Voice for choice: listening to the needs of young people with mental health and severe learning disabilities

Author:
HOBDAY Victoria
Publisher:
Sunfield
Publication year:
2008
Pagination:
32p., CD ROM
Place of publication:
Clent

This toolkit from Sunfield School in Stourbridge is comprised of paper and compact disc resources relating to choice boards (e.g. hot or cold meal), information booklets (e.g. introducing the health team), a communication card to be personalised, owned and handed over by the service user during a consultation, and a physical intervention booklet ‘Holding you and keeping you safe’ to be used by staff when dealing with challenging behaviour. These resources incorporate illustrations, photographs and symbols as well as clear and bold text and are for use by and with young people with severe learning disabilities and mental health problems to make informed choices about the type of treatment and therapeutic interventions they receive. Developed during a 12 month research project, ‘Voice for Choice’, the toolkit is suitable for residential, health and educational practitioners to support and facilitate decision making. Each resource is accompanied by notes and the toolkit has an introductory text entitled ‘Background’ which quotes pertinent statistics, facts about Sunfield School, initial research methodology, reference to the black and white ‘Widget’ symbols and software used, the importance of personalised photographs to young people who are not symbol or text readers and a recommendation to laminate all resources to increase their durability.

Subject terms:
personalisation, person-centred care, service users, severe learning disabilities, severe mental health problems, social care provision, young people, children, choice, decision making;
Content type:
practice example
Location(s):
England

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