West Lothian Council delivers

Help for adults - disabled people

 

PHYSICAL DISABILITY SERVICES:

West Lothian Council provides a range of services for adults with disabilities aimed at promoting and maximising independence. These include assessment and care management, day opportunities, respite and short breaks from caring, care at home, supported living and occupational therapy. The option of a direct payment allows individuals to arrange and self manage their own care and support. Some of these services are provided directly by the council, others are purchased from the voluntary and private sectors.

Services are provided for people with:

• Physical disability
• Sensory loss
• Head injury
• Long term conditions and chronic illness
• Aids/HiV

Other services include access to outreach groups facilitated by the Ability Centre Support Service (see our downloadable leaflet below) and equipment and adaptations via occupational therapy services.

People who are Deaf, Deafened, Hard of Hearing, Deafblind, Blind or Partially Sighted can contact the Sensory Support Service for information, advice and access to specialist workers providing assessment, technical support and equipment services.

Information about the Physical Disability Assessment Team, Ability Centre Support Services, Community Rehabilitation and Brain Injury Service and Sensory Support Service can be found below.

'Our Lives, Our Way' - Lothian Joint Physical and Complex Disability Strategy

The Lothian Joint Physical and Complex Disability Strategy outlines the needs of disabled people in Lothian and the vision for the future delivery of services and support. There is a very broad spectrum of conditions and problems which people can experience and, as a result, the services that support people have to meet and extremely diverse range of health and social care needs. Lothian Health and the four Lothian Local Authorities, including West Lothian, are working in partnership with service users, carers and relevant organisations in the private and voluntary sectors to implement the Strategy.

Strategic Service Statement - Physical Disability

The West Lothian Council Strategic Service Statement for Physical Disability aims to set out how services will be developed and delivered over the next three to ten years to meet the current and potential needs of adults experiencing physical and complex disability living in West Lothian.

The Strategic Statement has been developed within the context of national and local policy direction taking into account the key principles and values which underpin the planning, commissioning and provision of services to disabled people and has been informed by consultation with key partners, service users and carers.

The aim of service planning, development and delivery is to promote, enable and sustain independence, social inclusion and quality of life for service users and carers within a framework offering flexibility and choice. The on-going challenge is to provide services that are personalised, of high quality and which can most effectively meet the needs from within finite resources. The Strategic Statement seeks to set out how West Lothian Council proposes to meet this aim and challenge in the future.

PHYSICAL DISABILITY ASSESSMENT TEAM

The Physical Disability Assessment Team provides an Assessment and Care Management Service to adults aged between 16 and 65 years with a physical disability.

The Team can arrange care in your own home and community support based on your assessment needs. The Team can also offer you the option of arranging and managing your own care and support through Direct Payments and Self Directed Support. If you provide a regular and substantial amount of care to someone with a disability you can also request a Carer's Assessment .

We work in partnership with health colleagues in the West Lothian Community Health and Care Partnership, housing and other colleagues in West Lothian Council, service users and carers and the independent sector with a view to providing an integrated service that is service user focused.

We can be contacted through the Adults Social Work Team on 01506 282252 between 8.30am and 5.00pm, Monday to Thursday and 8.30am to 4.00pm on Fridays or by emailing socialwork@westlothian.gov.uk
You can find out more about our service by looking at our Mission Statement.

If you have any queries about the service, please contact:
Brian Dewar,
Physical Disability Team Manager,
Livingston Social Work Centre,
New Cheviot House,
Almondvale Boulevard,
Livingston,
EH54 6QN.
Email brian.dewar@westlothian.gov.uk

** Please refer to the 'Downloadable Documents' section at the bottom of the page for more information on the topics highlighted in bold italics.

THE ABILITY CENTRE

The Ability Centre is a purpose built resource located in Carmondean, Livingston. The Centre is the base for four service providers.

• Livingston Area Housing Office
• Disability West Lothian, a specialist disability information and advice service
• CRABIS - a Community Rehabilitation and Brain Injury Service
• ACSS - a Social Work Support Service for adults with a physical disability.

The building also offers a cafe bistro facility and meeting rooms available for use by the general public.

Ability Centre Support Service

The Support Service offers both a centre based and outreach service offering fifteen places each day in the centre and in one week support service staff facilitate twelve outreach groups located throughout West Lothian within local community facilities.

Mission - To provide a flexible responsive service where the need of the service user is the impetus for continuous improvement.
Vision - That the individuals supported by the service will be empowered to be as independent and included in their own community as possible.
Values - The service will value each individual enabling them to make choices and take risks and, where appropriate, advocate on their behalf.

Adults between 16 and 65 with a physical disability can be referred for a centre based placement following an assessment of their needs by representatives from the Physical Disability Assessment Team, CRABIS or other Health or Social care practitioners. Clients can self-refer to the Outreach Service. Each client has an individual programme to meet their agreed needs, which is regularly reviewed and a moving plan is agreed with each individual prior to leaving the Service.

A variety of occupational, educational and theraputic opportunities are available daily within the Ability Centre and each Outreach Group determines their own programme. Work experience opportunities are offered on the reception desk and the cafe till. Other pre-employment skill preparation and support is offered through the B4 and On2 Work employment worker who works in close collaboration with the Department of Work and Pensions to ensure that no-one is financially disadvantaged through taking up an employment opportunity.

Through the brokerage service, individuals are supported to try a range of educational, leisure or volunteering opportunities in their own local communities.

How can I find out more?  Drop into the cafe bistro for a cuppa and an informal chat between 9.30am and 3.00pm, Monday-Friday.

If you have any queries about the Ability Centre, please contact:
Marlyn Young,
Support Service Manager,
Ability Centre,
Carmondean,
Livingston,
EH54 8PT.
Tel. 01506 774066
Email marlyn.young@westlothian.gov.uk

** An Ability Centre leaflet is available in the 'Downloadable Documents' section at the bottom of this page.

WEST LOTHIAN COMMUNITY REHABILITATION AND BRAIN INJURY SERVICE (CRABIS)

CRABIS provides multi-disciplinary assessment and rehabilitation within the home or community setting to individuals over the age of 16 who live in West Lothian and who have a physical disability and/or acquired brain injury. The Service also provides follow up and early intervention as required to individuals who have had a mild head injury.

The Service's core aim is to improve the individual's independence, level of function, participation and quality of life.

CRABIS is funded by Lothian Health and West Lothian Council. The service is delivered by an experienced, multi-disciplinary team including:

• Occupational Therapists
• Physiotherapists
• Clinical Psychologists
• Speech and Language Therapists
• Rehabilitation Assistants

If you have any queries about the service, please contact:
Karen Brown (Admin Coordinator)
CRABIS,
The Ability Centre,
Carmondean,
Livingston,
EH54 6PQ.
Tel. 01506 774046
email: karen.brown2@westlothian.gov.uk

** For more information, please refer to the following downloadable documents at the bottom of this page - CRABIS Service Leaflet, CRABIS Service Standards, ABI Leaflet, Guide for Service Users with ABI and their carers.

WEST LOTHIAN SENSORY SUPPORT SERVICE

The Sensory Support Service (formerly The Sensory Resource Centre) is based in the grounds of St.John's Hospital in Livingston and provides advice, information, support and equipment for people who are Deaf, Deafened, Hard of Hearing, experiencing sight loss (either partially sighted or blind) or who are Deafblind (experiencing dual sensory loss).

The service is delivered by social work staff from both West Lothian Council and Deaf Action. The Deaf Action worker is a BSL (British Sign Language) user. The service can visit people in their own homes and assist with obtaining support based on an assessment of need. The service can also refer to specialist services for assessment and provision of equipment or mobility training.

There is a drop-in Duty Service for BSL (British Sign Language) users every Tuesday from 1.00pm to 3.00pm at the Sensory Support Centre. Please note that with effect from 2nd February 2010, these times will change to 2.00pm to 4.00pm.

If you feel you may benefit from these specialist services, or would just like more information, please contact us via the methods below.

Sensory Support Service
St.John's Hospital,
Howden,
Livingston,
EH54 6PP
Tel.(Voice and Minicom)  -  01506 774490
Text - 07867651196
Email - sensorysupport@westlothian.gov.uk

** You can access our leaflet, which tells you more about the service, and our latest information sheet from the 'Downloadable Documents' section at the bottom of this page.

• Audio link 1; Audio link 2; Audio link 3; Audio link 4; Audio link 5; Audio link 6; Audio link 7; Audio link 8

Here are some useful links to other sensory related websites:

Vision Support West Lothian, a group of local people who are blind or partially sighted and who meet regularly socially and who also campaign for local services
www.visionsupportWL.co.uk (new window)
Royal National Institute for the Blind, a national organisation
www.rnib.org.uk (new window)
Action For Blind People, a national support and campaigning group
www.actionforblindpeople.org.uk (new window)
Deafblind Scotland, for those with a dual sensory loss
www.deafblindscotland.org.uk (new window)
Royal National Institute for the Deaf
www.rnid.org.uk (new window)
Deaf Action, for support of deaf, deafened and hard of hearing people in the Lothians
www.deafaction.org (new window)
Disability West Lothian, a campaigning and information group for people with disabilities in West Lothian
www.dwl.demon.co.uk (new window)
Lawn Bowling Group, for blind and partially sighted people locally
email john.mccreight@homecall.co.uk

LEARNING DISABILITY

West Lothian provides a range of services for adults with a learning disability including day services, overnight respite, socially inclusive activities, advice and support at home and various forms of housing with support. There are adult support centres at these locations:

• 'Pathways' Adult Day Centre, Quigley House, Craigshill, Livingston
• Eliburn Adult Day Centre, Livingston
• Community Inclusion Team, Livingston

See the Downloadable Documents section at the foot of this page for leaflets about these centres.

Families and Carer's needs are also very important. Carers should receive support and they should be involved in any major changes.

Contact details:

Social Work Learning & Disability Assessment Team
New Cheviot House
Almondvale Boulevard
Livingston
EH54 6QN
Tel. 01506 282252

Learning Disability Accommodation and Respite Service

Deans House in Livingston and Burnside Respite Unit in Uphall provide residential accommodation and care for adults with learning disabilities and other associated social problems.

More detailed information on these facilities can be found in the downloadable documents section below.

Contact Details:

Deans House
Glen Road
Deans
Livingston
EH54 8DH
Tel. 01506 777978

Burnside Respite Unit
9 Muirs Court
Uphall
EH52 5JQ
Tel. 01506 853212

A quarterly Learning Disability newsletter is currently produced which outlines what is currently happening in Learning Disability services in this area. This is distributed through our services described above and the West Lothian Learning Disability Forum.

updated: 13/09/11