Through two research projects, people with learning disabilities indicated the importance of spirituality in their lives. Services rarely see it as part of their role to support people in meeting their spiritual and/or religious needs. This booklet asserts that this could be seen as a denial of the human rights of people with learning disabilities.
Through two research projects, people with learning disabilities indicated the importance of spirituality in their lives. Services rarely see it as part of their role to support people in meeting their spiritual and/or religious needs. This booklet asserts that this could be seen as a denial of the human rights of people with learning disabilities.
The survey found that whilst just over half of the Partnership Boards who replied felt they were taking forward some or all of these actions the majority were interested in receiving help to be inclusive of the needs of people with profound and multiple learning disabilities.
The survey found that whilst just over half of the Partnership Boards who replied felt they were taking forward some or all of these actions the majority were interested in receiving help to be inclusive of the needs of people with profound and multiple learning disabilities.
Mencap's advocacy strategy outlines its three-year plan for supporting people with a learning disability to speak up for themselves. As advocacy becomes an increasingly important part of Mencap’s work, the strategy details the legal and policy context in which advocacy is provided. It also identifies the advocacy work being done in Mencap and the opportunities to develop and improve work. Within the strategy, the organisation recognises that there is a need for a range of different types of advocacy to meet different needs and that different types of advocacy will suit different people at different times in their lives.
Mencap's advocacy strategy outlines its three-year plan for supporting people with a learning disability to speak up for themselves. As advocacy becomes an increasingly important part of Mencap’s work, the strategy details the legal and policy context in which advocacy is provided. It also identifies the advocacy work being done in Mencap and the opportunities to develop and improve work. Within the strategy, the organisation recognises that there is a need for a range of different types of advocacy to meet different needs and that different types of advocacy will suit different people at different times in their lives.
Subject terms:
learning disabilities, planning, user views, advocacy;
The Disability Discrimination Act (or DDA) was passed in 1995. It aims to give equal rights to disabled people and stop discrimination, when disabled people are treated unfairly because they have a disability. The DDA has been made into law in stages. Disabled people will have more rights when the last part of the Act becomes law on 1 October 2004.
The Disability Discrimination Act (or DDA) was passed in 1995. It aims to give equal rights to disabled people and stop discrimination, when disabled people are treated unfairly because they have a disability. The DDA has been made into law in stages. Disabled people will have more rights when the last part of the Act becomes law on 1 October 2004.
Social service provision to younger disabled people is not often at the forefront of policy debate. However, the Government recognises the distinct contribution that disabled people make to the economy and the waste of potential that ensues when key services do not assist them. Often the type of assistance that younger disabled people require needs to be more flexible, or of a different type, than that offered by social services. For example, people may require assistance with making decisions concerning work, both paid and voluntary, or in parenting. This study explored ways of incorporating these and other types of assistance into assessment processes. In the study these were called ‘outcomes’ and they were incorporated into new assessment documents for use by a multi-disciplinary team of professionals.
Social service provision to younger disabled people is not often at the forefront of policy debate. However, the Government recognises the distinct contribution that disabled people make to the economy and the waste of potential that ensues when key services do not assist them. Often the type of assistance that younger disabled people require needs to be more flexible, or of a different type, than that offered by social services. For example, people may require assistance with making decisions concerning work, both paid and voluntary, or in parenting. This study explored ways of incorporating these and other types of assistance into assessment processes. In the study these were called ‘outcomes’ and they were incorporated into new assessment documents for use by a multi-disciplinary team of professionals.
Subject terms:
learning disabilities, outcomes, physical disabilities, service users, assessment;
The proposed duty on the public sector to promote disability equality will require employers to take action in areas which are currently under-developed such as: involving disabled staff; training and awareness raising; monitoring disability within the workforce and among job applicants; and taking an organisation-wide strategic approach. Guidance needs to convince employers of the value to them of taking action, involving a prior understanding of what motivates them to change.
The proposed duty on the public sector to promote disability equality will require employers to take action in areas which are currently under-developed such as: involving disabled staff; training and awareness raising; monitoring disability within the workforce and among job applicants; and taking an organisation-wide strategic approach. Guidance needs to convince employers of the value to them of taking action, involving a prior understanding of what motivates them to change.
Extended abstract:
Author:
HIRST Michael; et al.;
Title
The employment of disabled people in the public sector: a review of data and literature. Publisher
University of York. Social Policy Research Unit, 2004
Summary
This review, in summer 2004, covers recent trends in public sector employment, employment circumstances and characteristics of disabled public sector employees, research on employers' attitudes and practices in employment of disabled people, sickness absence, disabled people's employment experiences, the role of services in promoting employment in the public sector, and evidence from employers' documentation of effective policies and practices.
Context
The proposed duty on the public sector to promote disability equality will require employers to take action in areas which are currently under-developed such as: involving disabled staff; training and awareness raising; monitoring disability within the workforce and among job applicants; and taking an organisation-wide strategic approach. Guidance needs to convince employers of the value to them of taking action, involving a prior understanding of what motivates them to change.
Contents
Chapters 2 and 3 draw on secondary analysis of the Labour Force Survey (LFS). Chapter 2 describes trends in the number and proportion of disabled people employed in the public sector in Great Britain from spring 1998 to spring 2003. Chapter 3 uses the most recently available LFS data to describe the employment circumstances and characteristics of disabled public sector employees. In both chapters data are presented on disabled compared with non-disabled employees in the public sector only. Chapters 4-7 summarise the available published research literature on the employment of disabled people in the public sector in Great Britain . Much of the literature in the field of employment and disabled people was already known to the research team, as a consequence of having undertaken searches for several previous reviews as well as being active researchers in the field. Existing knowledge was up-dated and extended by searches on Academic Search Premier (EBSCO), selected academic publishers websites, government and industry websites, media databases and library databases. It is important to note that almost no British research literature specifically on the topic of public sector employment of disabled people was found through searches. To identify material of relevance to the review it was necessary to trawl through the literature on the wider topic of employment of disabled people. As will be explained further, it was sometimes found necessary to present the wider context to the findings relating to the public sector.
Chapter 4 reports the research on the attitudes and employment practices of public sector organisations. Chapter 5 looks at sickness absence among disabled people and employer perceptions that they will take more sick leave, examines recent evidence on sickness absence in the public sector and reports findings of an important analysis that takes account of sector in characteristics associated with increased risk of job loss. Chapter 6 reviews the limited literature on the public sector employment experiences of disabled people, people with chronic and mental health conditions, and deaf people. Chapter 7 examines research on practical interventions, such as government programmes, to improve the chances for disabled people to enter, retain and progress in public sector jobs. It should be noted that there is no uniformity in how ‘disabled people' is defined in the studies reviewed. Wherever possible the definitions used in the studies are used. It should also be noted that the scope of some surveys extends to include Northern Ireland . Chapter 8 presents findings from a trawl of public sector employers to identify effective employment policies and practices based on their own documentation. Chapter 9 concludes with the main messages from the research and recommendations to the DRC.
Conclusion
It is encouraging to find, from the analysis of the LFS, rather few apparent differences in the characteristics of disabled and non-disabled employees in the public sector, though disparities in earnings and occupying senior positions need further investigation and when the quality of employment is considered disabled employees in certain sub-sectors of the public sector are disadvantaged. It is also encouraging that the public sector outperforms the private sector in some respects, though it is hard to explain why. The proposed duty on the public sector to promote disability equality will require employers to take action in areas which are currently under-developed such as: involving disabled staff; training and awareness raising; monitoring disability within the workforce and among job applicants; and taking an organisation-wide strategic approach. Guidance needs to convince employers of the value to them of taking action, involving a prior understanding of what motivates them to change. Development work might include further investigation of effective practice through equality, diversity and disability networks and recipients of award and accreditations. At the same time, steps must be taken to counter misunderstandings about disability, with active campaigning to educate the public about disability in general and legislation on disability in particular, and specifically to promote awareness of which conditions are included under the DDA and help to dispel myths about employing disabled people. There is scope for further analysis of the LFS to fill gaps in knowledge: multivariate analysis to investigate reasons for the reported differences between disabled and non-disabled employees, with priority given to pay differentials; comparison of disabled people's employment experiences across sectors, to provide the context within which to evaluate and interpret findings related to the public sector; longitudinal analysis to explore employment trajectories of disabled people, including movements in and out of the public sector; and longitudinal analysis to investigate in more detail the finding that public sector employees have a lower risk of leaving employment following onset of disability compared with those working in other industry divisions. There is a role for the DRC to influence the design of further research to introduce consistency in the definition of the public sector and in survey design so that the impact of the public sector duty can be tracked over time. There is a need for research that establishes what leads to change and which takes account of the perspectives of disabled and non-disabled staff in different positions within public sector employing organisations.
54 references
ISBN 0 9549327 0 6
Subject terms:
learning disabilities, literature reviews, physical disabilities, public sector, employment;
In essence, the guidelines propose that positive behavioural support (PBS) is the benchmark for intervention in the field of challenging behaviours. There are 52 guidelines in total, each of which is based on research evidence and described as either 'essential' or 'good' practice. Three essential core guidelines set out the value base of PBS. They focus on recognising the person's unique strengths and needs and unique social context, adopting a coherent process of assessment-driven intervention and considering the person and the environment as well as the behaviour. Assessment is therefore idiographic rather than diagnostic; intervention is systemic as much as intra-psychic. Seeking consent before assessment, maintaining confidentiality, eliciting feedback, assessing risk and preventing abuse are all essential practice.
In essence, the guidelines propose that positive behavioural support (PBS) is the benchmark for intervention in the field of challenging behaviours. There are 52 guidelines in total, each of which is based on research evidence and described as either 'essential' or 'good' practice. Three essential core guidelines set out the value base of PBS. They focus on recognising the person's unique strengths and needs and unique social context, adopting a coherent process of assessment-driven intervention and considering the person and the environment as well as the behaviour. Assessment is therefore idiographic rather than diagnostic; intervention is systemic as much as intra-psychic. Seeking consent before assessment, maintaining confidentiality, eliciting feedback, assessing risk and preventing abuse are all essential practice.
This report seeks to engage with everyone involved in improving the health and the healthcare experiences of people with a learning disability. It summarises what is known about their health needs and looks at what is actually happening when people seek health service support. The report aims to build support for the changes that are needed, by proposing recommendations that will make a real difference. The authors want the health of people with a learning disability to be visible to public health practitioners when they assess the whole population’s health and take action to improve the health of the worst off. It argues that professionals in all healthcare sectors need to show that they can do things better and rise to the challenge of improving the health of people with a learning disability.
This report seeks to engage with everyone involved in improving the health and the healthcare experiences of people with a learning disability. It summarises what is known about their health needs and looks at what is actually happening when people seek health service support. The report aims to build support for the changes that are needed, by proposing recommendations that will make a real difference. The authors want the health of people with a learning disability to be visible to public health practitioners when they assess the whole population’s health and take action to improve the health of the worst off. It argues that professionals in all healthcare sectors need to show that they can do things better and rise to the challenge of improving the health of people with a learning disability.
Subject terms:
learning disabilities, patients, public health, access to services, health professionals;
The introduction of the Valuing People white paper in March 2001 has been the most important policy development for people with a learning disability and their families and carers in a generation. This submission to the Valuing People review sets out how Mencap believes the Valuing People programme should develop over the next five years. It looks at three broad areas: philosophy, structure, and policy priorities.
The introduction of the Valuing People white paper in March 2001 has been the most important policy development for people with a learning disability and their families and carers in a generation. This submission to the Valuing People review sets out how Mencap believes the Valuing People programme should develop over the next five years. It looks at three broad areas: philosophy, structure, and policy priorities.
Subject terms:
learning disabilities, carers, central government, consultation, government policy;
This article recommends a person-centred approach to addressing challenging behaviour among adults with learning disabilities in residential settings. Challenging behaviour is learned in the same way that acceptable behaviour is learned. In order to encourage acceptable behaviour, it is important to try to understand the underlying causes and triggers for the challenging behaviour and to understand and empathise with the service user’s point of view.
This article recommends a person-centred approach to addressing challenging behaviour among adults with learning disabilities in residential settings. Challenging behaviour is learned in the same way that acceptable behaviour is learned. In order to encourage acceptable behaviour, it is important to try to understand the underlying causes and triggers for the challenging behaviour and to understand and empathise with the service user’s point of view.
Subject terms:
learning disabilities, learning disabilities services, person-centred care, psychosocial approach, residential care, adult social care, challenging behaviour;