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Bridge to vision: enhancing eye services for people with a learning disability
- Author:
- -
- Journal article citation:
- Learning Disability Today, February 2009, pp.28-29.
- Publisher:
- Pavilion
- Place of publication:
- Hove
The pilot Bridge to Vision is described. The project aims to improve access to, and outcomes from, appointments with community optometrists for people with a learning disability. The pilot was funded by NHS Ayrshire and Arran.
Making connections: stories of local area co-ordination in Scotland
- Author:
- SCOTTISH CONSORTIUM FOR LEARNING DISABILITY
- Publisher:
- Scottish Consortium for Learning Disability
- Publication year:
- 2006
- Pagination:
- 35p.
- Place of publication:
- Glasgow
This booklet explains the local area coordination approach through stories provided by individuals and their families. These personal accounts show how good things happen when people have control of their own lives and futures and how Local Area Co-ordinators (LACs) can support people to make that happen.
Access to healthcare services by people with intellectual disabilities: a rural-urban comparison
- Authors:
- NICHOLSON Laura, COOPER Sally-Ann
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Intellectual Disabilities, 15(2), June 2011, pp.115-130.
- Publisher:
- Sage
- Place of publication:
- London
Considering that access to healthcare services is difficult both for adults with intellectual disabilities and for people living in rural areas, it is likely that adults with intellectual disabilities in rural areas may be at an extra disadvantage. This study examined data from 39 rural and 633 urban participants from Scotland. Data on demographics, healthcare, and access to services were collected from face-to-face interviews and primary care notes. Analysis revealed that the rural sample to have significantly more contact with primary and secondary health care. However, contact with allied healthcare professionals was not significantly different, except that people in the rural sample were significantly more likely to have had recent contact with a dentist and an optician. The authors concluded that adults with intellectual disabilities in rural areas were not disadvantaged when compared to urban service users.
Inclusion in primary care for people with intellectual disabilities: gaining the perspective of service user and supporting social care staff
- Authors:
- JONES Martyn C., et al
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Intellectual Disabilities, 12(2), June 2008, pp.93-109.
- Publisher:
- Sage
- Place of publication:
- London
The aim of this Scottish study was to gain service user and social care staff perspectives on the barriers facing people with intellectual disabilities when accessing primary healthcare. A qualitative mixed methods semi-structured approach involved the use of focus groups and individual interviews within the service users' homes. A purposive sampling strategy identified people using primary healthcare in the last 6 months (N = 6) with support from social care staff (N = 19). Three emergent themes were common to service users and carer staff: `accessing the surgery', `communication issues' and `waiting around'. Other themes were unique to each group. Social care staff identified the `attitudes and behaviour of primary healthcare staff' as sometimes problematic, and the importance of `knowing the service user'. Service users identified `feelings about going to the doctor', `health education' and `making changes'. Gaining these views is an important first step in improving access to primary healthcare.
Health and social care access for adults with learning disabilities across the UK during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020
- Authors:
- FLYNN Samantha, HATTON Chris
- Journal article citation:
- Tizard Learning Disability Review, 26(3), 2021, pp.174-179.
- Publisher:
- Emerald
Purpose: This paper aims to present data about access to health and social care services during the COVID-19 pandemic for adults with learning disabilities across England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. Design/methodology/approach: Data were collected directly from 621 adults with learning disabilities and through separate proxy reports by family carers and paid support staff of another 378 adults with learning disabilities. The data were collected between December 2020 and February 2021 and concerned the use of health and social care services since the start of the first COVID-19 national lockdown in March 2020. Findings: Access to and use of health and social care services significantly reduced for adults with learning disabilities across the UK during the COVID-19 pandemic between March 2020 and February 2021, with many people not receiving any services at all during that period. Similar patterns were seen across England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. However, data suggest some variations between countries for some services. Practical implications: Future pandemic planning must ensure that access to these essential services is not completely lost for adults with learning disabilities and their family carers, as it was in some cases during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. Originality/value: This is the largest study about the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on health and social care services for adults with learning disabilities in the UK. The authors primarily collected data directly from adults with learning disabilities, and worked with partner organisations of people with learning disabilities throughout the study. (Edited publisher abstract)
Self-building Our Lives: social care research report
- Authors:
- POWER Andrew, et al
- Publisher:
- University of Southampton
- Publication year:
- 2020
- Pagination:
- 54
- Place of publication:
- Southampton
Findings of a study exploring how people with learning disabilities in England and Scotland are supported to organise their own care and self-build their daily lives. Increasingly people in need of social care are being asked to take more responsibility for organising care, support, work and activities, what is now termed ‘self-building’ daily lives or ‘self-build social care’ – this in the context of a long-term reduction in social care budgets and a tightening of eligibility criteria affecting the provision and sustainability of new initiatives. The study focused on learning disability provision in four areas, two in England and two in Scotland (one urban and one rural in each). Researchers spent time with 43 people with learning disabilities (24 men and 19 women; aged 18- 70) using interviews, focus groups and visual methods to find out about their experiences. 39 staff at 29 organisations providing support and activities were also interviewed. The study found variable levels of success in self-building daily lives amongst participants. It suggests that to be occupied in meaningful ways, to have more of a say in shaping local networks and activities, and to avoid social isolation, people require a set of ‘building blocks’, which support the planning of the essentials, the management of the day to day responsibilities, and the finding of meaningful things to do. Underpinning the building blocks are three enabling factors of successful self-building, which are: advocacy, including self-advocacy; member-led involvement; and social interaction. (Edited publisher abstract)
The double‐edged sword of vulnerability: explaining the persistent challenges for practitioners in supporting parents with intellectual disabilities
- Authors:
- MACINTYRE Gillian, STEWART Ailsa, McGREGOR Sharon
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities, 32(6), 2019, pp.1523-1534.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
Background: Evidence suggests that parents with intellectual disabilities can be “good enough” parents with appropriate support that focuses on the whole family. This paper brings together theories of vulnerability with an ethics of care approach to reflect on challenges for practitioners in supporting parents, drawing upon data from a study carried out in Scotland. Method: An online survey was administered to practitioners in three settings, and follow‐up interviews were carried out with key informants. Results: Pockets of good practice existed but a number of barriers to supporting families remained. These related to a lack of accessible information, difficulties in identifying and engaging with families at an early stage and poor joint working across agencies. Conclusion: The study concludes by arguing that practitioners' constructions of families as “vulnerable” reflects negatively on their perceived capacity to parent, creating further barriers in accessing appropriate support and reducing expectations of success. (Publisher abstract)
What helps women who have learning disabilities get checked for cervical cancer?
- Author:
- MONTEITH Elaine
- Publisher:
- Institute for Research and Innovation in Social Services
- Publication year:
- 2015
- Pagination:
- 16
- Place of publication:
- Glasgow
Reports the findings of practitioner research to identify what prevents women with learning disabilities accessing cervical screening in Scotland, and what could assist them in accessing this service. The research methodology was largely qualitative. It involved a literature review and interviews with women with learning disabilities and personal assistants who had supported woman with learning disabilities during their career to gather their views, feelings and attitudes. In total six people were interviewed; three were women randomly selected and all were over the age of twenty-five (the age where women should have been invited to attend at least one cervical screening appointment) with learning disabilities; one of whom had accessed cervical screening services and three personal assistants. Analysis of the data gathered from one-to-one interviews was compared to findings of the studies identified through a literature review. Analysis of the findings from the literature review and the interview process suggest that cervical screening for women with learning disabilities is not routinely accessed. From the data collated and analysed, possible barriers are pain, perceived pain, embarrassment and lack of information that can be easily understood. It is concluded that to best enable women to attend for screening an awareness and education of the importance of attending the appointment for both PAs and people supported should be raised. The paper was produced as part of the PROP2 (Practitioner Research: Outcomes and Partnership) programme, a partnership between the Centre for Research on Families and Relationships (CRFR) at the University of Edinburgh and IRISS covering health and social care in Scotland. (Edited publisher abstract)
Funding for disabled students
- Author:
- SCOTLAND. Scottish Executive
- Publisher:
- Scotland. Scottish Executive
- Publication year:
- 2006
- Pagination:
- 64p.
- Place of publication:
- Edinburgh
The Review of Provision for Students with Disabilities was initiated by the Funding for Learners (FFL) division of the Scottish Executive in spring 2005 in order to examine the support available to students with disability-related additional needs studying at Further Education (FE) and Higher Education (HE) level in Scotland. The main aim of the project is to consider options to improve the efficient and effective use of the existing financial resource for individual support for disabled students, within the context of institutional funding to support widening access. The review also considers the feasibility of introducing a single system of support, which would be based on need, rather than level of study.
Service for all: making it happen; a report from the Service for All conference held on 18 June 2003 in Edinburgh
- Author:
- SERVICE FOR ALL CONFERENCE
- Publisher:
- Scottish Human Services Trust
- Publication year:
- 2003
- Pagination:
- 42p.
- Place of publication:
- Edinburgh
The conference aimed to bring people together to exchange information, examples of good practice and ideas about making NHS services more accessible. The main elements of the event were to: understand access from the perspective of people with disabilities, people with mental health problems and older people, what helps and what are the main problems?; identify good practice in Scotland and start a database of good practice; share ideas around practical solutions and on ways to get advice and help from others; and inform ongoing development of policies and advice for the Scottish Executive and the NHS in Scotland on how the NHS and people who use services can work together to improve access. Under the Disability Discrimination Act 1995, the NHS and other service providers have to think actively about how to make services accessible. This legislation is important but making this happen is not just about following legislation. It is about people sharing a vision of what a service for all looks like, of imagining better and working together to make it real.