What is happening in
Birmingham?
Laura Ogi
Lead Clinical Psychologist
We sat around the same table…
Who did?
LD Health professionals
(speech and language therapists, psychologist,
health facilitation team, community nurses)
Healthwatch representative
Advocacy groups
Midwives
Health visitors
Safeguarding children’s team and other
safeguarding reps
University researchers
and anyone else who wanted to join in.
What did we do?
• Agreed to meet regularly
• Built rapport and attempted to understand
each other’s priority
• Identified areas to focus on
Areas of Focus
1.
2.
3.
4.
Facilitate identification
Maternity pathway
Continue to build the working alliance
On going research participation
1.Maternity Pathway
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Screening tool
Easy read Maternity notes
Easy read Post-natal notes
Plan adaptation of the red book
Family Nurse Partnership Program
( one LD participant identified in
Birmingham)
• Research collaboration between services
IDENTIFYING PEOPLE WHO MAY HAVE A LEARNING DISABILITY
PLEASE FOLLOW THE STEPS ON THIS TOOL
This checklist aims to help voluntary and statutory workers (such as GP’s, Health visitors, midwives, social workers and nurses) identify people with learning disabilities more easily.
1
LEARNING DISABILITY
STEP 1
Has an impact on most areas of a person’s life
Significantly reduced ability to understand new or complex
information, to learn new skills (impaired intelligence)
Reduced skills to cope independently with everyday life
On E3 code or Learning Disability Register
These difficulties started in early childhood.
Please continue with the form
LEARNING DIFFICULTY
Has an impact on a specific area of a person’s life (reading,
writing, counting, coordination, speech)
Specific difficulty in learning often given on an educational
context:
Dyslexia (difficulties with reading)
Dyspraxia (difficulties with planning, executing and
coordinating movement (person can be viewed as clumsy)
Dyscalculia ( difficulties in learning and comprehending
numbers)
Other linguistic difficulties
Please contact Main stream services or Mental health services
A person does not have a learning disability if he/she: Has gained GCSE, NVQ (above level 2), driving licence, has attended normal
education without additional support, has completed complex purchases without help (Mortgage), has had normal development until
head injury or accident when in adulthood (this is then classed as Head Injuries); has had normal development until Chronic Mental
health develops (this is than classed as Mental Health). Impairment is a result of drug or alcohol abuse, or the disability is caused by
hearing or sight impairment.
ATTENTION
There is a potential for certain life circumstances to alter the way in which an individual’s ability is perceived. Recent trauma, mental ill
health, English being a second language and use of certain medications may all have an impact on communication and understanding.
It is important that these factors are checked before an assumption of learning disability is made.
2
STEP 2 - HISTORY
Please check if there is evidence to support the following:
The person attended special school? They must have a Statement of Special Education highlighting that they have a
Learning Disability.
The person has had previous assessments by clinical psychologists, educational psychologists or psychiatrists indicating that
the person has a Learning disability.
You have checked with GP and the person is registered as someone with a learning disability (On E3 code or Learning
Disability register)
The person is receiving services from other Learning Disability professionals.
If you find evidence of the above, you DO NOT NEED to complete the remainder of the screening,
as the person has already been identified as having learning disabilities. If not please continue to STEP 3
STEP 3
Please tick if there is evidence to support that the person:
3
ATTENDING APPOINTMENTS
TRAVEL
Finds it difficult to use public transport independently?
Finds it difficult to travel to new/unfamiliar places independently?
Is often late for appointments, come on the wrong day, or gives odd
excuses?
Can’t tell you how late they are?
RECEIVING AND PROVIDING
INFORMATION
BUDGETING AND MONEY
MANAGEMENT
Is not able to manage own money or needs the help of someone
else? Can’t calculate change for a pound? Finds it difficult to
estimate costs?
LITERACY
Can’t feedback to you what you have discussed on your meeting
summarising or using own words?
Finds it difficult to give clear information about themselves?
Provides naïve or vague information about basic facts?
Finds difficult remembering information previously given?
LEVEL OF SUPPORT
Can’t read? Can’t write?
Can’t understand a text you give them to read?
Needs additional support to cope with daily living skills such as
cooking, personal hygiene, own shopping?
Is overwhelmed by routine demands?
If you ticked at least 3 boxes you need to consider making adjustments to the way your service is provided to this person.
If you ticked at least 3 boxes please contact the Learning Disabilities Single Point of Access (SPA)
If further support, advice or consultation is needed, please contact the Learning Disabilities Single Point of Access (SPA) Te
Tel: 0121 4658797
Tel: 0121 4663950
Fax: 0121 465 8805
Fax: 0121 466 3921
Post: LD Referrals, SPA The Greenfields
E-mail: BCHNT.ldreferrals@nhs.net
Post: LD Referrals, SPA The Greenfields
E-mail: BCHNT.ldreferrals@nhs.net
30 Brookfield Rd, Kings Norton, Birmingham B30 3QY
30 Brookfield Rd, Kings Norton, Birmingham B30 3QY
For further information on this tool or to order more copies please contact: Laura.Ogi@bhamcommunity.nhs.uk
Purposes of screening tool
• Identification of people who could
potentially benefit from specialist LD input
• Ruling out
• Time efficacy- Avoidance of inappropriate
referrals/ speeding of appropriate referrals
• Highlights areas of deficiency in service
provision (e.g. CQC and monitor)
• Reasonable adjustments
• Multiagency cooperation
Continue to build the working
alliance
• Periodic teaching Hubs
• Beyond Prejudice - National Conference
in Birmingham
• Participation on current research
initiatives
• Professional training (e.g. health visitors,
dentists, pediatricians, midwives,
students).
Is it all so easy?
The challenges
• Absence of a joint health/social pathway
& care coordination
• Current pressures on services
• Parents with LD are no one’s priority
• Continuous change of remits, people,
phone numbers, and locations of
services.
• Change in the health facilitation remit.
• Staff numbers
What have we learned so far?
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There are lots of challenges
No one can do it all
We can work together
People want to join forces
There are lots of wonderful people out
there!
Laura Ogi
Lead Clinical Psychologist BCHC
Laura.Ogi@bhamcommunity.nhs.uk
Tel. 0121- 4663440