Cheshire Learning Disabilities Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (LD CAMHS) works with young people up to the age of 18 who have a diagnosis of a severe or profound learning disability and behavioural difficulties. Our aim is to try and understand the reasons for the child/young person’s behaviours and then develop strategies and ideas to help. We work closely together with parents/carers and other professionals.
We are the Learning Disability Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (LD CAMHS).
We help children and young people aged 0 to 18 years old.
They must have a Severe or Profound Learning Disability and behavioural difficulties.
These behaviours might mean the child is trying to tell us something. For example, they might:
- Want attention
- Want something or want to avoid something
- Feel unwell, sad, or scared
We work with families to understand these behaviours and help with them.
We also help younger children (from birth to school age) who have global developmental delay, behaviour problems, or sleep problems. This is only in these areas: Ellesmere Port, Chester, Macclesfield, Poynton, Wilmslow, Knutsford and Sandbach.
Who is the service for?
We help young people who:
- Have a Severe Learning Disability
- Had this diagnosed when they were born or as a small child
These young people may:
- Have little or no speech
- Find it hard to learn new things
- Need help to eat, dress, wash, or stay safe
- Struggle with social skills
- Need help all their life
They will usually have an Education Health and Care Plan (EHCP) that says they need a lot of help with learning.
They also need an adult with them at all times when out in the community.
How to access the service
We accept referrals (requests for help) from:
- Parents and carers
- Professionals like teachers, social workers, or doctors
You can contact us:
- By phone
- By email
- By post
You will need to fill in a referral form. We will also ask for:
- A copy of the EHCP
- A letter from a children’s doctor (paediatrician)
- Any other helpful reports
What will happen at your first appointment
We will contact you to book the first appointment. It can be:
- At a clinic
- Online (video call)
You will be sent:
- A letter (if in clinic) with directions
- A consent form
- A short form to tell us more about your child
The appointment will be with 1 or 2 nurses and will last about 1 hour.
You do not need to bring your child to the first appointment.
We will:
- Ask questions about your child
- Talk about the difficulties
- Think together about what support you need
- Maybe suggest other services
At the end, we will tell you the next steps.
Who is the service for?
The team accept referrals for young people who have a diagnosis of a severe learning disability and behavioural difficulties.
A young person who has a severe learning disability (diagnosed at birth or in early childhood) will:
- Have little or no speech
- Find it very difficult to learn new skills
- Need support with daily activities such as dressing, washing, eating and keeping safe
- Have difficulties with social skills
- Need life-long support
The young person will have an Education Health Care Plan (EHCP) that states they have significant needs in the cognition and learning section of the plan. Young people with severe learning disabilities will require at least one-to-one adult supervision in the community at all times.
Behavioural difficulties are a form of communication and may indicate that there is an unmet need. Behaviours are communicative and can occur to obtain attention, obtain something / access to an activity or to get out of an activity or avoid something. Children with communication and language problems are more likely to use inappropriate behaviours to get their message across. Other factors that may contribute towards behavioural difficulties include a physical health problem, a mental health difficulty or a traumatic experience in their life.
The team also provides support to young people from birth to entry into school who have a diagnosis of global developmental delay who display behavioural difficulties and or sleep problems. This is currently offered in Ellesmere Port, Chester, Macclesfield, Poynton, Wilmslow, Knutsford and Sandbach only.
How to access the service?
The LD CAMHS team accepts referrals from parents and any other professionals involved with the young person.
The team accept referrals via phone, email and post, a referral form will need to be completed, please view our referral form or alternatively you can call the team.
The team will also request latest copies of the young person’s Education Health Care Plan, an up-to-date paediatric letter and any recent reports that may help the team to confirm eligibility for the service.
What will happen at your first appointment?
The team will contact you to arrange the first appointment, this can be at a clinic base or online.
For clinic appointments you will be sent a confirmation letter with directions of where to go and for all appointments you will be sent a consent form, and a brief initial assessment form to complete and return to us.
The appointment will be with one or two of the nurses from the team and will last approximately an hour, you do not need to bring your child/young person to the appointment.
At the appointment we will ask you more details about your child and their health, we will ask about the presenting difficulties and think together with you about the best type of support for these difficulties, this may involve signposting you to other services.
At the end of the meeting we will let you know what the next steps will be.
Where are we based?
Cheshire West and Chester
Kingsley Resource Centre
Kingsley Resource Centre
Coronation Road Workplace Hub
Coronation Road
Ellesmere Port
CH65 9AA
Tel: 0151 488 8041
Email: cwp.
Reception
There will be staff in the office when you arrive who will help you.
Parking
There is no parking at this building. The nearest Car Parks are:
- Whitby Park CH65 9AF (free)
- Civic Way Car Park CH65 0BE (there is a cost for this car park)
- There is one disabled parking bay outside of the Kingsley Resource Centre building
Cheshire East
Elm House
Elm House
The Priory Unit
Lea Bank Road
Off Chester Road
Macclesfield
SK11 8QA
Tel: 01625 712043
Email: cwp.
Reception at Elm House
There will be staff in the office when you arrive who will help you.
Parking at Elm House
We have a car park in front of the building.
Central Cheshire
Mill Street Centre
Mill Street Centre
Mill Street
Crewe
CW2 7AR
Tel: 01270 848030
Email: cwp.
Reception at Mill Street Centre
There will be staff in the office when you arrive who will help you.
Parking at Mill Street Centre
We have a car park in front of the building.
Lyndsey - Team Co-Ordinator and Community Nurse
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- I love spending time with my family.
- I love listening and dancing to music.
- I enjoy attending zumba and clubbercise classes.
Susan - Community Nurse
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- I like spending time in my garden.
- I love spending days out with my family.
- I am enjoying learning to play the piano.
Jude - Community Nurse
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- I enjoy reading.
- I like to spend time outdoors.
Sarah - Community Nurse
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- I enjoy listening to podcasts.
Grace - Community Nurse
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- I love baking.
- I like adventures with my family.
Victoria - Community Nurse
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- I love spending time with my family.
- I enjoy spending time with my Siamese cats.
- I like sight-seeing.
Danielle - Nurse Apprentice
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- I love going on holidays.
- I like to go to classic car shows with my family.
- I love a good cup of tea.
Nicky - ​​​Advanced Support Worker
Rebecca - Consultant Clinical Psychologist
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- I do not like being cold.
- I have a fun dog. I like running with her, but she is faster than me!
Steve - Assistant Psychologist
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- I love music and I'm learning how to play electric guitar.
- I like to visit Chester Zoo. My favourite animals are the Tigers.
Sarah - Assistant Psychologist
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- I enjoy being outdoors and running.
- I love animals and I have a cat called Max.
- I relax by listening to music and I love seeing live bands!
Louise - Student Nurse Associate
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- I enjoy going on holidays to new places.
- I love going out for meals.
Carol - Team Administrator
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- I enjoy spending time with my dog, Freddie.
- I like boxing.
Becky - Team Administrator
Debbie - Medical Secretary/Team Administrator
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- I’m a massive Gary Barlow & Take That fan.
- I love going on holiday to the sun.
- I love spending time with my family & friends.
Jill - Consultant Psychiatrist
Abbi - Occupational Therapist
Three things about me:
- I have a cat called Ralph.
- I like pasta.
- I enjoy going on holiday.
Jenni - Team Co-Ordinator and Community Nurse
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- I practice yoga and mindfulness.
- I love walking in the countryside.
Samantha (Sam) - Team Co-Ordinator, Community Nurse and Non-Medical Prescriber
Three things about me:
- I have 2 dogs who love adventures.
- During my annual leave I enjoy going camping.
- I have recently done a Post Graduate Certificate in Neurodevelopmental Conditions.
Jane - Medical Secretary/Team Administrator
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- I love gardening.
- I enjoy visiting new places.
Kelly - Medical Secretary/Team Administrator
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- I enjoy reading Detective novels – I can get through about 2 books per week!!
- I love baking, in particular making chocolate brownies.
Jemma - Community Nurse
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- I love going beach walks
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Michelle - Community Nurse
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- I regularly go to the mountains in Wales.
- My favourite food is pizza.
Tammi - Assistant Practitioner
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- My favourite place is by the sea listening to the waves.
- I love being in my garden surrounded by flowers.
Jill - Consultant Psychiatrist
Rebecca - Consultant Clinical Psychologist
Three things about me
- I love music and singing.
- I do not like being cold.
- I have a fun dog. I like running with her, but she is faster than me!
Steve - Assistant Psychologist
Three things about me
- I enjoy watching football and my favourite team is Manchester United.
- I love music and I'm learning how to play electric guitar.
- I like to visit Chester Zoo. My favourite animals are the Tigers.
Abi - Occupational Therapist
Three things about me
- I have a cat called Ralph.
- I like pasta.
- I enjoy going on holiday.
Julie - Assistant Practitioner
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- I am an identical twin
- Love going out in our campervan
- Enjoy the outdoors