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Being a valuable contributor on the frontline: the self‐perception of staff in group homes for people with intellectual disability
- Authors:
- QUILLIAM Claire, BIGBY Christine, DOUGLAS Jacinta
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities, 31(3), 2018, pp.395-404.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
Background: Group home frontline staff have a critical role in implementing service policies, yet research typically examines implementation issues from an organisational perspective. The aim of this study was to explore the self‐perception of frontline staff about their role in group homes for people with intellectual disability. Method: Constructivist grounded theory methodology guided the study. Data were collected with frontline staff through semistructured interviews and participant observations. Coding and sorting methods were used to analyse participants’ self‐perception. Results: Frontline staff felt they were valuable contributors who knew the service setting and residents well. Despite this staff felt powerless in their roles, excluded from organisational dialogue, stressed and exhausted. Conclusions: Frontline staff have critical insight into service implementation although disability service organisations may limit their capacity to contribute to this. Further action could explore new ways to better nurture frontline staff engagement in organisational dialogue. (Edited publisher abstract)
'We just call them people': positive regard as a dimension of culture in group homes for people with severe intellectual disability
- Authors:
- BIGBY Christine, et al
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities, 28(4), 2015, pp.283-295.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
Background: A dimension of the culture in group homes is staff regard for residents. In underperforming group homes, staff regard residents as being not ‘like us’ (Bigby, Knox, Beadle-Brown, Clement & Mansell, 2012). It was hypothesized the opposite pole of this dimension, in higher performing group homes, would be that staff regard residents positively. Method: Three in-depth qualitative case studies were conducted in higher performing group homes using participant observation, interviews and document review. Results: Consistent pattern of staff practices and talk, as well as artefacts, demonstrated staff had a positive regard for residents, who were seen as being ‘like us’. Explicit and continuing attention was given to sustaining positive regard for residents in everyday staff practices and to turning abstract values into concrete realities. Conclusions: This positive cultural norm was established, operationalised and embedded through structures, such as a formal policy about language, and processes such as peer monitoring and practice leadership. (Edited publisher abstract)
Hospital experiences of older people with intellectual disability: responses of group home staff and family members
- Authors:
- WEBBER Ruth, BOWERS Barbara, BIGBY Christine
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Intellectual and Developmental Disability, 35(3), September 2010, pp.155-164.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
A subset of data from a longitudinal study was used to examine perspectives of group home staff and family members concerning hospital experiences of group home residents with intellectual disabilities, including the strategies they used to support residents while in hospital. Focus was on 17 residents, aged 49 to 81 years at first interview, living in group homes in Victoria, who were tracked prospectively over 3 years. A total of 17 family members, 16 house supervisors, 11 accommodation program managers, and 11 staff in aged care facilities were interviewed. Twelve residents had been hospitalised at least once during the study and all had been hospitalised within the last 5 years. Staff and family reported poor support and treatment of the residents while in hospital. All positive experiences occurred in hospitals that had clear policies, resources and systems in place to address the special needs of people with an intellectual disability. Several strategies were used by staff and family members to improve the hospital experience. These included spending as much time as possible in the hospital; preparing information packages to prepare the resident for the hospital stay; attempting to partner with hospital staff; and taking on an advocacy role. Ageing of the family members and staffing implications for group homes complicated efforts to improve hospital experiences. The authors conclude that the current absence of systems to accommodate the special needs of people with intellectual disability in hospital settings has significant consequences for group homes, family members, hospital staff and residents.