Search results for ‘Subject term:"learning disabilities"’ Sort:
Results 1 - 9 of 9
A policy that is failing vulnerable people
- Authors:
- ROBERTSON Janet, EMERSON Eric
- Journal article citation:
- Community Living, 22(2), 2008, pp.22-23.
- Publisher:
- Hexagon Publishing
A recently published knowledge review by SCIE found that placing people way from their families and communities to which they belong is still a widespread practice by authorities and means that thousands of vulnerable people are not receiving the personalised and good quality support. The authors summarise the findings of the review.
Reported barriers to the implementation of person-centred planning for people with intellectual disabilities in the UK
- Authors:
- ROBERTSON Janet, et al
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities, 20(4), July 2007, pp.297-307.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
Research in the US and UK has demonstrated the effectiveness of person-centred planning (PCP) for people with intellectual disabilities. However, it is important to acknowledge problems that arise when implementing PCP. This paper considers barriers to PCP reported during a longitudinal study of the impact of PCP. Person-centred planning was introduced over a 2-year period for 93 people of whom 65 had a plan developed. Information was collected regarding barriers to PCP every 3 months from key informants using self-completion questionnaires. Barriers to PCP were widespread particularly in relation to: availability of trained facilitators; availability of services; lack of time and reluctance of people other than paid support staff to engage in the PCP process. It is concluded that services need to be aware of potential barriers to PCP so that strategies can be developed to overcome them, the first of which should be the ongoing training and support of facilitators.
The association between employment and the health of people with intellectual disabilities: a systematic review
- Authors:
- ROBERTSON Janet, et al
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities, 32(6), 2019, pp.1335-1348.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
Background: There is strong evidence indicating that paid employment is generally good for the physical and mental health of the general population. This systematic review considers the association between employment and the health of people with intellectual disabilities. Methods: Studies published from 1990 to 2018 were identified via electronic literature databases, email requests and cross‐citations. Identified studies were reviewed narratively. Results: Twelve studies were identified. Studies were generally consistent in reporting an association between being in paid employment and better physical or mental health status. Conclusions: This review supports the view that the well‐established association between employment and better health is similar for adults with and without intellectual disabilities. However, evidence establishing causality is lacking and further research to determine specific health benefits attributable to employment for people with intellectual disabilities and the causal pathways that operate is required. (Publisher abstract)
Community-based Residential Supports for People with Intellectual Disabilities and Challenging Behaviour: The Views of Neighbours
- Authors:
- ROBERTSON Janet, et al
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities, 18(1), March 2005, pp.85-92.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
The issue of the views of neighbours of community-based residential supports for people with intellectual disabilities and challenging behaviour has not been examined till date. This study looks at the views of neighbours of two types of community-based residential supports: non-congregate settings where the minority of residents have challenging behaviour; and congregate settings where the majority of residents have challenging behaviour. A self-completion questionnaire was used to collect information on contact between neighbours, residents and staff, and the views of neighbours. Information was also collected by semi-structured interview with service staff on the characteristics of settings. Sixty-four questionnaires were returned. Contact between neighbours and service users was limited for both types of setting, with two-thirds of neighbours not knowing any service users by name, and a third having had no active contact with service users. Neighbours of non-congregate settings were more likely to think that community care was a 'good policy' (76%) than neighbours of congregate settings (53%) and to believe that there were benefits to the neighbourhood from having the group home in the area (46% versus 29%) but these differences were not significant. Contact with people with intellectual disabilities was associated with more positive attitudes to community care and specific characteristics of the settings. Contact between neighbours and people with severe intellectual disabilities and challenging behaviour is limited. However, the majority of neighbours are positive about community care and the problems reported by neighbours are predominantly minor. The results point to the key role that contact plays in fostering positive attitudes. Findings regarding differences between congregate and non-congregate settings are limited by the small number of responses from neighbours of congregate settings.
Participation in sports by people with intellectual disabilities in England: a brief report
- Authors:
- ROBERTSON Janet, EMERSON Eric
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities, 23(6), November 2010, pp.616-622.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
Sports participation has often been linked to a range of physical, social and mental health benefits. However, little is known about the extent to which people with intellectual disabilities take part in sports. This study investigated participation in sports and factors associated with participation by people with intellectual disabilities in England. Data on participation in sports and measures of personal characteristics, living situation, social participation, and socioeconomic status associated with participation were analysed based on a sample of 2,784 people with intellectual disabilities in England. Findings revealed that, overall, 41% of participants had taken part in sports in the past month, most of whom had enjoyed it. Of those who did not take part, 34% said they would like to. Participation in sport was associated with some personal characteristics but not with support needs. It was also associated with indicators of socioeconomic status. The authors concluded that interventions to increase participation in sports by people with intellectual disabilities may make a significant contribution to improving their general health and well-being.
Staff stress and morale in community-based settings for people with intellectual disabilities and challenging behaviour: a brief report
- Authors:
- ROBERTSON Janet, et al
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities, 18(3), September 2005, pp.271-277.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
This study looked at stress, morale and intended job turnover in staff in two types of community-based residential supports: non-congregate settings where the minority of residents have challenging behaviour; and congregate settings where the majority of residents have challenging behaviour. A self-completion survey questionnaire was used to collect information on the basic characteristics of staff, levels of staff stress, job satisfaction and propensity to leave their employment. One hundred and fifty-seven questionnaires were returned from staff, the majority of whom were on fixed-term contracts. Congregate settings were not associated with higher levels of stress as might be assumed. Overall, over a quarter of staff reached criterion on the General Health Questionnaire-12 for experiencing emotional distress, and over a third were likely to actively seek new employment in the next year. The greatest perceived sources of stress were lack of resources and lack of staff support. The lowest level of satisfaction was with the rate of pay. Those in non-congregate settings reported greater perceived stress because of lack of procedures to deal with challenging behaviour. The authors concluded that high levels of intended staff turnover may be more due to job insecurity and lack of support than service user challenging behaviour. Employers seeking to reduce turnover should pay attention to basic pay and conditions, as well as staff training in appropriate methods for dealing with challenging behaviour.
What do we know about the health and health care of people with intellectual disabilities from minority ethnic groups in the United Kingdom? A systematic review
- Authors:
- ROBERTSON Janet, et al
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities, 32(6), 2019, pp.1310-1334.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
Background: People with from minority ethnic communities face inequalities in health and health care. This systematic review considers the question of what is known about the health and health care of children and adults with intellectual disabilities from ethnic minority communities in the UK. Method: Studies published from 1990 to 2018 were identified via electronic literature databases, email requests and cross‐citations. Studies were reviewed narratively in relation to identified themes. Results: Twenty‐three studies were identified, most commonly focusing on South Asian communities. Very little information was identified on physical health or physical health care, with the identified evidence tending to focus on mental health care, access to specialist intellectual disability services, and inpatient services. Conclusion: Little is known about the health status of people with intellectual disabilities from minority ethnic groups in the UK. It is clear that they may experience barriers to accessing specialist intellectual disability services and other forms of health care. (Edited publisher abstract)
The association between area-level indicators of social deprivation and the emotional and behavioural needs of Black and South Asian children with intellectual disabilities in a deprived urban environment
- Authors:
- EMERSON Eric, ROBERTSON Janet, WOOD Justin
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities, 20(5), September 2007, pp.420-429.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
This study used a cross-sectional survey of teacher-reported emotional and behavioural needs among 386 South Asian children and 118 Black children in a deprived urban area in Birmingham, England. The results suggested that: (i) teachers reported higher rates of emotional and behavioural needs among Black (when compared with South Asian) children; (ii) increased rates of emotional and behavioural needs were generally associated with older child age, lower child ability, the absence of sensory impairments and male gender; and (iii) neighbourhood deprivation was associated with variation in emotional and behavioural need differently for the two ethnic groups. For Black children, increased deprivation was associated with increased need. However, for South Asian children increased deprivation was associated with decreased need. Results are discussed in relation to ‘group density effects’ which may reflect the potentially moderating effects of social support on the relationship between socioeconomic deprivation and mental health.
Levels of psychological distress experienced by family carers of children and adolescents with intellectual disabilities in an urban conurbation
- Authors:
- EMERSON Eric, ROBERTSON Janet, WOOD Justin
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities, 17(1), June 2004, pp.77-84.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
The aim of the present study was to identify factors associated with the level of psychological distress reported by family carers of children with intellectual disability living in a large urban conurbation. Information was collected by postal questionnaire (or interview for family carers who did not have English as their first language) from the family carers of 408 children with intellectual disability (31% of all children within the area administratively identified as having an intellectual disability). Results indicated that 47% of primary carers scored above the threshold for psychological distress on the GHQ and that scoring above the threshold was strongly related to the emotional and behavioural needs of the index child and South-Asian ethnicity and moderately associated with the severity of the child's delay in communication. The rates of psychological distress (47% overall, 70% among South-Asian carers) were markedly higher than that found in previous studies of carers supporting a child with intellectual disabilities. It is suggested that these elevated rates of psychological distress may be mediated by socio-economic deprivation.