About us​

The South Yorkshire Keyworker Service is not a time limited service and is not based on traditional health, social care, and education models.  

The Keyworker service is for people with a learning disability and autistic people, the service also supports parents, carer(s), families, and supporters of people with a learning disability and autistic people. The team work to improve the lived experience of people and their families, carer(s) and supporters by supporting access to services, getting the right care, support and treatment that works and improves their lives.  

The Keyworker Service supports the: 

  • Navigation of access to the right services at the most appropriate time.  

  • Coordination of local systems to be responsive to people and their needs.  

  • Assurance that care, support, and treatment plans are personalised and include the views of the individual and the people who are important to them.  

  • Making sure that the individual and the people important to them are involved and informed about how the individual’s needs are being/ going to be met by services. 

  • Professionals involved to work together to prevent unnecessary admission to mental health hospitals and individuals having to access care, support, and treatment away from their local area.  

  • Individuals and their family, carer(s) and supporters through personalised goals and outcomes to experience a reduction in stress and uncertainty and increase feelings of safety, happiness, and stability.  

Referrals to the Keyworker Service can be made when: 

  • People with a learning disability feel that Keyworker support would be helpful. 

  • Autistic people feel that Keyworker support would be helpful. 

  • Professionals who have identified that Keyworker support would be helpful to an individual.  

  • Professionals, carer(s), families, or supporters identify that the risk of an inpatient admission or living arrangement breakdown has increased.  

Keyworkers and Peer Support Workers support individuals and their families in all settings this includes community, care and support settings and inpatient settings.  

Keyworker and Peer Support Worker support can be delivered: 

  • One to one with the individual 

  • In partnership with multi-disciplinary teams.  

  • In partnership with lead professionals, named workers and community teams.  

  • In partnership with families, carer(s), and supporters.  

  • In partnership with providers, dynamic support registers and commissioners.