Learning disabilities

If you have a learning disability and live in Sandwell, there are services to support you. We want you to have as much choice and control in your life as possible. You may be able to get a personal budget to pay for the support you need.

First you should contact Sandwell Council ASSIST on 0845 352 2266. They will make sure that you get the information, advice and support you need. They will contact other services that can help you. One of these services may be the Community Learning Disability Team.

The Community Learning Disability Team

Community Learning Disability Team supports adults with a learning disability who have complex needs.

Doctors, health visitors, day services or other staff can ask us for a service for you. Or you, or someone who supports you, can contact us yourself.

We can offer advice and support about:

• Assessment - to find out what you need
• Support at home
• Care homes and supported housing
• Day opportunities - things to do in the day time
• Direct payments and personal budgets
• Transport services
• How to keep safe - including making sure that you are not abused, neglected or taken advantage of
• Jobs and training
• Shared Lives Scheme - providing residential placements for adults with learning disabilities in someone else's home
• Having your say (through a self-advocacy organisation called Changing Our Lives)
• Specialist health advice 

Other support

Specialist Welfare Rights Service for people with learning disabilities and their family carers.

A welfare rights officer can meet the carer and the person with the learning disability in their own home or in an office. The welfare rights officer will check the benefits everyone in the family is getting. This is to make sure that everyone is claiming all the money they are entitled to. Often people do not claim enough. The welfare rights officer will help with claim forms and will help you take things further if your claim is not successful.
Tel: 0121 569 3158 (answering machine used out of hours)

Short breaks services for people with learning disabilities and their carers.
Short breaks are sometimes called respite care. They can be for carers and for adults with learning disabilities. Having a break can make everyone's life better.

Short breaks can be when:

• A social care worker comes into the home to give some support to a carer.
• A person with a learning disability goes to stay somewhere else for a short time
• A person with a learning disability stays with another family in that family's house.

For more information contact Sandwell Council ASSIST.

Help with housing

You may need help to find somewhere to live. You may want to know what your choices are. The easy read guides below may help you.

• Help with finding a place to live
• Choice based lettings guide
• Easy read tenancy agreement

Who to contact for more information

Sandwell Council ASSIST
Tel: 0845 352 2266
Email: sandwell_assist@sandwell.gov.uk
Fax: 0121 569 5789
Write to: Sandwell Council ASSIST, PO Box 15825 , Oldbury , B69 9EL