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Filling in the gaps: the role of self-advocacy groups in supporting the health and wellbeing of people with learning disabilities throughout the pandemic
- Authors:
- ROUSE Lorna, et al
- Publisher:
- Open University
- Publication year:
- 2020
- Pagination:
- 24
- Place of publication:
- Milton Keynes
This report describes research on the role of self-advocacy groups in supporting the health and wellbeing of adults with learning disabilities during the coronavirus pandemic. It is based on interviews with staff and members of 11 self-advocacy groups, representing all regions of England, to find out what they had been doing to support members during lockdown. This research shows how and where self-advocacy was ‘filling in the gaps’ left by other services. The key findings are: 1. Self-advocacy groups worked hard (and fast) to support members to get online, helping to bridge the ‘digital divide’ that many people with learning disabilities experience; 2. Self-advocacy groups provided extensive offline support, for example organising phone rotas, and sending information and activities through the post; 3. Self-advocacy groups played a critical role in supporting mental health and wellbeing during the pandemic by enabling people to stay socially connected; 4. Self-advocacy groups supported people’s physical health during the pandemic in a number of ways, adapting government public health advice on coronavirus to accessible Easy Read format, advising on healthy eating and the importance of physical exercise and supporting members to access and use health services; 5. Self-advocacy staff provided essential frontline services to people, delivering food packages and medication. 6. Self-advocacy staff and volunteers sometimes stepped in to support people in or close to crisis relating to mental or physical health, or safeguarding. 7. Self-advocacy groups signposted members to essential public services and third sector initiatives; 8. Many groups mobilised a local volunteer network to extend their capacity to provide support. 9. Self-advocacy groups went ‘above and beyond’ during the pandemic, with staff often working seven days a week to provide support. 10. As self-advocacy groups became more confident in using online technologies during the pandemic, this strengthened connections between them across different regions of the country. (Edited publisher abstract)
Keeping connected and staying well: the role of technology in supporting people with learning disabilities during the coronavirus pandemic
- Author:
- SEALE Jane
- Publisher:
- Open University
- Publication year:
- 2020
- Pagination:
- 50
- Place of publication:
- Milton Keynes
Findings of a study exploring the type of support people with learning disabilities have received to enable them to use technology to keep connected and stay well during the pandemic. We received 106 survey responses and interviewed 44 supporters and 20 people with learning disabilities. Our analysis of the results revealed 8 main findings. Finding 1: Supporters are blending technological means of support with nontechnological means. Finding 2: As part of a blended approach to support, supporters are using a wide range of technologies. The exact ‘mix’ of technologies is influenced by a range of factors. Finding 3: The main reasons supporters gave for using technology with people with learning disabilities during the pandemic were to contribute to good mental health and/or well-being; to help combat loneliness and a sense of isolation; to help overcome boredom through lack of activity and to provide information about the coronavirus and staying safe. Finding 4: The practices that remote supporters engage in when using technologies to support people with learning disabilities can be characterised as speedy, evolving, creative and fearless. Finding 5: One of the most significant factors that enables people with learning disabilities to use and benefit from technologies during lockdown is support from someone living with them. Finding 6: The most significant barriers to enabling people with learning disabilities to use and benefit from technologies during lockdown are the digital divide and lack of in-home support finding 7: Using technology to support people with learning disabilities during lockdown has had a positive impact on their mental health, wellbeing, sense of belonging and connectedness. Finding 8: Using technologies to support people with learning disabilities during lockdown has highlighted the technological capabilities of people with learning disabilities and the potential of new support practices. (Edited publisher abstract)
The Open University: the path forward for social care in England
- Author:
- TURNER Alex
- Publisher:
- Open University
- Publication year:
- 2021
- Pagination:
- 72
- Place of publication:
- Milton Keynes
This report examines the issues confronting adult social care (including workforce professionalisation) and makes recommendations to resolve them. It does so through a review of available literature from around the UK, examining the circumstances and approaches of the four nations. It also draws on a survey of 500 English leaders and managers – based in every region and working for public, voluntary and private-sector organisations delivering social care services, and within local authority social work teams – in order to gauge individuals’ experiences, hopes and fears. The study found that across the social care sector, 76% of respondents said they were sufficiently staffed, with a third (34%) saying they had too many staff for their current workload; despite optimism about numbers, concerns about skills shortages persist – nearly half (44%) of all respondents said they had only the bare minimum of skills to operate, or lacked vital skills to run their operations successfully; COVID-19 has changed working practices, making flexibility a priority, but has not shifted longer-term perceptions of where skills gaps lie; most managers are worried about social care’s enduring challenges squeezing their future access to the staff they need – 54% were worried the UK’s exit from the EU will make it harder for them to source skilled employees; many leaders believe sustainable funding and structured career development are needed to maintain and rebuild the sector – 42% said a defined career would be beneficial for the social care workforce. (Edited publisher abstract)
Social isolation and loneliness in people aged 55 and over in Milton Keynes
- Authors:
- MINOCHA Shailey, et al
- Publisher:
- Open University
- Publication year:
- 2015
- Pagination:
- 114
- Place of publication:
- Milton Keynes
Explores the determinants of social isolation and loneliness among older people in Milton Keynes, and recommends possible strategies and solutions to prevent and mitigate isolation. The research involved a review of academic and policy literature on social isolation and loneliness, and an information gathering exercise that included expert workshops, individual and group interviews, and site visits. Generally recognised risk factors that affect Milton Keynes residents include: low income, low literacy, poor health and disability, losses and bereavement, family, social and neighbourhood change, unemployment or redundancy, and aspects of the built environment and infrastructure. Specific additional challenges for Milton Keynes include: rapidly ageing population (from a low base); the pace of development of Milton Keynes and neighbourhood changes; structural elements including the design of and balance between the city centre, housing estates, and satellite villages; community diversity from deprived to affluent areas; a diverse and growing population of older people from Black, Asian, Minority Ethnic (BAME) groups; and the crucial on-going transport issues. Some effective services have been identified that cater to different kinds of needs, including one-to-one services, group services, and wider social activities, which require continuity of provision and integrated action across different levels within the community, and effective evaluation. The report recommends that Milton Keynes Council should consider: the appointment of a named champion at committee level for the promotion of social inclusion across the board; initiating an annual review of social exclusion; adopting a partnership approach to ensure an integrated response to isolation across the borough; securing access to a baseline financial resource for social inclusion projects at a sufficient annual level to ensure services; and an evaluation process to monitor the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of services for the purpose of future planning. (Edited publisher abstract)
'Scoping interest in creating a publicly facing digital archive of women's activism in mental health in the UK': report of workshop held in 2014 at the OU London
- Authors:
- CARR Sarah, COPPERMAN Jeanette
- Publisher:
- Open University
- Publication year:
- 2014
- Pagination:
- 28
- Place of publication:
- Milton Keynes
A summary of a workshop bringing together twenty invited academics, policy makers, survivors/service users, voluntary sector workers and practitioners to explore interest in creating publicly facing digital archive of testimonies about women's mental health activism in the UK since the 1970s. Key themes from the discussion included: humanity and solidarity; hidden lives and marginalised narratives; activism in research and practice; individual disclosure and collective action; power and abuse; reviving activism; and changing practice. The workshop also examined practical aspects of the projects, exploring the purpose of the archive, content coverage, planning and resources, audience and outcomes. The document also features a timeline of ‘key moments’, influential experiences and ideas relating to women's mental health activism. (Edited publisher abstract)
Beyond male role models: gender identities and work with young men
- Authors:
- ROBB Martin, et al
- Publisher:
- Open University
- Publication year:
- 2015
- Pagination:
- 40
- Place of publication:
- Milton Keynes
A research study exploring the role of gender in relationships between young men using support services and the adults who work with them. 93 people (50 young men, 14 young women, 12 male staff and 17 female staff) were interviewed at Action for Children and other services across the United Kingdom. The study shows that support services provide a vital ‘third space’ in which young men can make the transition to safer and less risky adult masculine identities, with activities providing the gateway to practical advice, emotional support and the building of relationships. It suggests that young men using support services value the personal qualities and commitment of staff above their gender or other social identities. The research raises important questions about the relative importance of gender and other social identities in recruiting staff to work with vulnerable young men. Gender identities and relationships inform young men’s lives in important and complex ways, and being able to identify with staff along the lines of gender, ethnicity or shared social background certainly plays a role and should not be overlooked. However, effective work with young men seems to depend above all on personal qualities and commitment, and on the ability to form relationships of mutual care and respect. (Edited publisher abstract)
Core themes in social work: power, poverty, politics and values
- Author:
- SHEEDY Martin
- Publisher:
- Open University
- Publication year:
- 2012
- Pagination:
- 184p.
- Place of publication:
- Maidenhead
This book introduces the core themes in social work, and encourages students and practitioners to connect with the important debates surrounding these themes and challenges them to revisit the direction social work is and should be going in. It shows poverty as a central experience of the people social workers work with. Research and theories of power, politics and values are thoroughly discussed and provide the basis for a sustained commitment to social justice. The key contexts of social work are explored using knowledge from the disciplines of social theory, politics, sociology, psychology and ethics. The book summarises and critiques ideas about how to understand and resolve social issues, enabling readers to question how they might work creatively alongside service users.
Applying a personalised approach to eligibility criteria
- Author:
- BOGG Daisy
- Publisher:
- Open University
- Publication year:
- 2012
- Pagination:
- 136p.
- Place of publication:
- Maidenhead
The eligibility criteria for social care can be difficult to apply to users with complex social and psychological needs. Social workers are under increasing pressure to ensure that applications for funding are well constructed in order to ensure the financial support allocated to individual and personal budgets are appropriate and maximise the options for the client. This pocketbook aims to provide a guide for those assessing and supporting individuals with complex needs such as mental health, substance misuse or learning disability. It offers guidance on how these types of issues can be applied to eligibility criteria to asses social care funding within a personalised approach targeted at recovery and improved quality of life. The book: describes legal frameworks for assessment and service delivery; examines specific elements of eligibility criteria; provides practice suggestions and checklists; and explores the interface between fair access to care services and NHS CHC criteria. Illustrative case studies are used throughout.
Succeeding with your literature review: a handbook for students
- Author:
- OLIVER Paul
- Publisher:
- Open University
- Publication year:
- 2012
- Pagination:
- 160p.
- Place of publication:
- Maidenhead
This handbook provides comprehensive and practical guidance on the process of researching a range of relevant literature on a subject, as well as planning and writing a literature review. The book takes a student friendly approach to offer complete novices a simple review of a process which is often central to producing a research study. Written by an author with extensive experience of supervising and examining undergraduate, Masters and doctoral dissertations, this book covers the latest trends, such as: RSS feeds, wikis, grey literature, blogs and forms of open access publishing. The book also includes examples of common pitfalls, good practice, key terms and questions to reinforce student learning and reflection
Child abuse: an evidence base for confident practice
- Authors:
- CORBY Brian, SHEMMINGS David, WILKINS David
- Publisher:
- Open University
- Publication year:
- 2012
- Pagination:
- 424p.
- Place of publication:
- Maidenhead
The book is an updated edition of the best-selling book by Brian Corby ‘Child abuse: towards a knowledge base’. It aims to demystify the complex and emotionally-charged area of child protection, outlining research, history, social policy and legislation, as well as the theory and practice underpinning child protection work. It provides: the latest research and thinking on the causes of child abuse, including new insights from the field of attachment theory; an updated overview of child protection practices, ranging from the 19th Century to the recent 'Baby P' tragedy; detailed analysis and coverage of the Munro review of child protection in England and the work of the Social Work Reform Board; and insights into the difficulties in understanding risk and protective factors and suggestions for new ways of approaching and assessing this area. Using examples to highlight key discussions and points, this book aims to enhance the confidence, knowledge and skills of practitioners, supervisors and managers.