
NHSE have also produced this 3 minute video where a person with LD poses some vaccine related questions to the national clinical director for LD:
Click on link or image below for link to video

Learning Disabilities Annual Health Checks
Follow this link for dedicated Gateway page
Learning Disability Service
Telephone number: 0300 200 0011
Referral Criteria: Central Booking Service
The multidisciplinary teams offer services to adults with a learning disability, and comprise of Psychiatrists, Psychologists, Community Nurses, Occupational Therapist, Physiotherapists, Support Workers, speech and language therapy and aromatherapy.
Music and art therapy is also available in some areas.
The teams operate an open referral system, meaning that anyone can make a referral to them for support with their health care.
Please click on link on right for referral form
Health Facilitation and Acute Liaison
The team is also part of the community learning disability service. The team ensure that adults with learning disabilities receive the health care they need to live healthy lives and are treated as equal citizens within society. The team has identified nurses to work and liaise with the local acute hospitals covering University Hospitals of Coventry and Warwickshire, George Eliot Hospital, Warwick Hospital, Solihull Hospital, Good Hope Hospital and Heartlands Hospital. The nurses support people through hospital admissions.
Contact Details
Coventry and Rugby CLDT: Tel 02476 324380 Team manager: Lisa Jones
North Warwickshire CLDT: Tel 02476 315867 Team manager: Catherine Watt
South Warwickshire CLDT: Tel 01926 317746 Team manager : Amy Crofts Community manager: Sue Cory
Referrals via CBS: Tel 0300 200 0011
Learning disability categories
Learning Disabilities are categorised into four degrees of severity: mild, moderate, severe and profound. Psychometric testing, which scores an individual’s intelligence quotient, can assess this.
Category of Learning Disability | IQ Range | Typical Abilities (Based on ICD-10) |
Mild | 50 – 70 | Hold conversation.
Full independent in self-care. Practical domestic skills. Basic reading and writing. Many adults will be able to maintain good social relationships and employment. |
Moderate | 35 – 50 | Limited language.
Need help with self-care. Simple practical work (with supervision). Usually fully mobile. Most adults will achieve a degree of independence and will require varying levels of support. |
Severe | 20 – 35 | Use of words and gestures for basic needs.
Activities need to be supervised. Work only in very structured situations Movement problems common. Ongoing support / supervision required |
Profound | Below 20 | Unable to understand requests.
Very limited communication. Little or no self-help skills. Usually incontinent with severe impairment to mobility. Will require support to fulfil all daily living skills. |
Identification of a learning disability
The following indicators may lead to identification of a learning disability in an individual.
The individual may be:
- unable to tell the time;
- unable to distinguish between different coins;
- unable to do simple arithmetic;
- unable to say how old they are or know their date of birth;
- have difficulty recognising numbers, particularly over 10;
- have difficulty reading simple words and sentences;
Which school did they attend? e.g. ‘special school’ – see lists below:
Solihull |
Coventry |
Warwickshire |
Forest Oak Hazel Oak Oaklands Merstone Reynolds Cross |
Alice Stevens Baginton Fields Hawkesbury Sherbourne Three Spires |
Brooke |
Where does the person live? e.g. sheltered accommodation.
What does the person do for a job? e.g. attends a day centre.
What is a learning disability?
Learning disability may be defined as a state of arrested global development, occurring pre-, peri- or post natally.
Some people with a learning disability may have an identifiable cause for their condition, for example genetic condition such as Down’s syndrome.
For many patients it is not possible to identify the primary cause of learning disability – the important factor to recognise is the functioning ability of the individual patient.
People with a learning disability present with a wide spectrum of care needs, ranging from the person who is totally dependant on others for all aspects of care, to individuals who, while appearing independent, have special health needs such as challenging behaviour, mental health problems or epilepsy.
A learning disability is not an illness. It is a permanent condition, but with the right kind of help many people can acquire practical and social skills, even if this may take them longer than usual.
Learning disability is nearly always present from birth, though this is sometimes not recognised until children fail to reach milestones in their development such as sitting or beginning to talk.
Like the rest of the population, people with learning disabilities have very diverse personalities and characteristics. People’s background and family circumstances will also vary and these, together with the nature of the degree of disability, will help to determine what it means for a particular person to have a learning disability.
The nature of people’s learning disability varies widely and will affect the kind of support that they may require. Someone with a learning disability finds it more difficult to understand new or complicated information. They also find it harder than other people to learn new skills. These may be practical things like tying shoelaces or social skills such as holding a conversation. Some people may not speak and need to find other ways of communicating with those around them. Some need help with everyday things like getting dressed or a cup to tea. Others will live quite independently with much less assistance.
Unlike mental illness, an impairment of mind cannot be reversed and therefore cannot be ‘cured’ because it results from damage to the brain or nervous system before, during or after birth.
It is important not to confuse learning disability with the following:
- Learning difficulty
- Mental illness
- Brain damage in adulthood
- Cerebralpalsyandepilepsy
- Specificscholasticproblems
- Learning disability does not include all those with a learning difficulty
Learning difficulty is a term used by some agencies in the content of special education to differentiate from the health needs of people with intellectual impairments (learning disabilities).
Mental Capacity

Best Interest Pathway

Useful Resources
- ‘Don’t Miss Out’ campaign resources
- Easy read information on a wide range of health topics
- EMIS set up guide for Annual Health Check Template
- RCGP Toolkit for Annual Health Checks
- Top 10 Reasonable Adjustments (Mencap Treat Me Well Campaign)
- New Learning Disabilities Oral Care Guidance
- Community Learning Disability Team Leaflet
- Learning Disabilities Resource Pack for General Practice
- My Maternity Book
- NHS Right Care Pathway – Diabetes
- Improving identification of people with a learning disability: guidance for general practice
- Easy read Health Action Plan Template
- Bowel Screening Leaflet Easy Read
- Easy Read Having a Smear
- Easy Guide to Breast Screening
- GP Health Check Leaflet
- Pre-Health Check Questionnaire
- Health Action Plan (CovWark) MEN
- Health Action Plan (CovWark) WOMEN
- Hospital Passport South Warwickshire NHS Foundation Trust
- Hospital Passport George Eliot Hospital
- LeDer Report 2019
- Confidential Inquiry into People with Learning Disabilities
- CWPT Learning disability GP resource repository
- Death By Indifference
- Easyhealth.org.uk/
- Mencap.org.uk
- Dying for a poo
Video Resources:
Sepsis information for family and carers of People with a Learning Disability
LeDeR Programme

The Learning Disabilities Mortality Review (LeDeR) Programme is a world-first.
The first national programme of its kind aimed at making improvements to the lives of people with learning disabilities.
The University of Bristol is one of the partners in the programme, which is funded and run by NHS England.
Reviews of deaths are being carried out with a view to improve the standard and quality of care for people with learning disabilities.
People with learning disabilities, their families and carers have been central to developing and delivering the programme.
Aim is to support the review of all deaths of all people with a learning disabilities aged 4 and over regardless of if the death was expected or not.
Enables the identification of good practice and what can be improved.
Anyone – professionals, family members or carers can notify the LeDeR programme of a death.
This can be done by phone 0300 7774 774 or by filling in required details on the LeDeR website. (follow link)
Coventry Guidance
Signposting
Grapevine
Grapevine’s Help and Connect – helps all kinds of people experiencing isolation, poverty and disadvantage in Coventry and Warwickshire.
- Connecting – building community connections
- The Health Team – improving health and wellbeing of people with learning disabilities
- Safeside – supporting people to spot issues and protect themselves (hate crime, exploitation, grooming, mate crime)
- Connect to work – build resilience and fulfil potential (job and volunteering opportunities) supported for up to 12 months
Contact: Grapevine (Coventry and Warwickshire) Ltd, 123 Upper Spon Street, Spon End, Coventry CV1 3BQ Tel: 024 7663 1040.
Trident Reach
A community based preventative support service for people with learning disabilities aged 18+.
A registered care and support charity offering services to just over 5,000 people within the Midlands. These services include supporting people within registered care, domiciliary care, people with learning difficulties, those with mental health issues, young people at risk, older people, BME groups, people at risk of being homeless and those fleeing domestic abuse.
The service consists of an outcome based floating support service for a period up to 24 months, a drop-in service offering advice, guidance and signposting or low level short term, targeted support to address specific issues and emergency intervention support in times of crisis.
Support is provided on a one-to-one basis, peer support or group settings.
Contact: Room 6, Koco Community Resource Centre, Arches Industrial Estate, Spon End, Coventry CV1 3JQ Tel: 02476 675 752
Web: coventrysupport@tridentreach.org.uk Email: nbaker@grapevinecovandwarks.org
Rugby Guidance
Warwickshire County Council commissions a support service for people with LD in Nuneaton, Atherstone and Rugby from a provider called ISS, which is accessible to all, without the need for social care eligibility/assessment.
The service offers free information, advice and signposting as well as a range of activities aimed at promoting healthy lifestyles, community engagement, learning and work.
To access the hub service you must be 18 years old or a carer of someone with a Learning Disability who is 18 years old or older.
For further information see below
Click on this link for Rugby information
Signposting
New Directions
We are a vibrant, well established local charity, supporting people with a diverse range of needs including learning and physical disabilities.
Based in Rugby, Warwickshire, we provide support that meets the personal requirements of the individuals we support; when, where and how they need it.
Support to understand and sign your easy read tenancy and housing management contract
Help to complete your housing benefit application
Assist you with managing your expenditure to ensure that you are able to pay your utility bills, while living your life.
Support you to be truly involved in co-regulation
Your needs are met when it is convenient to you
It provides supported living accommodation for people with a wide range of needs including learning and physical disabled people.
We can support you to run your own home to the best of your ability, including managing your money, preparing a meal or cleaning your home.
We offer support within your home which can be anything from as little as 1 hour per week up to 24 hours a day.
We can also support you in your local community. Our staff can be there for you when you want to go shopping or take part in a leisure activity.
We believe in providing high quality, good value services which are responsive to your changing needs,
We tailor your package to your assessed needs and wishes.
Your needs are met when it convenient to you.
We have skilled and highly trained staff who promote independence and opportunities to learn new skills.
Milner House is our pioneering, fully adapted, modern 3 bedroomed respite home away from home. You can come and stay with us for a short or longer stay. The experienced staff work alongside you to learn new skills, become more independent, take on new opportunities and make new friends.
If you would like more information on any of these services then please contact:
Milner House: 01788 878914 cpayne@newdirectionsrugby.org.uk
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