Useful links / websites:
North Tyneside Council
www.northtyneside.gov.uk
North Tyneside Primary Care Trust
www.northtynesidepct.nhs.uk
North of Tyne Primary Care Trusts
www.northoftyne.nhs.uk
Information leaflets are being updated
The Community Learning Disability Team (CLDT)
The Community Learning Disability Team is a joint team of Social Care and Health staff.
The Social Work Team will assess your needs to find out what you can do for yourself, what your friends and family can help you with and what help you might need from social services.
To make sure that people who need the most help and support from the council get top priority, the Government has given the council advice called ‘Fair Access to Care Services’ (FACS). FACS has a set of ‘rules’ that are used to help the council decide whether a person is in enough need of support from social services – a sort of checklist. These ‘rules’ are needed so they can make sure you are not at risk of losing your independence if your needs are not met.
People’s assessed needs will fall into four different areas – critical, substantial, moderate and low. If your needs are critical or substantial the council will provide you with social care services (to bring your needs into the moderate / low area). If your needs are moderate or low, the social worker will give you advice and information about other organisations / services that may be able to help you.
If the social worker has assessed your needs and given you services, they will contact you at least once a year to check to see if your needs have changed.
The Health Team
The health team is made up of different healthcare staff, such as learning disability nurses, healthcare assistants, psychologists, speech and language therapist, psychiatrist, occupational therapist and physiotherapist. The healthcare staff in CLDT work with both children and adults living in North Tyneside.
Each member of the health team provides support with people’s health needs, and help:
- people who have been in trouble with the police,
- people who have mental ill health,
- parents who have a learning disability,
- people with autism,
- people who communicate through their behaviour
- people with epilepsy
- people with dementia
- people who have additional healthcare needs
We also give advice to people’s families and work with local doctors and surgeries to help them provide good health services and support to people with a learning disability.
Referrals can be made to the team by phone or by letter.
Contact:
Community Learning Disabilities Team
Oxford Centre
West Farm Avenue
Longbenton
Newcastle upon Tyne
NE12 8LT
Tel 0191 643 7885
Fax 0191 643 2751