions about the community the person wants to be a part of.
• There are structured routines with little flexibility in times and days. People with learning disabilities want to be able to go out when they want and where they want.
• There are physical barriers that prevent access to the community, such as changing rooms.

Supporting health needs

People with learning disabilities told us the following [7] [8]:

• Some people find it difficult to access services because they are not supported with reasonable adjustments to do this. This can have a big impact on their health.
• Some people are not sure what services are available to provide support around different health needs.
• When people with learning disabilities do access services, professionals are not always sure what the person's needs are and how best to support them.
• There are lots of people with a learning disability on strong medication. People have told us that they are not always sure what the medication is, why they need it and what the side effects are.
• Mental health services could work better to support people to use their services.
• People with learning disabilities and their families / carers are not always involved in the design of health services.