Learning disabilities

Welcome to the Child and Adolescent Learning Disability and Mental Health (LDMH) Service.

Based at Centenary House, we see children and young people up to 18 who have moderate, severe, or profound learning disabilities, who also experience mental health problems, complex challenging or distressing behaviours or both. This can include:

• anxiety
• anger and aggression
• repetitive behaviours and routines
• low mood, sadness
• difficulties complying with parents’ or adults’ instructions
• agitated, unsettled or disruptive behaviours
• poor self-esteem
• self-harm

We work in a number of ways to support young people with their difficulties. This includes consultation with professionals and services, and direct work with young people and their families. We meet children and families in community settings such as their home, school, respite and in clinic.

About learning disabilities

The World Health Organisation states that a learning disability is ‘a significant impairment of intellectual functioning’ and of ‘adaptive or social functioning’. A learning disability affects the way a person understands, learns and remembers new information. It also impacts upon the way a person communicates, manages independent living skills and social situations.

A learning disability is a life long condition, which affects a person across all areas of their life and is present from birth. It is not the same as a learning difficulty which tends to refer to a specific difficulty with a skill such as reading or writing.

About challenging behaviour

Complex challenging behaviour is defined as behaviour of such significant intensity, frequency or duration that is impacts upon the young person’s safety and the safety of others, reduces their quality of life and results in restrictions or limitations upon their access to community resources.

More information about this term can be found at the Challenging Behaviour Foundation website.

The team

We are a small team of professionals who work across the city supporting children and their families. The team consists of professionals from child and adolescent psychiatry, clinical psychology, learning disability nursing, speech and language therapy, occupational therapy and administrative support. We also often have trainees and students working with the team.

How we help

• We meet young people, families and the services supporting these families
• We work together to assess and better understand a young person’s experiences and behaviour
• We support families and young people to work towards their chosen goals which can include: a better understanding of the young person’s disabilities and difficulties, more parental confidence when managing their child’s behaviour and strategies for managing anxiety and aggression.
• We appreciate that families can be involved with lots of services, so offer Consultation appointments to professionals who wish to discuss the needs of a young person . Please see our ‘Consultation Information’ for further details.
• Consultation aims to bring together representatives from health, social services and education to discuss the young person’s needs.

What we do not do

• Work with issues that are school based only (they should be supported by Educational Psychology and Behavioural Support)
• Assessment requests for diagnosis and assessment of neurodisability
• Support singular issues (e.g. sensory challenges) that are not part of challenging behaviour.
• Crisis intervention
• Direct access so social care or respite
• Day respite, sitting service or befriending

Referrals

Our pathway starts with a referral to the team, then a consultation meeting, which brings together the family and all the professionals working with them. This enables us to ensure that we offer appropriate and effective input.

Professionals from health, social care and education, who are working with the young person and have a good knowledge of the concerns, can refer to the team. This includes Ryegate professionals, Community Paediatrician, FIS worker, Social Worker, Educational Psychologist, schools, another CAMHS team. We would anticipate that the referrer remains involved with the young person and attends consultation meetings.

LDMH CAMHS while you wait

Parenting a young person with a learning disability can be both ...

If you feel that a young person meets our criteria please view our information about making a CAMHS referral.

Coming to an appointment

Please remember: We can arrange for an interpreter if you or your family need one. Let us know if you want or need information in a different format and we will try to do this.

Our service is confidential, and we will discuss with you who we share your information with.

Please let us know if you cannot come to the appointment so that we can offer the appointment to another family.