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NDT
Albion Wharf
Albion Street
Manchester M1 5LN
Tel: 0161-228-7055
Fax: 0161-228-7059
office@ndt.org.uk

Registered in England No. 27566R

Initiatives

[Initiatives]
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[Themes]

Learning Disability and Mental Health

What is it all about?

The Learning Disability and Mental Health theme is a response to concerns that people with learning disabilities do not get the access they may need to services and supports for people with enduring mental health problems. The apparent 'universality' within some learning disability care provision, for example in residential and day centre settings, has been accepted to be the place within which all needs are met whatever difficulties or inadequacies that may present.

This has resulted in lack of engagement for people with learning disabilities who also have mental health problems with more appropriate support services, and a failure of specialised mental health services to respond to the needs of this group of individuals.

Learning Disability and Mental Health will focus on discovering what works for people who have learning disabilities and mental health problems, developing new approaches and sharing examples of good practice. Experience would indicate that people with learning disabilities who may have additional mental health problems are likely to be among the most marginalised and excluded social group in society - even from the protections of the law.

• they may be labelled as 'challenging' and excluded from even specialised services because of the impact of their behaviour.
• they may be most at risk of breakdown of family or informal supports because of the demands of the support role, especially as carers become older or have other young family demands to meet.
• they are likely to be people with additional labels or diagnoses such as autism or Asperger's Syndrome.
• they are likely to be in highly staffed residential specialist schools or in adult residential provision (at very high cost) in the absence of a range of responsive, individualised community based alternatives.
• they may be victims of abuse, crime, exploitation and social isolation and as a result be among the most vulnerable and least understood people in society with little or no access to skilled therapeutic support.

How will change be achieved?

By working in a close Development Partnership with a small number of agencies who are anxious to improve services to such vulnerable individuals, the NDT seeks to create a national focus on the needs of this group of people without compromising their individuality.

The programme will be based around a number of co-ordinated activities which seek to address some of the following questions:

1. How are people defined as having Learning Disability and Mental Health problems or dual diagnosis?
2. What population are we describing?
3. What works for individuals?
4. How can appropriate community supports be developed that represent best value for all?
5. What does the community need to learn in order for people to be fully included?

As a Development Partner with all the benefits described in the brochure, you will also have the opportunity to be at the forefront of an exciting initiative to bring together all the thinking around this topic and to apply new approaches, not only to your local situation but also to a larger national debate.

The starting point for this theme will be to establish a national forum within which to debate the key issues and to map out a strategy for ongoing action. We expect that this theme will be of particular interest to Development Partners from:

• Health and Social Services Departments
• Joint commissioning agencies, including Education Depts.
• Purchasers and providers of services.
• Research and development agencies.
• Relevant central government departments.

Last updated : 2 August 2001

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