Learning Disabilities

National Helplines and Websites

British Institute of Learning Disabilities (BILD): Work to improve the lives of people in the UK with a learning disability. Publish books and journals and are involved with policy and research.
Email: enquiries@bild.org.uk
Website: BILD

CHANGE: Campaign for equal rights for all people with a learning disability. Booklets, CD-Roms and Training packs are available to buy from the website. For example, booklets on planning a baby, depression are available for people with a learning disability.
Website: CHANGE

Communication for Health: This website is for staff and carers who are looking for accessible information for people with learning disabilities.
Website: Communication for Health

Disability Rights Commission
Tel: 08457 622 633 
Website: Disability Rights Commission

Down's Syndrome Scotland: Down's Syndrome Scotland aims to improve the quality of life for everyone in Scotland with Down's syndrome. Offer information and help as well as information (e.g. life events, health) for parents, carers and family and for people with a learning disability which is free to download
Tel: 0131 442 8840
Website: Down's Syndrome Scotland

Easyhealth: Health Information that is easy to understand by Mencap.
Website: Easyhealth

ENABLE Scotland: Campaigns for a better life for children and adults with a learning disability and supports them and their families to participate, work and live in their local communities. Offer free downloadable information on a variety of topics for parents and carers as well as individuals with a learning disability.
Tel: 0300 0200 101
Email: enabledirect@enable.org.uk
Website: Enable Scotland

Foundation for People with Learning Disabilities: Work to promote the rights, quality of life and opportunities of people with learning disabilities and their families. A variety of information is available on-line and is free to download.
Website: Foundation for People with Learning Disabilities

Mencap: The Mencap Learning Disability Helpline is a national service and provides advice, information and support to people with a learning disability, their carers, friends and family. Information booklets are available on-line and are free to download.
Helpline:  0808 808 1111 (Mon-Fri 8am-6pm)
Email: helpline@mencap.org.uk
Website:  Mencap

Mind: Mental health charity in England and Wales. Helpline available (at price of local call). Provide a wide range of fact sheets.
Helpline: 0300 123 3393
Website: Mind

Royal College of Psychiatrists: The Royal College of Psychiatrists has produced a helpful series of ‘Books beyond words’, which use pictures to help people understand certain life events which can be particularly distressing such as bereavement and times of transition. Supporting text and guidelines are given at the back of each book.
Website: Royal College of Psychiatrists

Scottish Association on Mental Health (SAMH): Work to support people with mental health problems. They provide information on a number of mental health problems which are free to download from their website.
Website: SAMH

Scottish Consortium for Learning Disability (SCLD): An organisation set up to help people make the changes set out in ‘The same as you?’ The website is for people with learning disabilities, family carers and anyone interested in making things better for people with learning disabilities. Offer library books on learning disability available to anyone in Scotland and posted to home / work address.
Email: administrator@scld.co.uk
Website: SCLD

 

Groups and Services in Fife

ABE Classes: The Adult Basic Education (ABE) service in Fife provides free tuition for adults who want to improve their basic skills in reading, writing, spelling, numbers or basic IT/computer skills. They run small groups and short courses at venues all over Fife. Everyone has their own learning plan and works at their own level and pace in a friendly and informal setting.
Website: ABE

Broad Street Respite Unit: Offers a flexible and responsive respite service to adults with disabilities, Fife-wide. For people with mental ill-health, learning disabilities, and physical disabilities, working closely with clients, families and carers to provide a caring service as near as possible to that at home. Open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 52 weeks of the year Referrals can be made by individuals direct to the Unit, or can be made via Social Workers.
Website: Broad Street Respite Unit 

Day Services: In West Fife the council-run day services are provided by West Fife Community Support Service who offer community-integrated activities for people with a learning disability. There are nine day centres in Fife (in Cowdenbeath, Cupar, Dunfermline, Glenrothes, Kirkcaldy, Leven and St Andrews) which provide a range of services for adults with physical or learning disabilities. These are run by Fife Council and offer services to over 600 people. These include working with people so they can: take part in a wide range of local activities; find jobs, training and learning opportunities; and take part in social and leisure activities.
Tel: Fife Council: 01383 441177 (9am - 5pm)

Website: Day Services Fife

Disability Sport Fife: Disability Sport Fife (DSF) is a Branch of Scottish Disability Sport and is a registered Scottish charity (Charity No SC020994).  DSF offers a weekly programme of sports specific and multi-sports sessions for children, young people and adults with a physical, sensory or learning disability.  DSF provides an annual programme of events and is committed to increasing levels of participation, developing athlete potential and encouraging volunteers into coaching.  The DSF website provides information on how to register for sessions (www.fifeleisure.org.uk – find us in the Health and Wellbeing section).
Tel: 03451 555555
Email: Norma Buchanan (DSF Administrator) on norma.buchanan@fife.gov.uk
Website: Disability Sport Fife

Dunfermline Advocacy Initiative: Support and promote the rights of adults with learning disabilities in West Fife through Citizen Advocacy. Ensures that people with learning disabilities have support to make decisions about things that affect their lives and that they have access to the same rights and privileges as the rest of the community. Open referral policy.
Tel: 01383 624382
E-mail: enquiries@dunfermlineadvocacy.org
Website: Dunfermline Advocacy Initiative

Equal Voice in Central Fife:  Equal Voice are a registered charity who match people with learning disabilities with a citizen advocate - a local person who gives freely of their time in order that the person being advocated for has an opportunity to participate more in their community particularly in relation to decision making.
Tel: 01592 653754
Website: Equal Voice

Fife Community Learning Disability Team: Provide high quality health care services for people with a learning disability that enables and supports the individual to participate in the activities of everyday life. Referrals from individuals or through professionals.
Contact details for single point of access referrals:
Email: Fife-uhb.LDReferrals@nhs.net
Tel: 01383 565230
Website: Fife Community Learning Disability Team

Fife EmployAbility Team (FEAT): Fife Employ Ability Team, part of Fife Council's Social Work Service, provides practical support and guidance to individuals and organisations on disability issues in relation to employment. Fife EmployAbility Team are committed to enabling people affected by disability to achieve their employment goals. The Team will place an emphasis on helping people to progress into open, mainstream employment.
Email: feat@journeytowork.co.uk
Tel: 01592 759371
Website: FEAT

Helping Hands Leisure Club: Mainly offer leisure & recreation activities for people with learning disabilities.
Email: susanwfhhclub@btinternet.com
Tel: 01383 736693

Momentum Scotland: Assisting disabled people access employment that fits their goals, skills and interests. Providing support to both potential employees and employers as they connect people to skills then to jobs. Programs are flexible. Fife service is situated in Dysart but is available to people throughout the whole of Fife.
Tel: 01592 654618
Website: Momentum

People First Fife:  People First is an organisation run by and for people with learning difficulties to raise awareness of and campaign for the rights of people with learning difficulties and to support self advocacy groups across the country. They use the term ‘learning difficulties’ to refer to clients who are usually referred to as having ‘learning disabilities’.
Tel: 01383 624885

Respite Fife: Respite Fife provides a service for adults with mild to moderate learning difficulties, living in the community. They offer short respite breaks either through the week or at weekends.
Tel: 01592 269399
Email: respitefife@blueyonder.co.uk
Website: Respite Fife

Riding for the Disabled Association: Riding for the Disabled Association (RDA) is a UK charity that was first registered in 1969. Today RDA is run by some 15,000 volunteers in over 600 Member Groups who provide riding and carriage driving to some 24,000 adults and young people with a wide range of disabilities. There are a number of local groups:
Tel: 01383 882700
Website: Riding for the Disabled Association

The Richmond Fellowship Scotland: The Richmond Fellowship Scotland is the leading provider in Scotland of community care services.  Staff work with people who are at risk of being excluded from society, people who may have a variety of support needs including mental health difficulties, learning disabilities, alcohol-related problems or autism. They also support people with physical disabilities and run services for both young and old.
Website:   Richmond Fellowship Scotland
Tel: 01592 774967
Email: sstuart@trfs.org.uk

The Ecology Centre: The Naturally Making a Difference garden project offers work experience to people aged 16 - 65yrs with a disability. This includes physical disabilities, mental health issues or learning disability. Work placements are offered for one day per week for one year. Activities include garden tasks such as sowing seeds, transplanting, lawn mowing and pruning as well as the opportunity to learn about conservation. Self-referral / other agencies referrals accepted.
Tel: 01592 891 567
Email:  admin@theecologycentre.org
Website: The Ecology Centre