Helen Thompson and Kevin Dawson describe the development of a process to help ensure nurses have the required skills and experience to provide tailored support to clients

People with complex learning disabilities can be cared for in their homes by their families and supported by community services that are adapted to meet their needs. This article describes the development of a standardised complexity rating tool for use by community learning disability nursing teams. The tool is aimed at ensuring that the nurse accepting a referral has the skills, knowledge, training and experience to provide safe, tailored and effective care to the client. The aim also includes helping nurses to think beyond task orientation to demonstrate they are reflecting on how they deliver care.