Can We Help You?We provide services to adults in Southwark who have a learning disability. To get a service from us a person must meet our eligibility criteria. This is so that we can find out if we can help them, how we can help and what resources we can give to meet their needs.
The eligibility pathway diagram (pdf 51kb) shows the way that we make decisions about who we can help. When you see a star * it means that you can read more information in the guidance below. To view this document, you will need Adobe Reader.
The guidance does not attempt to describe a process for how much or what type of service we can provide.
Questions about eligibilty
If you have any questions about whether you or anyone that you know is eligible for a service then you should contact us.
Eligibility guidance
Stage 1: Residency
To be eligible for a service from us you must be 'ordinarily resident' (live) in the London Borough of Southwark and/or registered with a GP (doctor) in the Southwark Primary Care Trust area.
The issue of whether or not a person lives in the area is a question of fact. This means that we may have to determine residency on a case-by-case basis. In general we recognise someone as being 'ordinarily resident' in Southwark if they live in Southwark and have a GP in Southwark.
Stage 2: Age
To be eligible for a service from us a person must also meet our age criteria. A person will meet our age criteria if they are over 18. In some circumstances the following exceptions may apply
- A person who is no longer in full time education at school, or
- A person who is over 18 but not yet out of full time secondary education
This does not mean that we cannot work with other teams to prepare for the transition of young people from children's services to the community learning dssability team (CLDT) before they turn 18.
Stage 3: CLDT Service/overview assessment
The services that the CLDT is able to provide are focused on specific needs. This means that we must determine whether a potential service user is eligible to receive services from us. To do this we must consider the following:
- Does the service user have a learning disability?
Our eligibility criteria for learning disability are based on a definition in the Department of Health White Paper, Valuing People (DH 2001). Valuing People says that learning disability includes the presence of
- A significantly reduced ability to understand new or complex information, to learn new skills (impaired intelligence), with
- A reduced ability to cope independently (impaired social functioning); which started before adulthood, with a lasting effect on development
This definition will encompass people with a broad range of disabilities. Whether or not a person has impaired intelligence (measured as an intelligence quotient (IQ) of 70 or below) is not in itself sufficient reason for us to decide whether we can provide them with a service.
Any judgement that we make will be made on the basis of a combined assessment of overall skills and abilities and the person’s community care needs.
A person with Asperger's Syndrome would not ordinarily meet our criteria.
It would be rare for the presence of a learning disability not to have been identified and assessed before adulthood. However, where this has not happened – for example, where someone has been living in country where such an assessment has not been available, we will make a decision in relation to their eligibility when they first apply or are referred to the CLDT.
The CLDT has to assess whether or not a person has community care needs that we should meet. We do this by using Southwark Social Service’s Community Care Services Eligibility Criteria 2003 (pdf 34kb). The criteria are based on individuals' needs and associated risks to independence. In Southwark, needs that are assessed as critical, substantial or moderate are eligible for some community care services. This assessment is carried out by our social workers.
- Does the service user have healthcare needs?
The CLDT has to assess whether or not a person has healthcare needs that we should meet. If an adult with a learning disability has particular healthcare needs then we may be able to help them. Some healthcare needs can be met by mainstream health services.
- What happens if we cannot agree eligibility for a CLDT service (arbitration process)?
If an agreement cannot be reached about whether a person is eligible to receive a service from us, or where shared care arrangements may be appropriate, the decision should be referred upwards to the joint service manager, who may discuss within the CLDT eligibility forum meeting, and liaise with his or her equivalents in other services.
If the manager is unable to reach a decision about a person's eligibility they may refer the case to the head of disability and rehabilitation services for Southwark Health and Social Care (SHSC). He or she can in turn ask the director of health and social care provider services for SHSC to make a final decision regarding that person’s eligibility for services.
Contact
For health and pyschology
Community Learning Disabilities Team
Tel: 020 8693 3839
Fax: 020 7771 3635
121 Townley Road
East Dulwich
London
SE22 8SW
Opening Hours: Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm. For out of hours health emergencies please contact your GP (doctor).
For social work
Community Learning Disabilities Team
Tel: 020 7525 2032
Fax: 020 7525 2317
ld.duty@southwark.gov.uk
Lyon House
160 to 166 Borough High Street
London
SE1 1LB
Opening Hours: Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm. For out of hours social work emergencies please telephone 020 7525 5000. |