Learning disability

The Scottish Borders Learning Disability Service, Scottish Borders Council Headquarters, Bowden Road, Newtown St Boswells, TD6 0SA. Tel: 01835 340 610

The Scottish Borders Learning Disability Service provides a range of specialist health and social care services for adults with learning disabilities. We provide:

assessment
care management
treatment
specialist advice and consultation
training and support

The service is staffed by a group of professionals and includes:

social work
Community learning disability nursing
Hospital Liaison Learning Disability Nursing
occupational therapy
physiotherapy
speech and language therapy
psychology
psychiatry
music therapy
local area co-ordination (LAC)

We are responsible for commissioning and monitoring support services for adults with learning disabilities from other organisations.

Referrals to the service must be made using the LD referral form-(hyperlink to form)

Who to refer, who not to refer, how to refer

Anyone can refer to the service eg individuals, family, support services, professionals etc

Who to refer:

The service is for adults aged 18 and over who:

have a learning disability
have difficulty accessing mainstream services, or need a more specialist support

What is a learning disability?

This is a significant, lifelong condition with three criteria:

a reduced ability to understand new or complex information or to learn new skills, in global rather than specific areas (impaired intelligence defined as an IQ below 70)
a reduced ability to cope independently (impaired social and adaptive functioning)
onset before adulthood (before the age of 18) with a lasting effect on development

All three criteria must be present for a person to be considered to have a learning disability.

Existing evidence, or evidence gathered during initial assessments by the Learning Disability Team should also show that the person has had, or is likely to have, significant difficulties accessing mainstream or non-learning disability specialist services.