What is this leaflet for?
This leaflet gives easy read information for service users and carers about getting help from learning disability services.
A member of staff or a carer can support you to read this booklet. They will be able to answer any
questions that you have.
Sunderland Action For Health website
Our website provides useful information for people with learning disabilities, their carers and health professionals.
Information on the website includes easy read factsheets, leaflets and health action plans.
There are lots of reasons why you might need help from our team.
These include:
Help with communication
Help with eating, drinking and swallowing
Support to stay healthy
Help to be independent
Help with how you behave
Help with your feelings
Help with moving around
Help to check your medication is working properly
You can ask our team for help. This is called making a referral.
You can ask us for help yourself. Your staff or family can also ask us to help you.
We might then phone you and the people who support you to ask some questions.
If we think we can help you we will make a date to meet you.
If you don’t think we can help you we will tell you about other services that could help you.
What will happen when we come to meet with you:
One of our team will meet with you. We often visit people at their home.
You can have someone you know with you at the meeting.
We will do an assessment with you. This means we will ask you questions to find out about the help you need.
We will tell you about the different people in our team who can help:
Community Nurses
Work with people who have a learning disability and help promote good health. They support people to go to health appointments and help healthcare workers to make sure that you have good mental and emotional wellbeing.
Dysphagia Specialist
Dysphagia means a difficulty eating and drinking. It can mean that eating or drinking is not safe or enjoyable. Our specialists will be able to help you.
Health Promotion Team
Work with people who attend day services in Sunderland to promote good health. We can support you to your health appointment and make sure you are offered a health action plan and that you receive an annual health check at your GP.
Physiotherapy
Can help you with your posture and your movement. We can help if you lots of aches and pains.
Psychiatry
We have a consultant psychiatrist who you can see. They will make sure you take the right medication that will help you.
Speech and Language Therapy
We can help if you have difficulties with communicating and/or swallowing.
Transition Team
We support young people aged 14 to 19 years old as they move from children’s to adult services.
How to contact us
Please contact us if you feel you need support from our Learning Disability Team.
Phone our Initial Response Service:
0303 123 1145
Our services are based at:
Monkwearmouth Hospital
Newcastle Road
Sunderland
SR5 1NB
Problems, complaints or suggestions
Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust has a complaints policy.
If you want to complain we will give you a leaflet to explain how to, or you can talk to a member of staff.
If you think there are things we could do to make our service better please tell a member of the team.
Further information about the content, reference sources or production of this leaflet can be obtained from the Patient Information Centre. If you would like to tell us what you think about this leaflet please get in touch.
This information can be made available in a range of formats on request (Braille, audio, larger print, BSL or other languages). Please contact the Patient Information Centre on 0191 246 7288.
Published by the Patient Information Centre
2025 Copyright: Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust
Ref: PIC/751/0125 January 2025 V4
Website: www.cntw.nhs.uk
Telephone: 0191 246 7288
Review date 2028
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