The Learning Disability Team

The team work with adults who have a learning disability to help facilitate their patient journey whilst accessing hospital services.

Working hours are 8.00am - 4.00pm Monday to Saturday.

The team comprises of;

Saoirse Read (Team Leader of the Learning Disabilities Team)

Saoirse joined the team in September 2013, she is Learning Disabilities trained and has many years' experience working in a managers role in a community setting. Saoirse works full time.

Lesley Smith (Learning Disabilities Liaison Nurse)

Lesley is a learning disabilities trained nurse with many years of experience working in learning disabilities services in Plymouth, latterly with the ASLU service. Lesley joined us from that service in December of 2009, she currently works with the team for two days a week.

Gemma Ruston-Ley (Learning Disabilities Liaison Nurse)

Gemma trained as a Mental Health Nurse and has been with the Plymouth North West community mental health team for the past two years as a care coordinator.  Before nurse training Gemma worked for 15 years with children and adults with a learning disability in various roles. Gemma currently works three days a week as one of our Learning Disability Liaison nurses and two days a week as a Community Duty/Crisis mental health nurse.

Judy Wild (Senior Admin - Clinical Assistant)

Hi, my name is Judy. I have worked in the UHP for 31 years in various roles, but mainly as a Medical Secretary and IT Administrator. In the past, I have worked in the Child Development Centre with children who have learning disabilities. I am a qualified BACP Person Centred Counsellor, which I feel helps me in my role as Senior Admin – Clinical Assistant within the Learning Disability Liaison team. I really adore being part of my team, as I can be person centred and enable reasonable adjustments for our patients passing through our hospital. In my experience, I feel our little help goes a long way in helping patients with a learning disability feel valued, equal and treated fairly.

Becca Douglas (Learning Disabilities Liaison Nurse)

Becca trained as a Learning Disability Nurse in Colchester many years ago. Since moving to Devon, she has worked in a variety of Community Teams and settings. She is currently seconded from the Primary Care Liaison Team in West Devon.

Jill Singh (Learning Disability Independent Advocate)

My name is Jill Singh and I am working one day a week with the Learning Disability Liaison (LDL) Team as a Learning Disability Independent Advocate.

I was a teacher for 15 years before running a self-advocacy project for adults with a learning disability called Plymouth People First for eight and a half years. I have many years’ experience of supporting people with additional needs and I’m passionate about total communication and the need for clear and accessible information.

I have been funded by the Trust’s general charity to help the Trust become more learning disabled aware, to co-ordinate the Derriford User Group (DUG, a group for people with a learning disability that meets every two months with the LDL Team and Jayne Glynn), facilitate acclimatisation visits, to plan mystery shops around the hospital and to help create easy read information in accordance with the Accessible Information Standard (2016).         

I am based in the LDL Team office on level 7 and can be flexible over which day I work with enough notice. My email is jilldlup@gmail.com so please contact me if you would like to host a focus group or open day, are keen to develop easy read materials for your patients with a learning disability, or would like to talk about your ward or department at a future Derriford User Group session.

Social Media

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DerrifordT/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/DerrifordT

Contact the Team

• By email plh-tr.learningdisabilityhospitalteam@nhs.net
• Via the Derriford Hospital Switchboard on 01752 202082 and ask for pager 81506
• On 01752 (4)31566

• Download the LD Team easy read business card
• Download the LD Team business card
• Download the LD information poster