Wellbeing and advocacy

Mental Health Crisis Helpline
Telephone: 0800 129 9999

Talking Therapies (over 17) friendly service for people with low mood, anxiety or stress.
Telephone: 03003 652 000

Advocacy Services (under 55)
Tel: 03304 409 000

The Learning Disability Partnership Board is a group of adults with a learning disability, family members/Carers and service providers. The aim of the LDPB is to improve the lives of people with learning disabilities.

Working together as equal partners to make sure adults with a learning disability, their families and Carers have their views heard. The group makes sure people with learning disabilities know and understand their rights. It also keeps people up to date with local issues affecting people with learning disabilities, their families, and carers.

The Board helps services to make decisions on the best ways to support people with a learning disability.

Who can join the LDPB?

The LDPB is free and open to anyone interested in improving services and making sure adults with a learning disability have their views heard in RBWM.

The group meet six times a year online. To join please email the LDPB Officer at caroline.waites@theadvocacypeople.org.uk. Caroline will keep you updated on plans for meetings, zoom links for you to join the meetings as well as information discussed at the meetings. If you have a learning disability you can join the meeting at 1.30pm to set up and go through the meeting plan.

Age UK Berkshire (over 55) provides health and wellbeing support services for older people across Berkshire. 
Telephone: 01189 594 242

Our Deprivation of Liberty Safeguarding Team ensure safeguards are in place to ensure people in care homes and hospitals are looked after in a way that does not inappropriately restrict their freedom.

A social prescriber can help you with a wide range of social, emotional or practical needs, focused on improving your mental and physical wellbeing.

They can provide advice and connect you with groups in your community. Examples include volunteering, arts activities, group learning, gardening, befriending, cookery, healthy eating advice and a range of sports.

If you think you might find this advice useful please speak to your GP surgery.
 

Are you caring for a family member or friend?

If you provide necessary unpaid care or support to an adult family member, friend or partner, you may be eligible for support.

We can discuss completing a Carers Assessment of Need with you and talk about the support available to Carers living in the borough.

Alongside this you can apply online for a Carers Allowance, to receive money to help you look after someone who needs to be cared for.

Do you live in RBWM and care for an adult with a learning disability?

At the Learning Disability Partnership Board host an online Parent/ Carer Support Group.

The group provides friendship, knowledge, and support in a safe space where Carers set the agenda and are free to talk openly about their experiences.

Other Carers have said: “The group is a great way of engaging with other parent/carers with the same issues/ dilemmas.”

“The group has also provided great support and service by inviting different professionals to give more insight into the ways things work and how social care is affected by reduced amount of government funding."

If you or someone you know would like to join us, please contact, Caroline Waites from The Advocacy People at: Caroline.waites@theadvocacypeople.org.uk.

The group meet online once a month, on a Wednesday 12.30pm and 1.30pm.

The team provide advice and help to people living with dementia and their family or Carers.

Contact the team on 01628 683 715 or email DementiaCareAdvisors@rbwm.gov.uk

Free Dementia Support Groups

Join one of our free monthly sessions to meet others in a similar situation and share experiences. Our team will be available to offer practical information, advice and guidance.

Find out about our groups and the support we can provide on our Dementia Care Advisors page. 

Support is available for people living in the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead, who have:

• Sight loss
• Hearing loss, including people who are Deaf
• Dual sensory impairment.

If you think you need support you can contact us and we will run through some questions with you to look at how your sensory loss is impacting your day to day life. 

If you agree, we will be able to complete a specialist assessment that is related to helping you:

• Be as independent as possible
• Access rehabilitation programmes that help with daily living tasks
• If eligible, provide pieces of equipment that can help with daily living
• Support for family carers.

Other types of support or a direct payment so you can organise the support to fit your individual personal needs.

Registration

Registering your sensory impairment with the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead can make it easier to access a lot of the support and guidance which is available. It can help with benefits and other concessions, including:

• travel
• parking
• help with paying your TV licence.

Registration as deaf or hard of hearing

Registration is voluntary, and your details will be kept confidential. If you are concerned about your hearing please contact your GP who may refer you onto an audiology clinic. In audiology you will have a hearing test and they will issue you with an Audiogram. This would be your evidence for registration.

There are three separate registers:

• Hard of hearing
• Deaf with speech
• Deaf without speech

Benefits and concessions available are:

• Discounts on public transport such as a disabled person’s rail card.
• VAT exemption evidence on some equipment purchases.
• Concessions or free entry at some cinemas, theatres, museums and day out activities such as some castles or theme parks.

Registering your sight impairment

Some levels of sight loss qualify you to be registered as Sight Impaired (blind) or Severely Sight Impaired (partially sighted).

An eye consultant (ophthalmologist) will first need to confirm you are certified as sight impaired, or severely sight impaired and provide you with a Certificate of Visual Impairment known as a CVI.

Your GP can put you in contact with a consultant if you haven’t already seen one and you will also receive a copy of your CVI. You can then contact Optalis who can let you know about services available to you and discuss registering your sight impairment.

Registering means that you may be able to access to a number of benefits such as:

• Free advice on dealing with sight loss.
• Free sight tests.
• Blue badge.
• Discounts on your TV licence.
• Some disability benefits / tax allowance benefit.
• Discounts on public transport such as a Disabled Person’s Railcard.
• Free or discounted corrective lenses (if these are suitable for you).

Registering your dual sensory impairment (combined sight and hearing loss)

The definition of deafblindness as adopted by Optalis is: ‘Deafblindness is a combination of sight and hearing loss that affects a person’s ability to communicate, access all kinds of information, and get around.’

There are currently no direct benefits or concessions linked to the deafblind register. The register is optional, and eligibility needs to be confirmed by an appropriately trained professional or organisation.

To register your sensory impairment contact: adultsocialcarefrontdoor@rbwm.gov.uk

Further support and advice is also available from:

• Berkshire Vision 
• RNIB