Learning Disability Team

Image of the Learning Disability Liaison 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.

Kate Bamforth (Learning Disabilities Liaison Nurse)

Kate is a general & learning disabilities trained nurse who, having worked in both areas, then spent a number of years in Practice Nursing (with GPs), She returned to a learning disabilities role when appointed to this post in December 2009 and works full time

Lesley Smith (Learning Disabilities Liaison Team)

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.

Fiona Dilorenzo (Senior Healthcare Assistant)

Fiona is NVQ level 3 in health and social care. She has 15 years experience in working with people with a learning disability and three years working in a hospital theatre setting. Fiona’s main remit is to enable service users to access outpatients appointments, by offering support prior to the appointment, during the appointment and any follow ups that may be needed.

 

Michael Madge

Michael Madge (Administration Officer)

Michael joined our team in March 2016 and is our administrator. Michael is the first point of call for the rest of the Learning Disability Team, whether this is by email or telephone. Michael has a degree in media and therefore creates easy read information and manages our website for patients, carers and working colleagues.

 

Jill Singh

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.

 

Contact the Team

 

 

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