Occupational Therapy: Adult Learning Disabilities

What the service is and offers:

The Occupational Therapy Adult Learning Disabilities Team assess and problem-solve daily living tasks such as eating, dressing or self-care, for adults aged 18 and over who have Learning Disabilities. We can continue to see you throughout your lifespan at different points as your needs change.

We aim to work alongside you, your family and carers. This is to enable you to take part in all aspects of your life, including:

• Daily living skills, for example cooking and self-care
• Leisure and recreational activities
• Community living skills
• Lifestyle management, for example how to cope with sensory differences

Input can be offered for behaviour that challenges, or for sensory processing difficulties. Together, we agree on a positive behaviour management approach and person-centred planning.

Please see the following link for an Easy Read leaflet describing the service:

Occupational Therapy Adult Learning Disabilities Service - Easy Read Leaflet

Locations of the service:

This is a Powys-wide service delivered across the community. Assessments and therapy are delivered in an appropriate setting to accommodate people’s needs, such as at your home, a day centre, an education or leisure centre, or at our clinics. Some initial information gathering may be carried out using phone or safe video calls, such as via the Attend Anywhere system.

Further information on Attend Anywhere appointments and guidance on how to use this digital approach is available at the following link:

Virtual Clinics with Attend Anywhere - Powys Teaching Health Board (nhs.wales)

How you can see the service:

We accept self-referrals for adults aged 18 years and over - please see the digital referral form linked as follows:

Adult Learning Disabilities Referral Form

We also accept referrals from other healthcare professionals (see the information in the next section). Initial referral enquiries can also be discussed by phone, before submitting in writing, either via email or post – please see the contact details provided in the ‘Contacting the service’ section below.

Referral criteria advice for healthcare professionals:

We accept referrals for adults aged 18 and over who have a diagnosis of a learning disability and whose needs cannot be met by mainstream Occupational Therapy services, who also require support with daily living activities such as self-care and accessing the community. We work as part of an integrated multi-disciplinary team with Learning Disability Nurses, Psychology, Psychiatry and other Allied Health Professionals.

If equipment or minor adaptations is the main request e.g. rails for outdoors, the Occupational Therapist may encourage use of the Community Occupational Therapy services. If behaviours that challenge make this complex, the Occupational Therapist may work alongside the community team. For referrals please use the referral form linked below:

Adult Learning Disabilities Referral Form

What should you expect during appointments:

Occupational Therapy staff will spend time getting to know you, your routine and what is important to you. This will include talking about your health and current difficulties, as well as your interests and lifestyle.

We may see you at your home on a home visit, or via a virtual appointment (online video call) or phone call appointment. You may be asked to come to our building, if you do you can bring a friend or care-giver.

The Occupational Therapist may use formal assessments to help gather a variety of information. This information will help with planning your individualised treatment programme.

This could include practising agreed skills in small steps at home or in the community. The Occupational Therapist would help you choose what is most important to start first.

Advice and support resources:

Contacting the service:

If you wish to be seen by the Occupational Therapy Adult Learning Disabilities Service, we accept self-referrals for adults aged 18 years and over – please see the referral form linked above, in the ‘How you can see the service’ section.

We also accept referrals from other healthcare professionals – please see the referral form linked above, in the ‘Referral criteria advice for healthcare professionals’ section.

For any general enquiries, the Occupational Therapy Adult Learning Disabilities Team can be contacted via the following details:

Email:

• For both South and North Powys offices:

Powys.learningdisabilityteam@wales.nhs.uk

Phone:

• South Powys office:   (01874) 712644
• North Powys office:    (01686) 252086

Address:

• South Powys office:

• North Powys office:

Meet the team:

Within the Occupational Therapy Adult Learning Disabilities Team there are registered Occupational Therapists (OTs) and Support Workers (OT Technicians).

The Learning Disability (LD) OTs work closely within the Multi-Disciplinary Team (MDT) made up of:

• LD Nurses and Assistants
• Psychologists and Assistants
• Psychiatrists
• Physiotherapists
• Speech and Language Therapists and their Assistants

We also link with various local services including:

• Day Centres
• Voluntary organisations
• Social Services Occupational Therapists
• Social Services

Patient feedback:

We welcome any feedback you might have about your experience with the Learning Disability Team at Powys Teaching Health Board (PTHB).

You can access our feedback survey by clicking on the following link, or by scanning the associated QR code image below with a smartphone / other device if you wish to complete the survey via a different device (this will take you to the same webpage location as the link).

Patient feedback survey link:

Patient Feedback – Powys Teaching Health Board Learning Disability Team

Patient feedback survey QR code image: