Search results for ‘Subject term:"learning disabilities"’ Sort:
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Offenders referred to a learning disability service: a retrospective study from one county
- Authors:
- THOMAS D.H., SINGH T.H.
- Journal article citation:
- British Journal of Learning Disabilities, 23(1), 1995, pp.24-27.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
A retrospective study of all offenders with learning disabilities referred to a community based out-patient clinic serving one county over a seven-year period was performed. Information was collected regarding degree of learning disability, presence of additional mental disorder, type of offence committed and living conditions at the time of referral. Follow up over a subsequent three-year period was also performed retrospectively and covered areas such as treatment, reoffending, hospitalisation and present accommodation. Some of the implications of the findings are discussed and it is argued that a community based out-patient clinic supported by a small in-patient unit cannot cope with all offenders with learning disabilities.
Outcomes of an inner city forensic intellectual disability service
- Authors:
- WOOSTER Leah, McCARTHY Jane, CHAPLIN Eddie
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Intellectual Disabilities and Offending Behaviour, 9(1), 2018, pp.1-8.
- Publisher:
- Emerald
Purpose: National policy in England is now directed towards keeping patients with intellectual disability (ID) presenting with forensic problems for time-limited treatment. The result is that secure hospital services are expected to work much more proactively to discharge patients to community-based services. However, there is little evidence in recent years on the outcome of discharged patients with ID from secure hospitals. The purpose of this paper is to describe the outcomes of a patient group discharged from a specialist forensic ID service in London, England. Design/methodology/approach: This is a descriptive retrospective case note study of patients with ID admitted to and discharged from a secure service with both low and medium secure wards, over a six-year period from 2009 to 2016. The study examined patient demographic, clinical and outcome variables, including length of stay, pharmacological treatment on admission and discharge, offending history and readmissions to hospital and reoffending following discharge. Findings: The study identified 40 male patients, 29 of which were admitted to the medium secure ward. In all, 27 patients (67.5 per cent) were discharged into the community with 14 patients having sole support from the community ID services and 4 from the community forensic services. In total, 20 per cent of patients were readmitted within the study period and 22.2 per cent of patients received further convictions via the Criminal Justice System following discharge. Originality/value: This was a complex group of patients with ID discharged into the community with a number at risk of requiring readmission and of reoffending. Community-based services providing for offenders with ID must have sufficient expertise and resourcing to manage the needs of such a patient group including the ongoing management of risks. The national drive is significantly to reduce the availability of specialist inpatient services for this group of patients but this must occur alongside an increase in both resources and expertise within community services. (Edited publisher abstract)
Providing forensic community services for people with learning disabilities
- Authors:
- DINANI Shamim, et al
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Learning Disabilities and Offending Behaviour, 1(1), April 2010, pp.58-63.
- Publisher:
- Emerald
The Avon Forensic Community Learning Disabilities Team, formed in 2000, was developed with the aim of identifying those who had convictions or allegations of offending made against them or were as risk of offending and, where possible, to divert them to community settings by providing therapeutic interventions and support. This team attempted to avoid inappropriate imprisonment or admission to out-of-area units by providing specialist assessment and intervention. This article reports on the first eight years of this team. The authors give an overview of current research and government guidance regarding the prevalence, care pathway and treatment of people with learning disabilities who offend, and describe the role and function of the community forensic team. An analysis of referrals to the service is given. The authors reflect on the frustrations as well as the achievements associated with providing this service. Implications for practice include: early identification of people with learning disabilities in the criminal justice system; community teams developing awareness, skills and knowledge by working with specialist teams; teams delivering assessment and treatment in community settings, bypassing inpatient treatment; improved links with the criminal justice system results in increased referrals of people not previously known to have learning difficulties.
Community services and people with intellectual disabilities who engage in anti-social or offending behaviour: referral rates, characteristics, and care pathways
- Authors:
- WHEELER Jessica R., et al
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Forensic Psychiatry and Psychology (The), 20(5), October 2009, pp.717-740.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
Provision of health and social support to people who engage in anti-social or offending behaviour and have intellectual disabilities (ID) remains a challenge to services. Numerous population studies have produced contradictory findings with reviews calling for the development of more fruitful approaches and recommending investigation of the care pathways operating within ID services. This study reports on the pathways through services encountered by adults with offending or anti-social behaviour referred to 15 UK community ID services in 2002. Pathways through services were tracked for 24 months post referral. Referral rates, demographic characteristics, and associations with anti-social or offending behaviour were statistically analysed for 237 cases. Most referrals originated from the local community (66%); a high proportion were female (40.5%). Community services appeared encapsulated, serving adults with offending behaviour over the long term, but predominantly (74%) those already known to local ID services. Implications for services and future research strategies are considered.
The first three years of community forensic service for people with a learning disability
- Authors:
- BENTON Carl, ROY Ashok
- Journal article citation:
- British Journal of Forensic Practice, 10(2), June 2008, pp.4-12.
- Publisher:
- Emerald
This paper reports on the first three years of a community forensic team in Birmingham working with individuals with learning disabilities who have offended or are at risk of doing so. Using an interprofessional model, the team provided assessment, intervention and management, enabling individuals to live in the least restrictive environment. There were 113 referrals, the majority (94%) of whom were males. Only 26 had been convicted. The problems this raised for the team are discussed, along with the cost-effectiveness, impact on admission rates and benefits of providing such a service. Two case scenarios are presented to highlight some of the issues encountered by the team.
Breaking the cycle: better help for people with learning disabilities at risk of committing offences: a framework for the north west
- Author:
- NORTH WEST TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT TEAM
- Publisher:
- North West Training and Development Team
- Publication year:
- 2005
- Pagination:
- 77p., bibliog.
- Place of publication:
- Accrington
Local services are struggling to meet the needs of people with learning disabilities who are at risk of offending, due to problems with commissioning strategies, inadequate or poorly targeted resources, variable staff competence (with these service users) in ordinary learning disabilities services, insufficient cross-agency coordination (eg. between the CJS, mental health services and CLDTs), insufficient community-based specialist services and a shortage of staff training. People with learning disabilities at risk of offending usually have moderate, mild or borderline disabilities. They frequently have challenging behaviour, additional physical or mental health needs and/or autism. Often their family background is one of chaos, deprivation, abuse and neglect. Usually they have been known to services during childhood but some may lose touch with services for a while when they leave school.
Reflections on systemic barriers for ethnic minorities in accessing community-based forensic services for people with intellectual disabilities and autism
- Author:
- COLEMAN Mercedez
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Intellectual Disabilities and Offending Behaviour, 13(1), 2022, pp.12-19.
- Publisher:
- Emerald
Purpose: Community-based forensic support services (CBFSSs) were commissioned nationally by National Health Service (NHS) England in 2017 in response to “Building the Right Support” (NHS England, 2015). CBFSSs provide multidisciplinary support to adults with intellectual disabilities and/or autism who are in (or at risk of) contact with the criminal justice system and those transitioning from inpatient secure care. This paper aims to highlight potential systemic barriers to accessing community forensic services for people from an ethnic minority background. in one CBFSSs in Northern England. Design/methodology/approach: This paper provides preliminary reflections on potential systemic barriers within the criminal justice system and health-care services that have implications for service users from ethnic minority backgrounds accessing CBFSSs. Findings: There is a paucity of data, policy and literature that focuses on people with intellectual disabilities and autism with forensic needs from ethnic minority backgrounds. This lack of data obstructs further reforms to meet the needs of this population. Originality/value: CBFSSs are commissioned across England. While some regional variation is to be expected, services should be aware of the systemic barriers people from ethnic minority backgrounds within their region face. These barriers should be considered and addressed when evaluating service efficacy and delivery. Recommendations are made to review and address issues of under-representation of ethnic minorities within CBFSSs. (Edited publisher abstract)
Supporting justice-involved people with extreme complex needs in the Australian community: a third sector practice perspective
- Authors:
- HANLEY Natalia, SIMPSON Helen, TAURI Juan M.
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Intellectual Disabilities and Offending Behaviour, 13(1), 2022, pp.45-55.
- Publisher:
- Emerald
Purpose: This qualitative research aims to explore staff perspectives on working effectively with people with intellectual disability who are in contact with the criminal justice system. Design/methodology/approach: Taking a case study approach, staff working for a third sector community organisation were interviewed about the components of effective work with their customers. The staff supported people engaged in the Community Justice Program. Findings: Staff consistently described relationship building as the most important part of their work. There were three components to relationship building: the process of relationship building, the elements of a high-quality staff-customer relationship and the staff skills needed to develop a good relationship. Originality/value: This paper makes two contributions to the literature. First, it focuses our attention on a third sector organisation supporting people in contact with the justice system as opposed to a formal criminal justice agency. Second, the paper seeks to understand the processes and skills staff deploy to build a high-quality relationship with criminal justice-involved people with intellectual disability. (Edited publisher abstract)
Capabilities of practitioners supporting young men with mild-to-borderline intellectual impairment
- Authors:
- CATALANO Grazia, WILSON Jill
- Journal article citation:
- Australian Social Work, 74(3), 2021, pp.264-275.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
This paper identifies key capabilities for practice identified by community practitioners who seek to support the re-entry and reintegration in community after imprisonment of young men with mild-to-borderline intellectual impairment. It is based on a recent qualitative study undertaken in south-east Queensland, Australia, drawing on in-depth and semistructured interviews with community practitioners working with this population group that is over-represented in the criminal justice system. Applying the capability approach based on the work of Amartya Sen, the study examined community practitioners’ self-reported engagement with young men with mild-to-borderline intellectual impairment involved in the criminal justice system. The analytical strategy was based on grounded theory and from the findings a set of practitioner capabilities and functionings were developed to guide future work by practitioners who support young men with mild-to-borderline intellectual impairment in community re-entry and reintegration. (Edited publisher abstract)
Football teams for people with intellectual disabilities living in the community: “it helps your self-esteem and that, don’t it?”
- Author:
- WHITE Rose
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Intellectual Disabilities and Offending Behaviour, 8(4), 2017, pp.201-211.
- Publisher:
- Emerald
Purpose: People with intellectual disabilities (ID) can be vulnerable to developing mental health problems. It has been found that participating in regular exercise can help to improve emotional well-being, both in typically developing people and those with ID. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the experiences of community clients with ID who have engaged in a football training programme, and the perceived impacts on attitudes, mood and behaviour. Design/methodology/approach: Interviews with seven patients from generic or forensic community ID services were conducted. The transcripts were analysed using interpretative phenomenological analysis. Findings: Two master themes were identified from the interviews, “Striving” and “Togetherness”. Originality/value: The most important factors related to taking part in the football programme were the social, emotional and personal growth associated with being part of a team and general enjoyment of being part of something. Although aspects of football knowledge and physical fitness were still evident, their impact seemed to be less significant. The experience of football was overwhelmingly positive. (Publisher abstract)