Lincolnshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust’s Child & Family Services is growing with the establishment of a new Learning Disability service for children in Lincolnshire.

The foundations of the service are now being laid, with help available to a small number of particularly needy children in the first instance. It is then hoped the service will grow to be able to work with more children and young people in the future.

Specialist services will be provided for children aged 0-18 years old with both moderate to severe learning disabilities AND mental health problems.

The service is community-based and will eventually cover all of Lincolnshire. Services are provided through a team which currently comprises nursing and psychiatry.

Both service development and delivery will be undertaken in close partnership with children, young people and their families and with colleagues from across Child & Family Services.

Where necessary with specific cases, the service will also provide advice, guidance, training and support to colleagues from across Child & Family Services as well as other agencies.

The service is part of Child & Family Services and works within the broader context of ‘Every Child Matters’ and children’s services throughout Lincolnshire.

Included in service provision will be consultation, advice and guidance for professionals about specific cases and issues relating to learning disability; psychological well-being and mental health; community/out patient-based assessment of children and young people; advice about treatment and intervention – including medication and management; and liaison with other relevant services such as education or Paediatrics.

Paul Jackman, Director of Child & Family Services at the Trust, said: “This new team is really the early beginnings of developing and increasing expertise in meeting the mental health needs of children with a learning disability in Lincolnshire.

“It is still early days, and in the first instance we will be providing very specialist help to a small number of children. From there, we will look to steadily grow the service to provide a first class service for young people with a learning disability and mental ill health." 

The current team are part of the phased development of this service and are now able to take referrals. Referrals should be made via Child & Family Services locality teams in line with current referral processes.

Nursing input will also be available to a similar number of children and families in addition to the provision of training, joint working, advice and consultation.