Rachel Davenport - East Lincolnshire Learning Disability Hub

Every day for me is so different and this is what I love about my job.

I would say it is so important that therapists working with adults with learning disabilities have a sense of humour. Oh, and to always have a plan B, C, or D. Having a robust well thought out plan is great and best practice but you need to be able to adapt it as quick as you make it!

But this is what makes our work as an multi-disciplinary team (MDT) just so amazing, it is very much lead by the service user placing them at the heart of all what we do.

I work with many incredible professions within my team – including physiotherapy, occupational therapy, psychology, psychiatry, physical health nurses, mental health liaison, admin and therapy support.

We also liaise with external professions such as adult social care, community crisis and mental health teams. We all allocate time once a week for MDT meetings to meet and focus on how we can best support each other and our service users, from our action plans we may then assess, formulate, write specific care plans including PBS, provide therapy and advice, or sign post if we felt we were not the right team for them.

Every day I continue to feel proud to be part of such a compassionate team. This is not just a job for us; it is way more than that. We are all readily available for a listening ear and to provide our clinical expertise. No one stands alone in our team and so it is so rewarding to be able to work within such a supportive amazing MDT when prioritising our cases.

In the wise words of Winnie the Pooh “Sometimes the smallest things take the most room in your heart.” My job provides me with so much purpose and I do not know what I would do without my team! Everybody please treasure theirs!