How to refer someone to the Learning Disability Helpline

A group of people with different disabilities and ages

The Learning Disability Helpline is for people with a Learning Disability, their families, and carers.

It is there so you can get advice.

Find out how to contact the Learning Disability Helpline and what advice they provide on our Easy Read page.

A man is making an urgent phone call to a helpline advisor. The man is telling the advisor about a person who he is worried about.

If you think someone with a learning disability needs help from the Learning Disability Helpline:

Decide if the person is at risk of being abused or harmed.

If you think they are in danger and you don’t know what to do, call the Helpline on 0808 808 1111.

Find out what to do if the Helpline is closed on our Crisis page.

A man with his hand raised in the air to ask a question.

If the person is not at risk of being harmed or abused, ask them if they want to phone the Helpline.

A woman on the phone calling her doctor who is in a blue circle behind her

If the person wants to contact the Learning Disability Helpline themselves, they can do this by phoning 0808 808 1111

A man with his hand raised asking a question about consent

If the person does not want to contact the Helpline themselves, ask them if they will let you to contact them instead.

If the person agrees for you to contact the Helpline for them there are some things you need to do first.

You need to let the person know about:

the things the Helpline might ask you about them
how the Helpline will record or share the information you give them.

This is explained in the Helpline Privacy Notice.

If the person is happy for you to contact the Learning Disability Helpline about them:

Email helpline@mencap.org.uk with the following information:

A woman with a clip board and a man with a guide dog talking to her about his needs

In the subject line write down what the person needs.

Then put the word 'Referral' in the subject line after the persons needs.

For example:

If they person needs help with benefits write: 'Help with benefits. Referral'

Two people stand together. The person on the right has their arm round the other person's shoulders.

In the email explain:

what help the person needs

the name of the person who needs the help

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when they need the help by

A man holding up a sign saying 'Name'. A house on a street next to a self addressed envelope. An email with the email address circled in blue

Your contact details

A woman holding up a booklet with a green tick and the word Consent on it. She also has her thumb up

that the person you are talking about has said it is OK for you to contact the Learning Disability Helpline about them.

A woman thinking about what to write on a piece of paper sitting at a desk

If the person you are talking about is not able to agree themselves, give reasons why you made the decision to contact the Learning Disability Helpline for them.

Find out more about making decisions for someone on the government website.

After you have sent the email you will get an email back from the Helpline to say they have received your message.

The Helpline will deal with your request within 15 working days.