About the Service (Learning Disability and Autism Service)

The Learning Disability and Autism Service is a countywide service, that is comprised of the East, West and The Supporting Independence and Reviewing Team (SIRT). These teams provide statutory support to working-age adults who present with care and support needs pertaining to learning disability and/or autism.

All new referrals go via the Information and Advice Service and will be progress to Connect to Community Teams. Following Connect to Community Teams intervention, if there is the appearance of eligible care and support needs cases that cannot be met within Connect to Community, cases will be passed through to the Learning Disability and Autism Team for those whose need arises from a learning disability or autism diagnosis.  

To be eligible for a service from one of the teams, a person must have a relevant diagnosis of learning disability and/or autism and meet the eligibility criteria as defined by the Care Act 2014.

The person's main or primary needs must arise from their learning disability and/or autism. This means that the majority of their support needs are directly related to that diagnosis. Where a person's primary needs are instead driven by other factors - for example physical health, frailty, or mental health - the case will not be eligible for this service and may need to be supported by a more appropriate team, even if the person also has a diagnosis of learning disability or autism.

Only cases that meet the criteria above should be considered for transfer to the Countywide Learning Disability and Autism Service. All transfers must be agreed in advance by a Manager (ATM, TM or SM) within the service.

Transfers must be planned and carried out in partnership with the person and, where appropriate, their family or carers. No case will be accepted for transfer unless there is an up-to-date Care Act assessment and a review or reassessment has taken place within the last eight months.