A learning disability has been defined in Valuing People Now as the following:
In Valuing People (2001) they describe a ‘learning disability’ as a:
(Department of Health. Valuing People: A New Strategy for Learning Disability for the 21st Century. 2001).
Further information on Learning Disability can be found in the following link:
http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/Childrenwithalearningdisability/Pages/Whatislearningdisability.aspx
A learning disability occurs when the brain is still developing - before, during or soon after birth.
Getting a diagnosis of learning disability
A learning disability can be diagnosed at any time. A child may be diagnosed at birth, or a parent or professional may notice a difference in their development during early childhood. For some people it may be many years before they receive a diagnosis – while others may never receive a diagnosis at all. Even with a diagnosis, it is often not possible to say why someone has a learning disability. People with a learning disability are often confused with people with mental health needs. The two are quite different and it may be that a person with a learning disability can develop mental health needs later in their life. ( excerpts taken from the MENCAP website)
The documents listed here gives an overview of the following:
Havering CCG are seeing Learning Disabilities as a priority going forward as we have one of the worst uptake rates in the UK and the worst in London for providing our Learning Disability patients with their annual health checks.
Please find a separate page for the Learning Disabilities Easy Read Pack. The link is Learning Disabilities Easy Read Packs
Please see below some reports and documentation regarding Learning Disabilities including the DES guidance for 2014/15.
If you have any queries relating to Learning Disabilities and what you can do as a practice please contact Jennifer Hibben at the CCG on 01708 574 914 or contact the local Community Learning Disabilities team.