Learning Disabilities

A person who has a learning disability may experience a range of difficulties depending on whether the disability is mild, moderate or severe. A person may have a reduced ability to understand information whether it is new or complex, to learn new skills, experience a reduced ability to cope independently and may experience an impact on his/her ability to read and write.

Sometimes other skills such as time planning, organisational skills, abstract reasoning, short and long term memory and attention are impacted upon by a learning disability.

Depending on the level of learning disability a person may need support with daily living activities, being involved in social activities and keeping safe.

Someone who has a severe learning disability or a profound and multiple learning disability (PMLD) often has more than one disability such as physical, sensory, mental health and complex health needs. A person who has a profound and multiple learning disability may need care and support with areas such as mobility, personal care and communication.

A person with a moderate learning disability may also need support in these areas, but not definitely.Find out more about learning disabilities here.

Keeping Safe

For more information on support for people with mental health concerns, visit our page here.

If you think an adult is being harmed, abused or neglected please tell us. You can go to our Safeguarding Adults page to find out how to report it.

Visit the Doncaster Council’s Safeguarding Adults page here. Find out more about keeping people safe here.

If you think they are in immediate danger phone the Police now on 999.

Your Health

People with a learning disability may have worse health than others. To help, people with a learning disability can get an Annual health Check

This is free from your GP’s practice. You don’t need to be ill to get one and you can talk to the GP about anything that is hurting or worrying you. The GP will check lots of things and give you a ‘Health Action Plan’. Find out more about Annual Health Checks – easy read.

There are Easy Read health information leaflets and videos on the Easy Health website. Visit the Easy Health website here.

The law says that the NHS has to make information and their services accessible to you.

To find your nearest GP, based on the support you want, eg for alcoholism, see our Live Well section here. 

My Health Guide

My Health Guide is a specially designed app for people with Learning disabilities to help manage their daily lives by providing a simple to use system that can be accessed by carers, friends and health and social care professionals to support individuals in a range of health and community settings.

My Health Guide can be used to store information about an individual and lets carers, health professionals and community providers develop services based on the information that is stored. This means that the person will receive a consistent service no matter who is supporting them or where they are. The app is widely used by service providers in Hull and the East Riding.

The app was developed and is being used a lot by Humber Teaching NHS Foundation Trust.

My Health Guide includes –

•  Boxes – users can create boxes (as many as they want) to store things that are important to them

•  Important Things About Me – users can store important information about themselves and can add whatever content they like which they think is essential, including words, pictures, video and audio.

•  Appointments - users can use the app’s appointment facility to create appointments and reminders

•  Contacts & Sharing - users can record the details of friends, family and carers in the contacts facility, any information on the app can then be shared with people that service user chooses from their contacts

•  Documents - users can upload documents into the app and store them all in one place and can then read them whenever they choose

•  Data Back-Up & Synchronisation - App user data is automatically synchronised to the My Health Guide server, whenever the app is open and the device is connected to WiFi

•  Customization - users can personalise their app to make it easier for them to use

If you are receiving services from the Community Team for LD please ask about using the app, alternatively you can access the app directly from the app store for IoS or Android devices.

The app costs £24 per year and subscription gives users full access to My Health Guide –

•  Create and manage boxes according to your needs
•  Add, edit, remove box content (text, pictures, video and audio)
•  Create appointments with scheduled reminders
•  Add contacts
•  Add documents
•  Share your boxes with friends and family

Visit the My Health Guide website to find out more, you can also download the My Health guide App here. Alternatively, you can email the team at support@myhealthguideapp.com.

Maldaba offers different sessions to help healthcare professionals become aware of and get the most benefit from My Health Guide.

For more information, contact training@myhealthguideapp.com.

Getting Out and About

People with a learning disability can use the same community services as everyone else. The law says public organisations have to make changes so that disabled people can access their services. Go to our Getting Out and About page here.

You can find activities and support in the community by going to our community support directory and using the learning disability filter

Go to the community support directory here.