Hertfordshire County Council employs the Community Learning Disability Nursing service who sit alongside their Social Work and Occupational Health Colleagues in the Adult Disability Teams. There are ten Adult Disability Teams in Hertfordshire and everyone over the age of 18 with a learning disability is entitled to an assessment of their care and/or support needs. In West Essex the Community Learning Disability Nursing service is within Hertfordshire Partnership Foundation Trust.
The Hertfordshire Community Learning Disability Nursing service provides specialist health and wellbeing input for adults with a learning disability whose needs cannot be met by mainstream services. Individuals must be registered with a Hertfordshire GP Surgery. Dependent on need, the team may offer direct intervention, indirect work with carers and families or joint working with other professionals and signposting or support to access mainstream health services. The team assess an individual’s needs and risk factors to produce multidisciplinary care plans to reduce risk while promoting independence, dignity, and quality of life. Specialist assessment and advice may also be offered including:
- Positive Behaviour Support
- Communication
- Health Assessments
- Eating, drinking, and swallowing
- Emotional wellbeing
- Epilepsy
- Keeping safe & risk management
- Medication
- Mobility and posture
- Sensory needs
- Sexual health
Those people with learning disabilities living in West Essex will access the community learning disability nurses through HPFT referral routes. Contact details for each team are in Appendix 4.