Our Adult Learning Disability Service offers advice, guidance and support to adults aged 18 and over with a diagnosed learning disability.

We are an integrated team of health and social care workers from BCP Council and Dorset Health Care University NHS Foundation Trust. We help people with a learning disability lead full and independent lives.

Our team consists of social care workers, learning disability community nurses, occupational therapists and physiotherapists. We also have close links with consultant psychiatrists, consultant psychologists and speech and language therapists.

We are based in locations across the BCP Council area – Ensbury Park, Canford Heath, and Christchurch.

What we do

We carry out person-centred assessments to identify your needs and goals and how they can be met through

• existing community groups
• friends or family
• adult education
• commissioned services and direct payments
• support from health care staff in the team
• a combination of all of the above

We work together to:

• provide care where necessary and give support to enable and encourage you to reach your full potential in all areas of your life
• help your carers and others to assist in supporting you
• give health advice to keep you healthy and to teach basic life skills to become more independent within the community
• assist in finding a place to live with the right support in place and where you can feel safe and well
• provide advice and assistance in contacting providers who can help with equipment to enable you to move safely in your own home

Our case studies show how our work has made a difference to people's lives.

How to access our service

Referrals to our team can come from:

• adults aged 18 and over with a diagnosed learning disability
• family members of adults with a diagnosed learning disability
• advocates
• professional colleagues

Referrals should be made through the Adult Social Care Contact Centre.