Transitions information for young people with Learning Disabilities in North Yorkshire and York – easy read

What does transition mean?

Transition means a change.

Here it means moving on from children’s health services to adult learning disability services.

This is usually when someone turns 18 years old.

This might feel confusing, exciting or worrying, any emotion is fine and normal.

The Community Learning Disability Team

If you are 18 years old and have a learning disability you may be referred to the local Community Learning Disability Team (CLDT).

Please see our information leaflet about more information about what the CLDT do.

Anyone can refer to the CLDT, this could be you, your family or carers, a GP, another health professional, teacher or social worker.

What is a learning disability?

Someone with a learning disability might find it harder than others to learn, understand and communicate.

Some people with a learning disability find  lots of everyday things difficult.

If you find one (or more) thing difficult for example reading, this is sometimes called a learning difficulty. We are not the right team if you have a learning difficulty.

If you don’t know then we may need to get more information. We may ask questions about your health, lifestyle and education.

You may need to do some work with a psychologist.

If we are not the right team to help, then we will try and find someone who can help you.

What a learning disability is not…

A learning disability is a diagnosis, but it is not a disease. It is not a physical or mental illness.

A learning disability is not the same as autism or ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder).

Some people might have autism and / or ADHD with or without a learning disability.

When to get help?

If you have a new health worry sometimes other people might be able to help.

This might be your doctor, family, carers, social worker or teacher.

If your health need is because of your learning disability we might be the right team to help.

If you already have care plans that work, and nothing has changed, then you do not need a referral to our team.

If you are not sure, it might help to talk about it with someone you know and trust.

How can the Community Learning Disability Team help?

If we are the right team then we will try and help you or tell you which service will be best.

You will be offered an appointment by a member of the team.

This might be at our office, your home, school or workplace.

We may need to do some work with you or your carers to get more information.

This might be in one or more appointments.

We will then agree a plan. We will support you and the people who know you well to put this plan in to action.

When the plan has been completed and your health has improved, we will close the referral. This is called an ‘episode of care’.

Important information

When someone turns 16 years old the law changes.

This means people can’t just make decisions for a person.

Sometimes people need help to understand big decisions about their life.

They may need a mental capacity assessment to see how much they understand.

If a person does not understand, then a best interest decision might need to be made and this should involve everyone.

Contact us

For more information or to talk to us about a referral please contact your nearest Community Learning Disability Team.

Please tell a member of staff

Freephone 0800 052 0219 or

Email [email protected].

Feedback

We’d like to know if you thought this information was

• good or bad
• if anything was missing you wanted to know
• if there was anything you didn’t understand.

Let a member of your care team know.