Local authorities, the NHS and voluntary organisations work to help people with learning disabilities to achieve more of their potential. At the same time they give positive support to families.

Social Services

Support by social services will normally be based on an assessment of an individual’s needs and will be made up of a structured and co-ordinated package of service. These may include the following:

Social worker to counsel, advise, help and support people with learning disabilities and their families. Specially trained social workers carry out responsibilities under the Mental Health Act and advise about rights.

Residential care when people with learning difficulties cannot remain at home or want to move away from home. A charge may be made in some instances.

Family Share Schemes (or adult fostering), where families are recruited to provide care and support for an individual with a learning disability who lives with them as part of the family.

Short-term care in various forms while the rest of the family goes on holiday or if there is an emergency in the family. A charge may be made in some instances.

Peripatetic care where a worker goes into the family home either when the carer needs to go away or to support the carer over a particular period

Home help to assist with the cooking, cleaning and shopping, and with living independently or in groups.

Day care for people with severe learning disabilities (or multiple disability) who are living in the community. There may be benefits payable to meet the charges (see CARERS)

Sitting services may sometimes be arranged for a few hours at a time.

Housing adaptations such as providing extra toilet facilities to assist people who have additional mobility or behavioural problems.

To find out more contact your social services department.

The NHS

People with learning disabilities are entitled to the same range of NHS services as anyone else, although they may need help in getting access to them. The NHS in collaboration with social services should make alternative arrangements for people who cannot use ordinary NHS facilities.

The NHS should also arrange for any specialist treatment, such as psychiatric services, and for NHS residential care for people whose needs for short-term or long-term care are met in a health setting.

Education and training

Further education, social and work training at special needs units for people with learning disabilities who are unable to go into open or sheltered employment. Further education colleges increasingly provide both full-time and part-time courses for students with learning disabilities, some of whom then go on to work.

ABA Materials - produce CD-ROMs with color images that parents print as flash cards to teach children with Learning Disabilities: http://aba-materials.com

Voluntary organisations

The range of organisations stretches from those which provide information, such as the British Institute of learning Disabilities (BILD), to others which provide training and work within caring environments such as MacIntyre Care.. The societies which cover the whole spectrum are MENCAP in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, ENABLE in Scotland, SCOVO in Wales and The Foundation for People with Learning Disabilities.

The Foundation for People with Learning Disabilities aims to
improve the quality of life for people with learning disabilities.

An important aim of the Foundation is to work with people with learning
disabilities to improve the quality of their lives through:
Funding innovative research and service development projects and
disseminating the findings;
Listening to people with learning disabilities and involving them in
its work;
Seeking to influence policy;
Providing specific and appropriate information to people with
learning disabilities, family, carers and service providers
Raising awareness about the lives of people with learning
disabilities. http://www.learningdisabilities.org.uk

MENCAP (Royal Society for Mentally Handicapped Children and Adults) for at least 50 years MENCAP has been campaigning and providing services and information for people with learning disabilities, their carers and families so they can make the most of their lives. MENCAP is the national organisation with more than 1,000 local societies and Gateway Clubs providing support for individuals and families at all stages of their lives.

District officers and Family Advisers give welfare information and support ranging from help to secure the right schooling and short-term breaks to finding the right housing and gaining independent employment. MENCAP’s leisure services have established social clubs and holidays for people to make the most of their recreation, expand horizons and gain new experiences. MENCAP National Centre Tel: 0207 454 0454

ENABLE supports people with learning disabilities and their families through over 70 branches throughout Scotland, run by volunteers to provide youth and social clubs, day care and holidays. They are supported by professional staff providing information, advice, vocational training, holidays, day care and residential care. Tel: 0141 226 4541

SCOVO (the Standing Conference of Voluntary Organisations for People with Learning Disability in Wales) supports and assists other voluntary organisations in the Principality and encourages them to collaborate. It offers information and advice through its publications and information service. Tel: 02920 492 443

People First is a national self-advocacy organisation providing support and training and campaigning for the rights of people with learning difficulties. Tel: 0207 713 6400

CHANGE is a self-advocacy organisation for people with a learning disability and sensory impairment. Tel: 0207 490 3483

Association of Residential Care (ARC) is the umbrella organisation for organisations that provide residential care and day support for people with a learning disability.

Voluntary organisations continued:

Organisations providing residential and other services:

CARE (Cottage and Rural Enterprises Ltd) Tel: 0116 279 3225

Camphill Communities Tel: 01923 856 006

Elizabeth Fitzroy Homes Tel: 01428 656 766

The Home Farm Trust Tel: 0117 927 3746

L’Arche Tel: 01535 656 186; fax: 01535 656 426

MacIntyre Care Tel: 01908 230100

United Response Tel:020 8246 5200

Organisations providing support at home:

KIDS Tel: 0870 121 0147

United Response Tel: 0208 780 9656

Organisations providing support to people with disabilities living in the community:

Circles Network Tel: 0117 939 3917; fax: 0117 939 3918

Organisations providing support or advice on sexual or physical abuse:

Respond Tel: 0207 383 0700

Voice Tel: 01332 518 872

NAPSAC Tel: 0115 924 9924

Organisations providing information and promoting the development services:

:British Institute of learning Disabilities (BILD) Tel: 01562 850 251

National Development Team for People with Learning Difficulties Tel: 0161 228 7055

Everyone Belongs - Mainstream Education for children with severe learning difficulties, Souvenir Press, £9.90

Ordinary Everyday Families - For parents of children with special needs and learning disabilities by Jo Cameron and Leonie Sturge, MENCAP, £5Read Easy - Obtaining reading material for people with learning disabilities by Margaret Marshall and Dorothy Porter, Whitaker & Sons, £7.50