Preparing for Adulthood and Learning disability

In this section:

For people who have a Learning disability

Information for Parents

 Looking after yourself

Reasonable Adjustments

All About Me!

 

 

For people who have a Learning disability  

From 14 years of age, young people with a learning disability are entitled to an annual health check with their GP.

This is a way to look holistically at a person's health needs.

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Please ask for more information at your GP surgery or click here to find out more.

Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust and other organisations have Nurses working in G.P practices and Acute Hospitals to support young people and adults in these settings. Please click the links below to find out more.

• Learning Disabilities Primary Care Liaison Team | Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust
• Acute Learning Disability Liaison Information
  • Learning Disabilities Nurse Specialist - Sherwood Forest Hospitals (sfh-tr.nhs.uk)
  • Learning Disability Liaison Team | Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust
  • Learning Disability Acute Liaison Nurse - Bassetlaw | Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust
• Dental treatment for people with special needs - NHS 
• Nottinghamshire - Clinics - Community Dental Services - There are Community Dental Services in Nottingham and Nottinghamshire for people with additional needs, plus size patients, anxious patients requiring care under sedation or General Anaesthesia.

 

 

Information for Parents

When a young person reaches 16 years old, a legal process called the Mental Capacity Act will be followed by Health and Social care professionals when big decisions need to be made. You will still be included in the decision-making process. It is important for families to know about this change.

Please look at the following information:

• What is The Mental Capacity Act? | Mencap
• Homepage - The 11to25hub
• Social Care - Moving from children's social care to adults' social care - Social care and support guide - NHS (www.nhs.uk)
• Advice and Support - Learning Disability - Down syndrome - Williams syndrome | Mencap

 

 

Looking after yourself

Being a carer for a family member can be stressful. Here is some information and links to help yourself to stay well and get support when you need it.

• Caring for others - This leaflet helps you think about stress and when you may need to seek support for your own health and wellbeing.
• Nottingham County - Support for carers | Nottinghamshire County Council
• Nottingham City - Support if you care or look after someone - Nottingham City Council
• Easy Read Leaflets
  • Preparing for Adulthood - Legal and financial changes - Easy read (PDF Form) (opens in new window)
  • Preparing for Adulthood - Levels of care - Easy read (PDF Form) (opens in new window)
  • Preparing for Adulthood - Transition - Easy read (PDF Form) (opens in new window)

If you want to know more about Preparing for Adulthood or Transition within the Childrens and Young People Specialist Service, please talk to someone in the healthcare team working with you.

 

 

Reasonable Adjustments

If you or the person you care for need reasonable adjustments to access health services, please talk to the health professionals that you see to add this to your health records.

Although this is important for professionals to know all of the time, it is important when you move to seeing adult services, as they will need to know how they may need to make their service more accessible for you.

The Equality Act (2010) states all organisations including health and social care, such as hospitals and GP surgeries must take steps to remove the barriers individuals face because of disability.

The NHS must make it as easy for disabled people to use health services as it is for people who are not disabled.

Disability is one of the nine protected characteristics under the Equality Act 2010. The Act says that a person has a disability if they have a physical or mental impairment , and the impairment has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on [their] ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities.

Reasonable adjustments can be things like:

• Making sure there is good access for people who use a wheelchair in GP surgeries and hospitals.
• Providing plain English or easy read appointment letters.
• Giving someone a priority appointment or quiet waiting area if they find it difficult waiting in their GP surgery or hospital.
• Offering a longer appointment if someone needs more time with a doctor or nurse to make sure they understand the information they are given.
• Making sure there is a hearing loop system in consultation rooms.
• Making sure they fill in information about an appointment If a person has a hospital or health and care passport.
• Ensure there is access to a British Sign Language (BSL) interpreter to support at appointments or an internet video-link that could be used with BSL interpretation remotely.
• Using a communication chart to support a person during an appointment. 

 

 

Nottingham City and County Services are using a standard “All About Me” plan for patients and carers to take to health appointments.

This tells professionals lots of Information about a person, so you don’t need to keep telling different professionals the same Information.

It also can help make your care more personalised for you. The “All about Me” plans can be printed out and filled in, or downloaded onto a phone or device.

• About Me A4 poster 1
• About Me easy read version.cdr (icb.nhs.uk)

For more information please see About me - NHS Nottingham and Nottinghamshire ICB

 

 

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