A number of clinical services make up the learning disabilities team here in NHS Ayrshire & Arran.
Clinical Psychology
Psychologists help understand our thoughts, feelings and behaviour.
Psychologists work with people with learning disabilities and those around them to understand their individual situations and experiences.
Psychologists work with the person and those supporting them to develop an intervention plan which reduces distress and promotes psychological wellbeing.
Dietetics
Dietitians empower people to make appropriate dietary choices, to help reduce health inequalities.
For example they can:
- help people learn about what to eat and drink for good health
- help people who struggle to eat well
- give advice to people who get their food through a feeding tube
- help people to achieve a healthy weight
- give advice to people who need special diets due to a medical condition
There is a Dietitian based in both the North and South Learning Disability Teams. For the East Learning Disability Team, dietetic input is delivered by the Community Dietitians.
Learning Disabilities Nursing
Community learning disability nurses
Community learning disability nurses work with adults with a learning disability to:
- promote good health
- prevent ill health
- support people to live full, meaningful lives within their communities
They work alongside the person and with families and carers where appropriate, as well as professionals across health and social and support services.
Community learning disability nurses:
- take time to get to know people and what matters to them
- carry out assessments that look at physical and mental health, communication needs, and behaviours that may be perceived as challenging – ensuring provision of personalised care and support
- provide specialist nursing advice and interventions related to learning disability and co existing conditions
- help people understand their health needs, using clear accessible information
- support access to healthcare services where needed, including screening and annual health checks, making sure that reasonable adjustments are in place
- work to promote health and wellbeing, and support for people with more complex needs
- develop and review care plans that are centred around the individual
- enlist and work alongside other professionals in the team where required, to ensure that people receive the help they need to be healthy
Liaison Nurse (Primary and Acute services)
The Learning Disabilities Liaison service promotes equal access to mainstream healthcare services in Ayrshire for people with learning disabilities.
There are three liaison nurses in Ayrshire, covering East, North and South Ayrshire.
Liaison nurses ensure that people with learning disabilities can get appropriate and co-ordinated health care in Ayrshire’s acute hospitals. The liaison nurses are charge nurses with many years’ experience working in both residential and community settings.
Liaison nurses can help by:
- Supporting and advising about personalised care and service delivery throughout the patient’s journey.
- Working in partnership with appropriate agencies to provide services which will ensure effective, seamless care.
- Visiting a client at home, where appropriate, to help prepare them and their carers for hospital treatment or investigation.
- Promoting effective communication with those involved in the patients’ care.
- Offering support to relatives and carers.
- Highlighting issues around the Adults with Incapacity Act (consent and capacity).
- Signposting for information on management and review of unstable epilepsy.
- Advising on syndrome-specific issues or care needs.
The aim of the service is to assist with the management of patients in general hospitals who:
- have a learning disability
- may also have complex health needs
Complex health needs are additional needs (mental or physical) that a person with learning disability may have.
Occupational Therapy
Occupational therapists help you to be confident in everyday tasks.
See our Occupational Therapy service page for more information.
Physiotherapy
Physiotherapists help you to keep your body moving.
See our Physiotherapy service page for more details.
Psychiatry
A psychiatrist is a doctor who helps people who have problems with their mental health.
A psychiatrist will:
- talk to you, and others who know you well, to find out what you are feeling is wrong
- try to work out why you are feeling unwell
- suggest things that can be done to make you feel better
If you need medicine to make you feel better, the psychiatrist will arrange to see you again to make sure the medicine is helping.
Speech & Language Therapy
Speech and language therapists in the Learning Disability team play a vital role in supporting adults with learning disabilities who experience:
- difficulties with their communication
- problems with eating, drinking and swallowing (dysphagia)
1. Assessment and Diagnosis:
- SLTs assess communication difficulties and dysphagia related to learning disabilities, and provide recommendations aimed at reducing risk, increasing safety and improving overall quality of life.
- SLTs assess communication environments to identify how they impact individuals’ communication abilities. They evaluate the environment’s suitability for communication, to identify potential barriers and appropriate supports.
2. Intervention:
- For people with significant communication difficulties, SLTs may introduce a variety of supports, strategies, aids, and resources. For example, signing systems like Makaton, picture communication books, voice output aids and Talking Mats.
- Intervention may also involve supporting individuals to understand and express their choices, and to participate more fully in daily life.
- For people with dysphagia, SLTs introduce preventative strategies to reduce the risk of choking and aspiration, in order to facilitate safe and enjoyable mealtimes.
3. Support and Advice:
- SLTs provide training and advice to families, carers, and other professionals (for example support staff, social workers) to optimise communication and swallowing support. This support can be crucial during transitions in life, such as moving to a new home.
Speech and Language Team advice line
The first point of contact with the Speech and Language team is through our advice line, available on 07557 083083 at the following times:
- Mondays: 3.30pm to 4.30pm
- Wednesdays: 3.30pm to 4.30pm
- Fridays: 9.30am to 10.30am
We also have information on our Facebook page.