Overview of Service
Welcome to the Southern Trust’s Adult Learning Disability service which offers a range of health and social care services available Trustwide.
We assist adults with a learning disability to have control over their own lives and the support they receive, enabling them to live healthy, active lives to maximise their potential.
Learning disability services are provided by Multi-Disciplinary Teams. These are groups of professionals who work together to provide services to people with learning disabilities and their carers in a coordinated, integrated way.
The team includes:
- Social workers
- Nurses
- Psychologists
- Psychiatrists
- Speech and Language Therapists
- Occupational Therapists
- Physiotherapists
- Allied Health Professionals
- Podiatrists
To be eligible for the service individuals must:
- Be aged 18 years or over
- Provide evidence of a formal diagnosis of Learning Disability e.g. Psychometric Assessment
- Be a resident within the Southern Trust area
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Organisational Chart - a bit about our team
Jan McGall, Director of Mental Health and Disability
Jan holds a Bachelor of Science (Hons) Degree in Occupational Therapy and a Master’s Degree in Public Administration. Jan was appointed Director of Mental Health & Disability Services in March 2022, having joined the Trust in 2020 as Assistant Director of Mental Health Services.
Jan is an Occupational Therapist by profession and worked for over 15 years in a variety of clinical and managerial roles in the Belfast Trust.
Roisin O’Hare, Assistant Director of Disability Services
Roisin O’Hare is the Interim Assistant Director for Disability and has been in post since May 2022. Roisin joined the Southern Trust in June 2020 having previously worked in the South Eastern Trust, Hertfordshire County Council and Brent Council. Roisin is a Social Worker by profession and holds a Masters / Diploma in Social Work graduating from Queen’s University Belfast in 1997
Tracy Rogers, Head of Community Services
Tracy Rogers is the current Head of Community Services within the Disability Division.
Tracy has been in post since November 2019, where she was previously in a Clinical Occupational Therapy Lead role in the Disability Division since August 2017. She is qualified as an Occupational Therapist in 1997 and has enjoyed working experience in Dublin, US, Belfast Trust and since 2008, the SHSCT.
Tracy currently has responsibility for operationally managing a number of Physical and Learning Disability Community Teams across the Southern Trust area where we provide services to Adults with a Disability.
Maureen Roberts, Consultant Nurse, Learning Disability
Maureen commenced in a new role of Consultant Nurse in Learning Disability in February 2022 on a temporary basis before taking up the permanent position in May 2022. The role of consultant nurse in Learning Disability which evolved from Phase 9 of the Delivering Care Policy Framework for Nursing and Midwifery Planning in NI, is to provide strategic and clinical nursing leadership in the practice, education and research expertise within in learning disability services in SHSCT across in-patient and community services.
Bronagh McKeown, Head of Day Services
Bronagh McKeown is currently Head of Disability Day care Services in the Southern Health & Social Care Trust.
Bronagh’s responsibilities include operational management of 14 statutory Day care centres for Adults with Physical, Sensory and Learning Disabilities and commissioning of contracted Day care places in the independent and voluntary sector.
Bronagh is a professionally qualified Social Worker and holds: BSc Honours degree in Psychology, Certificate and qualification in Social Work, Master’s Degree in Social Work, Post Graduate Certificate and Diploma in Health & Social Services management, Masters Degree in Public Administration, Advanced Award in Social Work, Accredited ICF coaching qualification.
Abigail Gourley, Head of Supported Living
Abigail took up her post as Head of Supported Living in July 2023. She has operational management of 8 statutory supported living services for adults with learning disabilities, and is the contract owner for a number of independent sector supported living services. Abigail is a social worker by profession and has extensive experience in supported living in both the independent and statutory sector. Prior to taking up post, Abigail was a registered manager for supported living within the South Eastern and Southern Trusts. Abigail holds BSc Social work and has completed post qualifying requirements in social work research and health and social care leadership .
- Useful Links
- Advocacy services & contacts
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Research
The Southern Health and Social Care Trust has teamed up with Ulster University to consider how they can support family carers of adults with a learning disability.
There are over 1800 unpaid carers of adults with a learning disability living in the Southern Trust.
The Trust commissioned Ulster University to undertake a research project to explore the needs of family carers. This included focus groups and a survey with family carers and co-production workshops with carers and other statutory and voluntary partners to inform the development of a community model.
Read more in the link below
Supporting family carers – planning for the future | Southern Health & Social Care Trust (hscni.net)
Direct link to UU research here https://southerntrust.hscni.net/download/441/adult-learning-disability/19184/shsct_uuj-final-report_oct-2023.pdf