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A critical comparison of welfare states and their relevance to people with an intellectual disability
- Authors:
- de CHENU Linda, DAEHLEN Dag, TAH Jude
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Intellectual Disabilities, 20(4), 2016, pp.397-415.
- Publisher:
- Sage
- Place of publication:
- London
This article compares the welfare services for adults with an intellectual disability in three European countries: England, Norway and Sweden. The purpose of the comparison is to develop an understanding of the welfare state and institutional contexts of the country-specific policies and to develop a critical analysis through a comparative method based on selected secondary literature. Typological frameworks of European welfare states are applied as analytic frameworks to enable comparison between the countries. It is argued that there are international policy developments but these are shaped at a national level by different types of welfare states and histories. Through a comparison of similarities and differences, the article suggests that international policy ideas that impact on the lives of people with intellectual disabilities are mediated by different types of welfare states and institutions.
Additional support for individuals with intellectual disabilities and challenging behaviors in regions of northwest Europe
- Authors:
- LUNENBORG Carolien B., et al
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Policy and Practice in Intellectual Disabilities, 8(2), June 2011, pp.92-103.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
About 10% of individuals with intellectual disability (ID) exhibit challenging behaviours. To support parents and care staff when they are unable to find a solution to overcome or reduce these behaviours, some countries provide additional professional support. In the Netherlands, 5 regional Centres for Consultation and Expertise (CCEs) offer supplemental support as part of their consultation programme. This study was undertaken to determine if additional professional support occurs in other regions of northwestern Europe and, if so, how was is organised. The regions which were looked at were Norway, Flanders, England, Wales, and the German regions of the Rhineland. Key informants in each region completed questionnaires about additional support services. The findings showed a diversity of approaches addressing additional support services. In most regions, there is no general formal policy on providing such support for individuals with ID, their parents, or care staff. Instead, either a range of local initiatives have been developed or there are no initiatives. In these instances, persons with ID or their carers have to rely on regular support services to address their mental health needs. The article concludes that organising additional support as part of a formal services will increase the likelihood that, when regular support has failed, individuals with ID or their carers will be able to obtain supports to find solutions for reducing problematic challenging behaviours.
Maternal intellectual disability and infant neglect: child welfare risk assessments in Norway, England and California, USA
- Author:
- TEFRE Oyvind S.
- Journal article citation:
- British Journal of Social Work, 47(7), 2017, pp.2014-2031.
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
This paper examines how a sample of 297 child welfare workers in Norway, England and the state of California in the USA assess risk based on a vignette that combines parent intellectual disability and infant neglect. The study combines fixed-choice and open-ended questions. Workers first attach a risk score to the case and then explain in their own words the reasons behind their assessment. Key findings show that workers across all countries agree that this is a high-risk case. However, reasons behind the assessments vary across countries. Californians display a greater range and more uniform reasoning compared to the English and Norwegians, and differ in their concern with mother’s cognitive functioning, and child age and health. English and Norwegians are generally more similar, but differ on attention to social and environmental factors and attention to the mother’s cognitive functioning. The findings are discussed in relation to research on parental intellectual disability, child welfare orientation and familiarity with assessment tools. The study supports existing research on parental intellectual disability in the child welfare system. The author argues that both child welfare orientation and assessment tools are important to understand these differences in reasoning. (Edited publisher abstract)
The challenges of European comparative research
- Author:
- WEYTES Arabella
- Journal article citation:
- Social Work in Europe, 10(1), 2003, pp.1-8.
- Publisher:
- Russell House
Discusses the language difficulties that had to be overcome by the author when undertaking a comparative study of the experience of children in state care in Belgium (the region of Flanders), Great Britain (England), Spain (the Autonomous Community of the Basque Country) and Norway (the region of Hedmark). The countries were selected for the study as they represent specific welfare models. Basque County represents the 'Mediterranean model', England the 'neo-liberal welfare model', Flanders the 'corporatist-conservative' model and Hedmark the 'social-democratic model'. Reference is made to the difficulties of translating concepts rooted in historic and cultural traditions that have shaped current policies and styles of service delivery. Also examines the ways in which the different origins of welfare and social work practices have led to distinct ways of service delivery. To illustrate these factors practitioners were asked to assess what would happen to the child and the family in their country by answering a series of questions. Finally discusses how the use of a common framework to identify needs, set thresholds, chart services and assess outcomes across the countries can be useful for making meaningful international comparisons.