In Sussex there are 6 multidisciplinary Community Learning Disability Teams (CLDTs) who provide specialist health assessments and interventions for people with a learning disability who are unable to access mainstream health services.

Our teams consist of specialist learning disability clinicians from nursing, psychiatry, occupational therapy, physiotherapy, speech & language therapy and psychology as well as behaviour support practitioners. All our teams are co-located with social care.

We work with the person referred as well as their families and paid carers.

We provide services to people in the areas of complex physical health (e.g. epilepsy, eating, drinking and swallowing difficulties, posture and mobility, respiratory, constipation and bowel care) as well as people who have mental health needs and those who need support with their behaviour, communication, sensory and engagement issues.

We advise and support other services to meet the needs of people with a learning disability by making reasonable adjustment for them. In addition, our teams offer training about the best ways to support people with a learning disability and work closely with people who have a learning disability as advisors through Team Springwell.