About our service
The learning disability service works across Birmingham, in which 23,800 (2.3 per cent of the 1.1 million population) have a learning disability.
Teams provide healthcare for people with learning disabilities living in the community. The service aims to provide high quality care through multidisciplinary working and close collaboration with other agencies.
What services do we provide?
We provide short breaks and day services for people needing continuing health care in a more specialised environment.
Residential care is available for people with end-of-life and complex health needs.
Community health services to people living in their own home, with their family or in residential homes and who have additional complex needs.
We have a breadth of expertise and knowledge within the service and support individuals with a range of needs. Interventions include:
- Community Forensic Service
- Community Nursing
- Community Outreach Team
- Epilepsy Team
- Frailty and Dementia Team
- Health Facilitation
- Intensive Support Unit
- Occupational Therapy
- Psychiatry Services
- Psychology
- Short Breaks and Day Services
- Specialist Dietetics Services
- Specialist Physiotherapy Services
- Speech and Language Therapy (SaLT)
- Touch Therapy Team
More information about the Mental Health Act, and how it may affect service users.
Who is it for?
Community Services eligibility criteria:
- People aged 19 years (or within 6 weeks of their 19th birthday).
- Anyone with a diagnosed learning disability who needs specialist health support that cannot be met through mainstream services even with the use of reasonable adjustments.
- Must be registered with a Birmingham GP.
- People moving into Birmingham area who have a Birmingham residential postcode and an identified Birmingham GP, but are unable to register with GP until they have actually moved into their property (for example, a service user discharged from hospital or a complex case moving into the area and going through the transfer / handover of care process). Confirmation will be required for service users eligible for s117 that the transferring Learning Disability Service have had a conversation with the local Integrated Care Board (ICB).
Short Breaks eligibility criteria:
- People aged 17 ½ years and over.
- Anyone with a diagnosed learning disability who needs specialist health support that cannot be met through mainstream services even with the use of reasonable adjustments.
- CHC funded, must be assessed as eligible for FULL CHC funding – request written proof.
Referrals
A referral to the service can be made through a number of means including a patient’s GP, carer or family member.
You can make a referral:
- Either by calling the Learning Disability’s Single Point of Access Team on 0121 466 4980
- Or by emailing BCHNT.ldreferrals@nhs.net for a referral form.
Useful Links
- Book of Inspiration: a celebration of experiences, achievements, and creativity from individuals in the Birmingham LD service. This heartfelt collection aims to uplift and inspire service users, carers, and beyond.
- BCHC: Neurodevelopmental Pathway (NDP)
- BCHC Transition Service
- The International Dysphagia Diet Standardisation Initiative (IDDS) - a project aimed at standardising the terms we use to describe food and drink textures - has introduced a new set of descriptors, covering all drinks and foods.