Search results for ‘Subject term:"learning disabilities"’ Sort:
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Generation gap
- Authors:
- KAEHNE Axel, BEYER Stephen
- Journal article citation:
- Learning Disability Today, 9(3), May 2009, pp.34-36.
- Publisher:
- Pavilion
- Place of publication:
- Hove
The results of a study looking at what works when it comes to transition to employment for young people with learning disabilities are presented. The study looked at five aspects of transition support, including what models of employment transition planning currently operate; what transitional planning leads to young people gaining and keeping employment; what ensures effective involvement of young people, their families and relevant agencies; what agency partnerships are essential; and what changes in central and local government policy are needed to improve transition pathways to employment.
Choice for young people with learning disabilities in post-education transition
- Author:
- KAEHNE Axel
- Journal article citation:
- Mental Health Review Journal, 14(2), June 2009, pp.37-43.
- Publisher:
- Emerald
Governmental policy identifies choice as a central theme for support services to people with learning disabilities. Services are obligated to ensure that people's wants as well as abilities govern decisions on all important issues. As a consequence, young people with learning disabilities in transition are being offered career development options during transition review meetings. The paper will focus on the issues relating to choice during this post-education transition. The paper will argue that the processes necessary to sustain the capacity of the young person with learning disabilities to choose are not well understood. It will focus on the career choices for young people with learning disabilities during transition and will maintain that the availability of options is only one consideration. The capacity to choose and the types of support that are most effective in facilitating the capacity to choose are equally important. Some conceptual considerations will assist in identifying the shortcomings of current policy and practice.
Final report: evaluation of employment outcomes of project SEARCH UK
- Author:
- KAEHNE Axel
- Publisher:
- South West Employment Institute
- Publication year:
- 2014
- Pagination:
- 27
- Place of publication:
- Liverpool
An assessment of the employment outcomes of Project SEARCH sites in the UK since inception of the programme. Project SEARCH started at the Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center in Ohio USA. The idea was to develop placements for people with intellectual disabilities in the hospital which could be utilised as springboards for lasting employment opportunities. As of July 2013 the UK had 17 active sites. In all cases, the sites are run by a collaboration or partnership between the host employer, an education provider or vocational training organisation, and a supported employment agency. About 36 per cent of all participants have found full time paid employment (defined as more than 16 hours per week). This amounts to 114 individuals out of 316 participants. Another 35 individuals have found part time paid employment (less than 16 hours per week), which amounts to about 11 per cent. The report suggests that an improved shared learning process for all sites, grounded in detailed outcome and good practice analysis, may be critical to the success of the programme. In addition, it acknowledges that in the UK the programme has been developed within the context of transition for young people with learning disabilities and as a result a comprehensive assessment of its success should take into account recruitment practices, the transition pathways involved and the links that Project SEARCH has with the statutory transition process. (Edited publisher abstract)
Can transition meetings in school be done in a person-centred way?
- Authors:
- KAEHNE Axel, BEYER Stephen
- Journal article citation:
- Learning Disability Today, October 2011, pp.28-30.
- Publisher:
- Pavilion
- Place of publication:
- Hove
Transition from children’s to adults social services can be a time of upheaval for young people with learning disabilities. This article considers the quality of transition reviews and whether they can be done in a person-centred way. The study worked with a school in the northwest of England to examine the way in which they carry out transition review meetings, whether they meet the criteria of person-centred planning and, if so, how this ensures that everybody who should be involved in transition planning is effectively participating in the meeting. Records of transition meetings and transition plans for 43 pupils about to leave school were analysed. In addition, half of the families were contacted to find out their feelings about the meeting and the planning process. The findings indicated that the young people, their families, school and Connexions staff were consistently present at the meetings; however, social workers and staff from voluntary employment agencies only attended a minority of meetings. Only 44% of the meeting records and transition plans were ‘somewhat accessible’, while almost a third used highly technical language, effectively preventing the young person from understanding their own transition plans. The biggest problem was that many of the meetings did not discuss the whole range of needs of the young person or long-term planning. In particular, only 25% of transition plans outlined clear and actionable employment goals.
‘Stroppy’ or ‘confident’? Do carers and professionals view the impact of transition support on young people differently?
- Authors:
- KAEHNE Axel, BEYER Stephen
- Journal article citation:
- British Journal of Learning Disabilities, 39(2), June 2011, pp.154-160.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
Transition from school for young people with intellectual disabilities remains a time fraught with disruption and stress for young people and carers despite the emphasis on their greater involvement with the transition support services. The study examined the effects of transition support to 2 cohorts of young people who were in their last year in school or college in 2005/2006 and 2006/2007. The young people received additional support around employment choices beyond the normal transition planning. This paper reports the views of carers, teachers and support workers of the impact this additional support made to the young people. Semi-structured interviews were held with 59 young people, 58 carers and 59 interviews with teachers and support workers. Analysis of the data reveals a difference between the views of carers and those of professionals. The paper argues that these differences may reflect different understandings of the purpose of transition support which may make it difficult to achieve a smooth transition for all stakeholders. Professionals look for the development of skill sets that can help the young person to cope with novel environments in post-education placements, whereas carers experience transitions as challenges to family relationships. The findings have implications on how to structure and deliver transition support.
Can peer support help with the employment challenge?
- Authors:
- KAEHNE Axel, ALLAN Julie
- Journal article citation:
- Learning Disability Today, August 2011, pp.30-32.
- Publisher:
- Pavilion
- Place of publication:
- Hove
The first Youth Supported Employment Programme (YSEP) was launched in Calgary, Canada, in 1994. YSEP aims to emulate the career paths of non-disabled young people by organising Saturday and evening jobs for young people with learning disabilities and by teaming them with a non-disabled peer supporter. YSEP was first piloted in the UK in 1999 and has recently been implemented and evaluated in Manchester. Results from the evaluation were encouraging although the number of participants was small. Five young people were recruited and were supported in the workplace by peers; support was successfully phased out to all but one of the young people. There was also some evidence that participants developed some social contacts during the project. Employers were positive about the project and the majority indicated that they would hire young people with learning disabilities again.
Transition from children and adolescent to adult mental health services for young people with intellectual disabilities: a scoping study of service organisation problems
- Author:
- KAEHNE Axel
- Journal article citation:
- Advances in Mental Health and Intellectual Disabilities, 5(1), January 2011, pp.9-16.
- Publisher:
- Emerald
The author first highlights the lack of research to date on the transition of young people with intellectual disabilities from children and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) to adult mental health services (AMHS). He then reports a study which examined the views of mental health professionals on partnership work and service gaps in transition for young people with intellectual disabilities, as part of a broader study on partnership work and the effectiveness of multi-agency protocols. Eight professionals from three local authorities in Wales were interviewed, four of whom worked in CAMHS and three in AMHS. Mental health services for people with intellectual disabilities were non-specialist in all three local authorities and not integrated into the health or social care team. The result was a potential triple rift in service linkage: between CAMHS and AMHS, between mental health services and secondary and primary health services in the children and adult sector, and between mental health services and local social care provision. Analysis revealed three main over arching themes in relation to transition and transition partnerships for mental health professionals: coordination of services; concerns about existing service gaps; and differences in service models and service approaches between CAMHS and AMHS. These are discussed. The author concludes that the insufficient integration of mental health services in transition planning may contribute to disruptive transitions for young people with intellectual disabilities and their carers. Further research should examine how best to involve mental health services in transition partnerships for young people.
Multiagency protocols in intellectual disabilities transition partnerships: a survey of local authorities in Wales
- Author:
- KAEHNE Axel
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Policy and Practice in Intellectual Disabilities, 7(3), September 2010, pp.182-188.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
Local authorities in Wales have undertaken various efforts to improve the experience of transition for young people with intellectual disabilities as they leave school and enter the general marketplace. This paper presents the findings of a study of transition protocols in place for intellectual disability partnerships in 22 local authorities in Wales. The study consisted of a survey of existing protocols and a documentary analysis of the content of the obtained protocols. The article outlines the relevant legal and policy context of school to marketplace transition in England and Wales, then reviews the results of the survey of all 22 Welsh local authorities, and presents the findings of a documentary content analysis. The results highlight the difficulties in formulating effective protocols for transition partnerships at the local authority level. Criteria applied in the documentary analysis have been, among others, person-centred planning, involvement of young people and carers, accessibility of the protocol, and the inclusion of external agencies in transition planning. The analysis shows wide-ranging discrepancies in the quality and content of transition protocols across Wales.
Fit for purpose?: mental health services in Wales for young people with learning disabilities
- Author:
- KAEHNE Axel
- Journal article citation:
- Llais, 96, Summer 2010, pp.18-20.
- Publisher:
- Learning Disability Wales
Cardiff University research at three Welsh, local authorities, with mental health managers and professionals who work with adults and adolescents, into young people with learning disabilities’ problems during transition, on turning 18, from the care of the Children and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) to Adult Mental Health Services (AMHS) is discussed. In Wales, leaving special school for college/part-time work can occur anytime between 16 and 19 years, so the current ‘one size fits all’ approach may be misguided, says the author. All questioned said there was a lack of information available at other services about what mental health services can offer young people with learning disabilities, the professionals are often unclear what awaits their patients when they move from CAMHS to AMHS, and communication with patients’ social workers could be bettered. Different service models are used, holistic and preventative at CAMHS, acute and ‘fire-fighting’ at AMHS, says the author. In short, mental health services are currently not involved with what transitional services exist in Wales, and until that improves significant service gaps will remain, especially with young people who are on the high functioning end of the scale.
Transition partnerships and protocols – do they help planning transition for young people?
- Authors:
- KAEHNE Axel, O’CONNELL Mary Clare
- Journal article citation:
- Llais, 95, Spring 2010, pp.13-16.
- Publisher:
- Learning Disability Wales
Policy in England and Wales has identified transition as a major challenge for social and health services and good collaboration between services is seen as key to adequately supporting young people with learning disabilities at this difficult time in their lives. All learning disabilities services in Wales have been asked to develop robust partnerships between all relevant agencies and parents of young people to create good planning routes and planning practices during transition. Results of an ongoing study being conducted by the Welsh Centre for Learning Disabilities at Cardiff University, to examine all transition protocols that have been written in local authorities in Wales are reported. Twenty one of the 22 local authorities in Wales were found to have transition protocols in place, however a huge variation in the nature and content of these protocols was found. Encouraging findings were that the majority of protocols said something meaningful about the need to involve carers and young people in the planning process and most protocols outlined individual tasks and duties of professionals. However most transition protocols showed lack of involvement of young people and carers as equal partners in the planning process, failed to include external non-statutory agencies in the transition planning process, and showed an absence of robust consent and data sharing arrangements. The study continues to investigate the protocols in 5 local authorities in more detail.