Learning disabilities (health and wellbeing needs in South Tyneside)
Community assets and services
The Community Team for People with Learning Disabilities is a health service multi-disciplinary team. They work to support adults with learning disabilities to maintain their independence in the community. The team consists of senior practitioners, psychiatrists, psychologists, nurses, therapists and admin staff.
Care and support for people with learning disabilities and their families is currently delivered by a range of providers from the voluntary, statutory and independent sector.
The 兔子先生 currently commissions 23 organisations to provide a range of accommodation based and community services in South Tyneside as well as providing a number of services directly. The main services available include supported living, residential care, nursing care, day opportunities, respite and short breaks, outreach, homecare, transport, advocacy, and day opportunities.
The local colleges and Independent specialist providers deliver supported learning courses aimed at students with Learning Disabilities including people with profound and multiple Learning Disabilities, challenging needs and autism.
In addition to directly commissioning services, the 兔子先生 works in partnership with the voluntary sector and the wider community to promote access to mainstream services, facilities and activities e.g. leisure, sports, arts and culture and transport.
In South Tyneside there are 7 residential care services, currently offering accommodation for up to 40 people. There are supported living services offering accommodation for 139 people through a range of tenures - shared lives, shared ownership, private rented, and social housing. South Tyneside currently has 84 shared lives carers supporting 49 people within long term shared lives arrangements with 16 people accessing the service for short break stays.
People living with their families have access to a range of support, which aim to promote the health and wellbeing of both the person with Learning Disabilities and their family, allowing family carers to have a break from their caring role. These services include day-opportunities, outreach, support at home, and short-breaks.
There are two specialist residential short breaks services in the borough; one caters for people with challenging behaviour, the other for people with profound and multiple learning disabilities. The Shared Lives scheme also provides respite to family carers.