Search results for ‘Subject term:"learning disabilities"’ Sort:
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Staying on TRAC
- Authors:
- JONES Victoria, et al
- Journal article citation:
- Learning Disability Today, April 2010, pp.34-36.
- Publisher:
- Pavilion
- Place of publication:
- Hove
People with learning disabilities are acknowledged as a particularly vulnerable group, with estimates of the number who have been victims of abuse ranging from 30-50%. However, research has often failed to ask people with learning disabilities what they think and feel about abuse. Participatory research aims to give power back to disabled people and bring about change both in research and wider society. It involves people with learning disabilities working as co-researchers and being actively involved in all stages of the research process. This article describes a planned 3-year study by the Teaching and Research Advisory Committee (TRAC) at the University of Glamorgan with their partners Rhondda Cynon Taff People First and New Pathways. The planned study will explore what people with learning disabilities understand by abuse, what help and support they need to keep themselves safe from abuse and, if someone has been abused, what are the best ways to provide support. The project will actively involve people with learning disabilities at all stages of the research process, with 3 people with learning disabilities employed as co-researchers. The information gathered from the study will be used to directly inform the development of counselling provision for people with learning disabilities.
Adult protection of people with intellectual disabilities: incidence, nature and responses
- Authors:
- BEADLE-BROWN Julie, et al
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities, 23(6), November 2010, pp.573-584.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
This paper presents findings from the analysis of the 1,926 referrals relating to people with intellectual disabilities included description of the nature of abuse and the responses to the referrals. Findings indicated that about one-third of all adult protection referrals related to people with intellectual disability, remaining consistent over time. However, the number of referrals increased significantly. The majority of people lived in residential care or supported living and this was reflected in the nature of the referrals – people were more likely to have been abused in the care home and by staff or service users than those without an intellectual disability. The most common type of abuse was physical abuse. Sexual abuse was more prevalent in the intellectual disability sample. People with intellectual disability were more likely to have experienced follow-up action, usually through more monitoring. There was a different pattern of abuse seen in those placed out-of-area. The authors conclude that there is some indication that residential situation and in particular being placed in a residential placement out-of-area may be an important factor in predicting adult protection referrals.
Human rights and social wrongs: issues in safeguarding adults with learning disabilities
- Authors:
- FYSON Rachel, KITSON Deborah
- Journal article citation:
- Practice: Social Work in Action, 22(5), December 2010, pp.309-320.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
From a human rights perspective, this article explores the levels of abuse and bullying of adults with learning disabilities in the UK. It quotes statistics from a decade of reports from Leonard Cheshire Disability, Mind, the Disability Rights Commission and Capability Scotland and Mencap and reproduces Articles 3 and 8 from the European Convention on Human Rights, active in the UK since 1998. In two sections addressing human rights, adult safeguarding and service responses, the size of the challenge is illustrated through a large, but not exhaustive, nationwide listing of murders and manslaughters of people with learning disabilities, between 2005 and 2010. The authors call these the ultimate consequence of society’s collective failure to uphold human rights of people with learning disabilities and claim three commonalities underpinning practice. Firstly, the promotion of independence and choice without adequate consideration of safeguarding; placement without regard for community dynamics; and the roles loneliness, companionship needs and social isolation, play in vulnerable adults likelihood of abuse, particularly in those with milder learning disabilities and lower support needs.
Saying no to mate crime
- Author:
- GILLEN Sally
- Journal article citation:
- Learning Disability Today, 10(8), October 2010, pp.18-19.
- Publisher:
- Pavilion
- Place of publication:
- Hove
People with learning disabilities, particularly those living independently but undersupported, may fall victim to those who befriend them to exploit them. They may, for example, be manipulated into parting with their money, taking out loans for other people who will never repay them, being promiscuous, and letting people barely more than strangers into their homes for parties. The combination of inexperience of relationships and an eagerness to have friends can make people with learning disabilities especially vulnerable to exploitative people. This article describes the work of SafetyNet, a 3-year scheme designed to raise awareness of mate crime, run by the Association of Real Change (ARC). It also describes a 6-week course on relationships run in Devon for women with learning disabilities which covered making friends, relationships, sexual relationships, and keeping healthy.
Interviewing victims of sexual abuse with an intellectual disability: a Dutch single case study
- Authors:
- NIJNATTEN Carolus van, HEESTERMANS Marianne
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Social Work Practice, 24(4), December 2010, pp.391-407.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
- Place of publication:
- Philadelphia, USA
Working with and interviewing people with an intellectual disability who are (suspected) victims of sexual abuse is a challenge for social professionals. This article is about strategies used to deal with conversational problems in the different stages of suspecting abuse and dealing with post-abuse traumas. The study aimed to analyse the communicative approaches against the background of different types of interview. It looked at a clinical analysis of a case with five encounters between a female health professional specialising in this type of interview and a 32 year old woman with autism and with intellectual disabilities. The meetings between the professional and client lasted about one hour each and all were videotaped. The analysis discusses aspects of the general assessment interview, the appraisal interview, and the trauma-related interview, with extracts from the transcripts. The authors note the modes of questioning required and the importance of the professional avoiding actions that might bias a possible future police interrogation.
Challenging behaviour: a family perspective
- Author:
- JACK David
- Journal article citation:
- Advances in Mental Health and Intellectual Disabilities, 4(2), June 2010, pp.30-32.
- Publisher:
- Emerald
This article describes the personal perspective of a family with a child, James, who needed significant help and support. It describes how services can get it wrong, and how devastating the consequences can be for individuals and their families. James was placed in a residential school at some distance from his family where it was difficult to maintain regular contact. Due to lack of in-depth assessment of his needs, James’ move into adult care was a disaster. Three adult care placements, in which he suffered neglect and abuse, were traumatic and extremely damaging for James, and he learnt to use physical violence as a way of responding. James has now been placed in a rehabilitation unit where his life has changed for the better. The article concludes that the problems that James faced were not the fault of the overwhelmed and inadequately trained frontline staff, but of those who commission, license and regulate services that are inadequate and doomed to fail.
"We will remember Steven”: Cornwall after 'the murder of Steven Hoskin: a serious case review’
- Author:
- FLYNN Margaret
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Adult Protection, 12(2), May 2010, pp.6-18.
- Publisher:
- Emerald
This author (chair of Lancashire County Council’s Adult Safeguarding Board), had been invited by the director of Cornwall County Council’s (CCC) adult social care department, following publication of ‘The murder of Steven Hoskin: a serious case review’ (SCR) in 2007, “to restore public confidence ... and provide ... an evidence based assessment of ... progress” on the SCR recommendations for system-wide and agency-specific changes to improve the safeguarding of young people with learning disabilities in England. She details written documentation from each agency in contact with Steven and the people who moved into his bedsit, and who submitted to the management reviews required by the SCR. In addition she interviewed over 40 boardroom representatives, middle managers and frontline personnel from each of the 9 children’s and adult social care, Primary Care Trust, NHS, police, adult protection, young offender, youth work, housing and tenant agencies involved, in December 2008. The text describes “something of their work priorities and ... programmes since” and is punctuated by quotes from staff. Under two headings, ‘agency-specific actions’ and system-wide actions’, the author reviews the SCR recommendations, the agencies’ action plans, and documents actions completed across and within agencies. She reports significant progress in terms of attitude, and reforming work methodology, but says there are still challenges to overcome.
Managers' and staff experiences of adult protection allegations in mental health and learning disability residential services: a qualitative study
- Authors:
- REES Paul, MANTHORPE Jill
- Journal article citation:
- British Journal of Social Work, 40(2), March 2010, pp.513-529.
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
Adult protection policy slowly developed in England and Wales during the 1990s. In the same decade specialist residential services expanded for people with mental health problems and with learning disabilities. Many referrals to adult protection systems emanate from this sector but few result in conclusive outcomes. This article reports on a small study exploring the impact of adult protection legislation and guidance within a small number of residential adult mental health and learning disability units in England and Wales. The focus of the article is the issues for staff who have been accused of abuse and for the managers of such services during investigations. Data from interviews with 13 residential unit managers and 10 care workers, who were suspended following an allegation but later exonerated, are presented. Perceptions of the development of adult protection practice, policy and legislation were that these have generally led to positive outcomes. However, these data reveal other outcomes including service disruption, stress for residents, staff and managers. Multi-agency collaboration, transparency of practice, training, reflective practice, and effective supervision of frontline staff, appeared to assist managers and care workers in negotiating the positive and negative experiences of the implementation of adult protection systems.
The Triggers protocol
- Authors:
- NASH Chris, SHIPWRIGHT Dave, SMEATON Mary
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Adult Protection, 12(2), May 2010, pp.19-27.
- Publisher:
- Emerald
This paper details the “Multi-agency Protocol for Single Agency and Multi-agency ‘Triggers’ to Share Information”, agreed by the statutory, multi-disciplinary service agencies in Cornwall following the murder of Steven Hoskin, in 2006. The subsequent, Serious Case Review (SCR, 2007) highlighted shortcomings of a ‘see and treat’ mentality in frontline workers, (e.g. emergency services), who may not have seen themselves as potential ‘alerters’. ‘Triggers’ now exist which alert all agencies to risk of harm and the need for adult safeguarding by and communication between agencies. The protocol is illustrated using a flow chart, its statement of purpose quoted, and the authors discuss implications for three agencies. The Devon and Cornwall police, now a focal point for advice, with all personnel trained in Steven’s circumstances and all senior managers having read the SCR, have incorporated the protocol in their strategy to reduce frequent, 999 calls from the same address, with a ‘neighbourhood harm reduction template’ implemented if over three visits are made to the same address over a three-month period. The South Western Ambulance Service NHS Trust, members of the Safeguarding Adults Board responsible for the Triggers protocol, have incorporated it within their initiative of control room, clinical triaging. Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Primary Care Trust have introduced electronic systems at Minor Injury Units, which have helped identify multiple attendances and flag nurse’s concerns at one consultation onto the next.
The understanding that care staff bring to abuse
- Author:
- PARLEY Fiona
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Adult Protection, 12(1), February 2010, pp.13-26.
- Publisher:
- Emerald
This research study investigated care staff views relating to vulnerability and abuse of adults with learning difficulties. In the qualitative study, semi-structured interviews were used with a sample of 20 care staff working across the statutory and the independent care sector. The findings indicated that there is a lack of clarity regarding what constitutes abuse. Almost all respondents named sexual abuse and physical abuse, fewer named verbal abuse or psychological/emotional abuse and still fewer named financial abuse or neglect. No one spontaneously mentioned human rights infringement. Prompts regarding bullying and harassment elicited very variable responses. In particular there was a feeling that people with learning disabilities will never be free of bullying and harassment. Power, authority and control were all used by respondents to describe the need to have the ability to manage challenging situations. It was evident that unqualified staff in particular had observed behaviour that they considered abusive, yet they did not feel that they could speak out against it. The author concludes that further investigation relating to rights infringement, neglect, bullying and harassment is warranted in order that greater awareness may lead to improved safety for these vulnerable adults.