Local Information for people with learning
disabilities, families and staff in
Hartlepool
This booklet is information and
contacts you might find helpful
We think it is really important that people know how to
get the information they need.
This information booklet has been made to help you have
the information you need to speak up for yourself.
The information we have written should help you contact
someone who will help you.
Some of the things we thought people might need good
information on is
 Getting a service, or support you need
 Getting a Personal Budgets to buy your own
support
 Advocacy support
 Having a say on local services and how they can
be better
 Talk to your local Council, NHS PALS Service or
Care Provider
Inside this information booklet are helpful contacts for
you to use to get support. You can add in your own
information if we have not covered everything.
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Top tips to think about getting information
 Asking for information can be difficult, you can ask
for help from someone you trust
 You need to know where to get the information you
want, this booklet should help with that
 There are 3 main places to get information, your
local Council, NHS or Community and Voluntary
Service
 You could write down with a family friend or carer
the information you require and why
 Ask a family member, friend or carer to speak to
someone by telephoning the contact
 Ask a family member, friend or carer to explain
what information you need
 Ask for the information to be in a way you
understand, like can this be done in easy read
 Write down the name of the person you have
spoken to

If you are unhappy you can then take it further, like
speaking to the boss of the person, or your local
councillor
Top tips for getting the right support
 There are many organisations who offer support
 You need to think about the type of support you
need
 Write down with a friend or carer the support you
need and what you want your life to be like
 Your local advocacy service might be able to help
you think about good providers in your area
 If you find it hard to explain what support you need,
you could ask someone to help you
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Top tips for telling someone you are unhappy about
a service
 It is important that you tell someone if you are
unhappy about a service, do not keep this
information to yourself
 Complain to the local authority in your area or care
provider as soon as possible if you do not feel
happy
 Write down and draw pictures if it helps you to
remember what happened
 Put your complaint in writing, you might need help
from a friend, family, carer, advocate to do this
 Tell them you are complaining, get the person’s
name and ask for a reply to you, it is good to have
the reply in writing
 Try to keep all of your information together
Top tips on making your complaint go further
If you have complained and are still unhappy you might
want to talk to someone else about it – here are a list of
places that could help
 Your Local Authority
 Citizens Advice Bureau
 Disability Rights Commission
 Disability Law Service
 Local Government Ombudsman
 Advocacy Services
 NHS England
 Care Quality Commission
 PALS (Patient Advice Liaison Service)
 Your Member of Parliament - MP

Your local Councillor
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Information if you live or work in Hartlepool
Local Authority
Hartlepool Borough Council
Customer Services
Civic Centre
Victoria Road
Hartlepool
TS24 8AY
01429 266522
customer.services@hartlepool.gov.uk
Autism
Downs Syndrome
Downs Syndrome North East
Langdon Down Centre
2a Langdon Park
Teddington
Middlesex
TW11 9PS
0333 1212 300
info@downs-syndrome.org.uk
Local group – Newcastle
Anne Webster – no address
Advocacy
The Tees Advocacy Hub
Middlesbrough CAB
Lorna Loughton
3 Bolckow Street
Middlesbrough
TS1 1TH
01642 802 285
lorna.laughton@middlesbroughcab.org.uk
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Contacts for Personal Budgets and Direct Payments
Hartlepool Borough Council
Adult Social Care
Civic Centre
Victoria Road
Hartlepool
TS24 8AY
01429 284284
fcsh@hartlepool.gov.uk
Community and Voluntary Sector contacts
Hartlepool Voluntary Development Agency
Rockhaven,
36 Victoria Road
Hartlepool
TS26 8DD
01429 262641
Contacting your local NHS
University Hospital of Hartlepool
Holdforth Road
Hartlepool
Cleveland
TS24 9AH
01429 266654
Contacting your local councillors for Adult & Social
Care
Hartlepool Borough Council
Cllr Carl Richardson
3 Teesdale Avenue
TS26 9QD
0194 1819224
carl.richardson@hartlepool.gov.uk
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Some regional and national contacts that might help
you
The Local Government Ombudsman
PO Box 4771
Coventry CV4 0EH
For help with making a complaint please call us on
0300 061 0614
www.lgo.org.uk/contactus
Member of Parliament
For further information on your local Member of
Parliament please go to the following website
www.parliament.uk
NHS England
PO Box 16738
Redditch
B97 9PT
0300 311 22 33
england.contactus@nhs.net
NHS England - Newcastle Office
Waterfront 4, Newburn Riverside
Newcastle
NE15 8NY
0191 210 6400
Care Quality Commission
National Customer Service Centre
Citygate
Gallowgate
Newcastle upon Tyne
NE1 4PA
03000 616161
Healthwatch England
Healthwatch England,
Skipton House, 80 London Road,
London, SE1 6LH
03000 683 000
enquiries@healthwatch.co.uk
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ARGH (Autism Rights Group Hartlepool)
Hartlepool Voluntary Development Agency
Rockhaven
36 Victoria Road
Hartlepool
TS26 8DD
Tel - 01429 262641
Fax - 01429 265056
visit Hartlepool Voluntary Development Agency on line at
www.hvda.co.uk
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