Learning Disabilities & Mental Health needs

People with learning disabilities experience mental health problems at a higher prevalence rate than the rest of the population. In addition, symptoms of poor mental health can be sometimes wrongly attributed to the person’s learning disability, ‘behaviours which challenge’, or a physical health problem. At Achieve Together, with support from our internal Clinical Support Team and Learning & Development Team, we are committed to ensuring support teams are skilled at recognising and supporting mental health conditions.

What are Learning Disabilities and Mental Health Needs?

Our dedicated Clinical Support Team for learning disabilities and mental health, including our Mental Health/Forensic PBS Practitioner, and Clinical Director (PG Dip Mental Health in Learning Disabilities) liaise with local healthcare professionals to ensure consistent and appropriate input is available. We have excellent working relationships with community mental health and learning disability teams, as well as forensic and substance misuse teams.

Achieve Together ensures that the mental health and learning disability support we provide is flexible, based on individual needs and in-line with the person’s Mental Health Support Plan. Person-centred planning enables us to undertake detailed crisis/relapse prevention planning whilst measuring progress and working towards a set of realistic outcomes. These outcomes are identified for everyone we support, which is a fundamental part of gaining greater independence.

We appropriately safeguard people with complex multiple diagnoses whilst supporting them to exercise full choice and control using pro-active and positive means of managing risk including risk management.

We use clear, multi-agency risk assessments, strategies and high levels of supervision, where required, to facilitate inclusion. Using a range of tools, we support in identifying potential mental health issues e.g. Mini PAS-ADD (for assessing psychiatric disorders).

Additional risk assessment and management tools are used depending on the circumstances including:

  • HCR-20 (Historical Clinical Risk)
  • ARMIDILO-S (Risk and Management for Developmental and Intellectual Limitations)
  • Suicide risk assessments
  • Fire-setting risk management

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Find your local support options by searching our residential, supported living, outreach at home and day services, filtering by your support needs, or for those with current vacancies.

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03301 755 332

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