About the CYPMHS Learning Disability team
The Children’s and Young people’s Learning Disability team provides a service to Children and Young people up to age 18 with a diagnosis (or diagnosable from birth and (or) early years) of a moderate to severe learning disability (LD) and challenging behaviours that significantly impact on their daily functioning and that of the systems around them.
The aim of the service is to support children and the systems supporting children in reaching their potential thus improving their wellbeing, in collaboration with their support networks. The service works in accordance with policy recommendations using positive behaviour support as the main intervention. The intervention allows for the system to reduce the presentation of risk or mitigate risks more effectively.
Please remember, we are not a crisis or emergency service. If you feel concerned about your child’s wellbeing and safety:
- Leeds CAMHS crisis call line: Emotional advice and support for under 18’s, parents and carers. Call on 0800 953 0505, open every day 8am to 8pm.
- West Yorkshire Night OWLS: Emotional advice and support for under 18’s, parents/carers. Call on 0800 1488 244, open every day 8pm to 8am.
- Teen Connect: Emotional support for 11 to 18 year olds. Call on 0808 800 1212 or text 0771 566 1559, open every day of the year, Monday to Friday from 3:30pm to 2am and Saturday and Sunday from 6pm to 2am.
If you feel the situation is more immediate life-threatening behaviour or risk of serious harm, please call 999 for emergency services or 111 for physical and mental health needs.
Useful information
The children’s and young people Learning disability team provide episodic care and expectation of families and services implementing recommended interventions. Families and their teams are able to access the service multiple times throughout their child’s life and the length of intervention is reflective of complexity, risk, needs and transition planning.
The child’s presentation may not change significantly within the intervention time but the skills of the system will be improved to allow for change and prevention of further deterioration over time. The contracting and communication with families and their systems is key to effective intervention and discharge.
Due to the presentation of the services population there is a higher likelihood of adversity and co-morbidities within the population. This requires attendance at EHCs, CINs, CP meetings to contribute expert guidance to the family and system.
Furthermore, staff mobility within the service is essential as observations are likely to be required in multiple environments. The service enquires about and considers reasonable adjustments and statutory requirements from the service, for example, annual health checks for our population post 14 years old.
The service provides an expert interface with social care, education and third sector providers. There are risk panels and complex case forums attended by the team.
Learning disability
Learning disability is often confused with learning difficulty or mental health problems. A learning disability is a reduced intellectual ability and difficulty with everyday activities. This disability affects someone for their whole life.
A person with a learning disability might also have a learning difficulty or a mental health problem but these are separate. Example, a person with Down’s syndrome who is also dyslexic and has bouts of depression.
LD team defined as ICD11 criteria for moderate and severe learning disabilities.
This video may help understand the definition of a learning disability.
Learning difficulties
Specific learning difficulties affect the way someone learns and processes information. They are neurological, usually run in families and aren’t related to intelligence. They can have significant impact on education and learning. Examples: dyslexia, dyspraxia, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.
Mental health
Mental health problems can affect anyone at any time. This includes people with a learning disability and people without. Examples: depression, anxiety.
Due to the lack of diagnostic testing in Leeds, the Learning Disability team utilise the A to H tool, in order to appropriately screen for a child and young person’s presentation in line with their commissioning scope. Please note they do not provide a formal diagnosis for children within their service.
To access the Learning Disability team’s offer, a child or young person must have a moderate to severe learning disability and a behavioural presentation of concern.
They must not have achieved age appropriate milestones and academic attainment at their expected chronological age.
Behaviour definition
Behaviour can be described as “challenging when it is of such an intensity, frequency, severity or duration as to threaten the quality of life and (or) the physical safety of the individual or others” and it is likely to lead to responses that are restrictive, aversive or result in exclusion. (Challenging Behaviour Foundation)
Therefore, the Learning Disability team work with children where their presentation impacts themselves or the system around them.
Family, education or school, community social and risk
Family: Parents or carers are unable to meet daily needs or are no longer adequately able to respond to presenting risk. Parental responses are restrictive, aversive or resulting in exclusion.
Education and school: Despite reasonable adjustments, education is no longer progressing, being delivered and (or) accessible to the child young person, for their individual goals.
Note: Motivation and consent to service
Community social: Child or young person is no longer able to access the community at their baseline behaviours which can be defined as a moderate or severe learning disability functioning level
Risk to self and others is present to a degree that requires intervention by others, for example, physical aggression to self or others causing injury, environmental damage resulting in the need for repair. Extreme absconding or isolation in any environment, most likely resulting in distress to both self and others.
As part of your care with the Learning Disability team, you may meet a variety of staff. Our the team is made up of a variety of staff from different professional and non-professional backgrounds and includes:
- Clinical team manager
- Consultant psychiatrist
- Consultant psychology
- Learning disability clinicians
- Learning disability assistant
- Administrator
Inclusion criteria
A diagnosed or diagnosable moderate to severe learning disability must be present from birth. The child or young person must be under a Leeds GP, under 18 years old and have co-morbid behaviours which challenge in order to access the service. (see definitions)
Exclusion criteria
The team do not work with presentations of moderate to severe learning disability due to acquired brain injury, complex developmental trauma and (or) autistic spectrum condition with associated regression to activities of daily living presenting as a moderate to severe learning disability.
Depending on the needs of the individual, we work with the child or young person, their family and the wider system around the young person which may include:
- Schools and social care
- Other health professionals and respite centres
We do not replace other professionals. We are a children’s Learning Disability (LD) team. We sit under Leeds Community Health NHS, children’s and young peoples mental health service (CYPMHS also known as CAMHS). We are a mental health service; mental ill health and distress can be presented through behaviours that challenge.
Once a referral is accepted into the team, there are three pathways which will be considered:
- Consultation: A discussion between a professional and a clinician to consider whether a referral would meet our team’s inclusion criteria
- Screening: Assessing whether our Learning Disability Team is the right support for a young person
- Intervention: Providing support for a child or young person and their family
You can read more about these options below.
During your involvement with our team, we may help you identify additional resources that would be useful such as:
- Social stories
- Visual supports
- Hospital passport
- Behaviour monitoring documents
Each child or young person’s needs are different and your clinician will discuss your needs throughout your involvement with the team. We may be able to help create some of these resources alongside you and (or) signpost you to other available resources.
What is a consultation?
- A clinician will meet with the professional to discuss a young person.
- The professional will provide information about the young person, including diagnoses, behavioural presentation, current support in place.
- The clinician will provide advice, assess suitability for a referral to our service and (or) signpost to other services that may be able to help.
- Consultations last for around 30 to 45 minutes.
Who can request a consultation?
- Professionals can request a consultation.
- This includes schools, social workers and healthcare professionals.
How to request a consultation
- Professionals can email the Learning Disability team to request a consultation on lcht.ldteam@nhs.net
- Please note that we can only consider consultation requests from professionals via this email address, if you are a parent or carer who would like to make a referral for support, please contact MindMate SPA who will be able to help with finding the most appropriate support.
What is the screening pathway?
- All new referrals into the team are added to the screening pathway.
- During the screening pathway, the team will assess whether the young person meets our criteria:
- Moderate-severe learning disability
- Behaviours that may challenge others
- Have accessed other support first, including early help and cluster
How do you screen for suitability?
- First, clinicians will carry out a desktop review, which means they will look at the young person’s patient record for evidence of a diagnosed moderate-severe learning disability.
- If there is evidence, the clinician will contact parents or carers to discuss the referral and to get up-to-date information.
- If it is unclear whether the young person has a moderate-severe learning disability, clinicians will go to observe the young person in school.
Information and observations will then be discussed in the multidisciplinary team meeting and a decision to accept or reject the referral will be made.
If referral is suitable: An acceptance letter will be sent, and the young person will be added onto the waiting list for the most appropriate ‘intervention’ pathway.
If referral is unsuitable: A rejection letter will be sent, detailing the reasons why, and signposting to more appropriate services may be provided.
Who can refer?
Anyone can refer, including:
- Young people themselves
- Parents
- Schools
- Social workers
- Healthcare professionals
How to refer
- Contact MindMate Single Point of Access (MMSPA) on 0300 555 0324 (Monday to Friday from 9am to 5pm)
- Complete an online self-referral form
- Speak to a healthcare professional, staff at school or your social worker to help you
- Phone: 0113 843 0550
- Email: lcht.ldteam@nhs.net
- Address: Bramley Health Centre Annex, 255 Town Street, Bramley, Leeds, LS13 3EJ
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