Specialist community teams for adults with learning disabilities: referrals to a countywide service in England
Tizard Learning Disability Review
ISSN: 1359-5474
Article publication date: 17 May 2019
Issue publication date: 17 May 2019
Abstract
Purpose
While “generic” community teams for adults with learning disabilities (CTs) are well-established in the UK, very little recent evidence is available about any aspect of their work. As part of a larger project about the role, structure and functioning of CTs, the purpose of this paper is to provide data about referrals.
Design/methodology/approach
Over three months, the authors obtained data about 270 consecutive new referrals to five CTs in a countywide integrated health (NHS) and care management (local authority) service.
Findings
The 270 referrals related to 255 individuals, mainly already service users, with almost a third (30 per cent, n=204) described as people with severe or profound disabilities. Consistent with the reported living arrangements (residential accommodation or with one or more family members (87 per cent, n=270)), referrals were most often made by social care staff, General Practitioners or carers. The referrals related to a wide range of issues including mental health and/or behavioural needs, physical health and skills, and independence. The major group, however, were requests about a person’s entitlement to specialist learning disability services and/or reviews of an existing social care package.
Research limitations/implications
The focus on new referrals and the exclusion of intra-team referrals mean that the data are not representative of a CT’s caseload and cannot be used as a basis for resourcing. Nevertheless, the findings emphasise the heterogeneity of the population, and the long-term and varied nature of their needs, meaning that CTs require access to a range of expertise and, often, an inter-agency approach. The implications for service design are considered.
Originality/value
This is the first empirical study of referrals to specialist integrated (health and care management) community learning disabilities teams in England.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
Funding was provided by the National Institute for Health Research’s (NIHR) Collaborations for Applied Health Research and Care (CLAHRC) for Cambridgeshire & Peterborough. During the preparation of this paper, APW and ICHC were funded by the NIHR’s CLAHRC East of England Programme. The views expressed are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the NHS, the NIHR or the Department of Health and Social Care. The authors would like to thank the CTs and their managers for their support in facilitating the study.
Citation
Clare, I.C.H., Wade, K.A., Ranke, N., Whitson, S., Lillywhite, A., Jones, E., Broughton, S., Wagner, A. and Holland, A.J. (2019), "Specialist community teams for adults with learning disabilities: referrals to a countywide service in England", Tizard Learning Disability Review, Vol. 24 No. 2, pp. 41-49. https://doi.org/10.1108/TLDR-05-2018-0015
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
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