Useful Links
The Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner for Gloucestershire fully supports the Keep Safe Gloucestershire scheme.
To find out more about the PCC, please click the link below:
The Police and Crime Commissioner for Gloucestershire website
Tell Me More About... Learning Disabilities
A learning disability is usually the result of a life-long condition that starts before adulthood. Learning disabilities can occur as a result of genetic or developmental factors, or damage to the brain, often at birth. They affect a person’s level of intellectual functioning, usually permanently, and may also affect their physical development. Some other terms that may be used include developmental disability, learning differences or learning difficulty.
Learning disabilities tend to be fairly fixed, and often cannot be treated or controlled with medication or other therapies. However, much can be done to help people with learning disabilities to make use of their abilities and to achieve the best possible quality of life.
Learning disabilities are often confused with mental health problems: having a learning disability is not the same as having a mental health issue such as depression or psychosis. Anyone can be affected by mental health problems at any time in their life and in many cases these can be overcome with treatment. Many people with a diagnosis of having an autistic spectrum disorder or cerebral palsy may also have a learning disability although this is not necessarily the case.
National organisations supporting people with learning disabilities:
- Mencap works with people with learning disabilities, their families and carers.
Tel: 0207 454 0454 / Email: information@mencap.co.uk / Website: www.mencap.org.uk - National Autistic Society champions the rights and interests of all people with autism and to ensure that they and their families receive quality services.
Tel: 0207 833 2299 / Email: nas@nas.org.uk / Website: www.autism.org.uk - British Institute of Learning Disabilities (BILD) helps improve the quality of life of all people with a learning disability.
Tel: 0156 272 3010 / Email: enquiries@bild.org.uk / Website: www.bild.org.uk - Down's Syndrome Association focuses solely on all aspects of living successfully with Down’s Syndrome
Tel: 0845 230 0372 / Email : info@downs-syndrome.org.uk / Website: www.downs-syndrome.org.uk - SCOPE provide support, information and advice to more than a quarter of a million disabled people and their families every year.
Tel: 0808 8003333 / Email: helpline@scope.org.uk / Website: www.scope.org.uk
Local support:
- All the organisations above provide local services. Contact the national numbers for details.
- Learning Disability Intensive Support Service (LDISS)
Tel: 01453 563071 / Email: ldiss.team@glos.nhs.uk - Adult Social Care Help Desk
Tel: 01452 426868 / Email: socialcare.enq@gloucestershire.gov.uk - Gloucestershire County Council offers free e-learning packages on some aspects of disability and autism. Please email trainingenquiries@gloucestershire.gov.uk for a copy of the e-learning brochure and details of how to access to the courses via username and password.
- Carers Gloucestershire - provides help and support for unpaid carers.
Tel: 0300 111 9000 / Website: www.carersgloucestershire.org.uk - Young at Heart Memory Clubs - social support clubs for people who are concerned about their memory, who may or may not have been diagnosed with a dementia, and for their Carers, be they family members or friends.
Tel: 07971 929258 / Website: www.keepsafekeepactive.org
Tell Me More About... Memory Problems and Dementia
Dementia is a syndrome that describes a set of symptoms that may include memory loss, difficulties with thinking, problem solving and language. Mood and behaviour can also be affected. Dementia is caused by diseases of the brain such as Alzheimer's disease or a series of strokes. The specific symptoms that someone with dementia experiences depend on the parts of the brain that are affected and the disease that is causing the dementia.
In addition to cognitive problems, someone with dementia may have problems with day to day memory, Concentrating, planning, or organising. They may find it hard to follow a conversation or find the right word. They may also have problems judging distances and seeing objects in three dimensions. They can also lose track of the day, date or time or become confused about where they are.
1 in 14 people over the age of 65 has dementia but it is not a natural part of ageing. Of the 850,000 people in the UK with dementia, 40,000 are under 65. Dementia affects men and women. Although dementia cannot be cured, there are drugs that can help to improve the symptoms or even prevent them progressing for a while. Other forms of support and practical help can enable a person to continue to live well with the condition. Care and support needs to be “person centred”, valuing the person as a unique individual.
National organisations supporting people with dementia:
- The Alzheimer's Society provides a wide range of information, help and advice via their website, leaflets and national dementia helpline.
Tel: 0300 222 1122 / Email: enquiries@alzheimers.org.uk / Website: www.alzheimers.org.uk - Dementia UK provides help, advice and emotional support via their Admiral Nurse DIRECT helpline and service
Tel: 0845 257 9406 / Website: www.dementiauk.org - Dementia Web – provides information and advice, including local services, via their website and 24 hour helpline.
Tel: 0845 120 4048 / Email: info@demantiaweb.org.uk / Website: www.dementiaweb.org.uk
Local support:
- The organisations above provide a range of local services e.g. Memory Cafés, dementia advisor service. Contact the national numbers for details or for the local Alzheimer’s Society contact.
Tel: 01452 525 222 / Email: gloucestershire@alzheimers.org.uk / Website: www.alzheimers.org.uk - Managing Memory 2gether – support for people worried about their memory, people with dementia and their carers.
Tel: 0800 6948800 / Website: www.2gether.nhs.uk/managing-memory-2gether - Young at Heart Memory Clubs – free and friendly social clubs in Gloucestershire for people with memory difficulties
Tel: 07971 929258 / Email: enquiries@memoryclubs.co.uk - Healthwatch Gloucestershire – the county’s independent health and social care champion. We exist to ensure that people are at the heart of care. People can speak to us to find information about health and social care services available locally.
Tel: 0800 652 519 / info@healthwatchgloucestershire.co.uk / Website: www.healthwatchgloucestershire.co.uk
Tell Me More About... Physical Disability
People with a physical disability have a physical impairment which has a substantial effect on their ability to carry out day to day activities, typically limiting their physical functioning, mobility, dexterity or stamina.
A physical disability can be temporary, short–term or long term. A person may be born with a physical disability or acquire it later in life through accident, injury, illness or side effects of medical treatment.
National organisation supporting people with physical disabilities:
- Disabled Living Foundation
Tel: 020 7289 6111 or help line 0300 999 0004 / Email: helpline@dlf.org.uk