Search results for ‘Subject term:"learning disabilities"’ Sort:
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How do people with learning disabilities talk about professionals and organizations? Discourse on support practices for independent living
- Authors:
- FULLANA Judit, PALLISERA Maria, DIAZ-GAROLERA Gemma
- Journal article citation:
- Disability and Society, 34(9-10), 2019, pp.1462-1480.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
The aims of the research presented here are two-fold: to determine the decision-making role that people with learning disabilities award organisations and professionals offering support for independent living; and to assess the extent to which the dominant discourses of people with learning disabilities incorporate individual or social approaches. Ten focus groups were held with self-advocacy groups of people with learning disabilities. The critical discourse analysis approach was used to analyse the transcripts. The analysis shows that the discourse of people with learning disabilities tends to legitimise the role of organisations and professionals as agents in making decisions regarding their own lives. The study highlights the need to make use of these discourses to work together with people with learning disabilities to promote the exercising of their rights in decision-making and taking control of their lives. (Edited publisher abstract)
Support workers’ understanding of their role supporting the sexuality of people with learning disabilities
- Authors:
- MAGUIRE Karla, GLEESON Kate, HOLMES Nan
- Journal article citation:
- British Journal of Learning Disabilities, 47(1), 2019, pp.59-65.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
Background: Despite positive attitudes amongst support staff towards sexuality, adults with learning disabilities report being dissatisfied with the support they receive. This research aimed to explore support workers’ understanding of their role supporting the sexuality of adults with learning disabilities. Method: Six support workers from supported living services were interviewed about their role. Data were analysed using interpretative phenomenological analysis. Results: Three themes emerged which were understood as suggesting that support workers held conflicting beliefs and emotions about their role supporting sexuality. This was interpreted as creating an ambivalence that could result in support workers distancing themselves from an active role in supporting sexuality. Conclusion: This study concluded that support workers may inadvertently express an understanding of their role that may be consistent with negative and limiting discourses about the sexuality of adults with learning disabilities. The findings suggest a continuing need for sexuality training with a focus on reflective practice. (Edited publisher abstract)
'You have to care:' perceptions of promoting autonomy in support settings for adults with intellectual disability
- Authors:
- PETNER-ARREY Jami, COPELAND Susan R.
- Journal article citation:
- British Journal of Learning Disabilities, 43(1), 2015, pp.38-48.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
This study from the south-western United States investigated the perceptions of persons with intellectual disability receiving support and the perceptions of people providing support regarding the autonomy of people with intellectual disability. The participants included 10 people with intellectual disability and 10 support workers. Through interviews, this qualitative investigation examined the challenges for support workers and people with intellectual disability in promoting autonomy and the role of caring in support of autonomy. Analysis of participant interviews revealed that support workers and people with intellectual disability faced challenges that restricted the promotion of the autonomy of people with intellectual disability. Although people with intellectual disabilities knew what they wanted, support workers sometimes found it hard to know what people with intellectual disabilities wanted and how they could help them get what they wanted. Support workers also felt some of the rules at their jobs made it hard to help people with intellectual disabilities to do what they wanted. Both groups of participants noted that support workers had to care about their work with individuals with intellectual disability to effectively promote their autonomy. (Edited publisher abstract)
The role of support staff as people move from congregated settings to group homes and personalized arrangements in Ireland
- Authors:
- IRIARTE Edurne Garcia, et al
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Intellectual Disabilities, 20(2), 2016, pp.152-164.
- Publisher:
- Sage
- Place of publication:
- London
The movement of people with intellectual disabilities into the community is increasingly endorsed by public policy. Whilst staff are critical to a successful transition to the community, there is only scattered research on their role in supporting people to move. In this study, 32 staff and the 16 people with intellectual disabilities they supported to move from congregated settings to group homes or personalised living arrangements in the community were interviewed on two occasions, before (time 1) and after (time 2) the move. In congregated settings, staff steered the move to community living, they helped them to settle in community group homes and supported them to increase control over their lives in personalised community arrangements, where they support became increasingly more personalised and geared towards community participation and development of social relationships. Implications for staff training are drawn. (Edited publisher abstract)
Developing measures of job performance for support staff in housing services for people with intellectual disabilities
- Authors:
- HATTON Chris, WIGHAM Sarah, CRAIG Jaime
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities, 22(1), January 2009, pp.54-64.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
A worker-oriented job analysis method was used to develop four short job performance measures for direct housing support staff, from the perspective of people with intellectual disabilities (n = 82), family members (n = 38), support staff (n = 122) and service managers (n = 115). All four job performance measures showed adequate internal and test–retest reliability and showed very few associations with staff and resident characteristics, although there were no associations between the job performance measures. The service user and manager-rated job performance measures showed the widest range of associations with aspects of staff well-being, service quality and service user choice and satisfaction with life, and show the most promise as short, practical measures of the job performance of direct housing support workers. These methods of developing job performance measures show promise, and further investigation of user-defined staff competencies is warranted.