Search results for ‘Subject term:"learning disabilities"’ Sort:
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Feeling down and understanding depression
- Authors:
- CRONIN Peter, PEYTON Liam, CHAPLIN Eddie
- Journal article citation:
- Advances in Mental Health and Intellectual Disabilities, 11(1), 2017, pp.2-7.
- Publisher:
- Emerald
This paper offers the view of two people with learning disabilities lived experience of depression. The paper also offers and insight into some of the strategies they use to manage and encourage positive mental health. (Edited publisher abstract)
Making disability conferences more actively inclusive
- Author:
- CALLUS Anne-Marie
- Journal article citation:
- Disability and Society, 32(10), 2017, pp.1661-1665.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
In this article the author explores how generic disability conferences can become more inclusive of participants with intellectual disability. Increased inclusivity entails adapting to the support needs of people with intellectual disability, in line with the principles and practice of inclusive research. The author considers three specific areas where there can be more inclusion – access to information related to the conference, access to knowledge imparted during the conference, and financial issues. While many good practices have been developed in these areas, it is important to ensure that inclusion is catered for in a systematic and pro-active manner, so that people with intellectual disability have increasingly more meaningful and active roles within disability studies and disability research. (Edited publisher abstract)
“Everyone thought I was a very very bad person… no one want to know you like the nurses and doctors”: Using focus groups to elicit the views of adults with learning disability who use challenging behaviour services
- Authors:
- HAYDON-LAURELUT Mark, et al
- Journal article citation:
- British Journal of Learning Disabilities, 45(4), 2017, pp.253-258.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
Accessible summary: 1) The authors wanted to find out what adults with learning disabilities who receive challenging behaviour services thought about challenging behaviour and the services they receive; 2) They met with people in small groups and talked with them about challenging behaviour; 3) There were barriers to attending the groups like services not having enough staff or transport. People in the groups told us what they thought of words like challenging behaviour, what they understood about challenging behaviour services, and what it was like meeting with them. Background: Following scandals such as Winterbourne view, Department of Health, (A national response to Winterbourne View Hospital, 2012) seeks changes in challenging behaviour services. A key part of this change is ensuring people with learning disabilities who use challenging behaviour services have more personalised support and their voices are heard. Materials and Methods: This article describes a study that used focus groups to explore challenging behaviour and challenging behaviour services with people with learning disabilities who used community-based challenging behaviour services. The authors analysed the focus groups using thematic analysis. Results: The authors found three main themes: Engaging with service terminology: the language of Challenging Behaviour; Locating and Framing behaviour; and Engaging with Professionals. Conclusion: People with learning disabilities who receive challenging behaviour services are able to participate in focus groups and tell us about their experiences. Further consideration is required concerning how people with learning disabilities experience their engagement with challenging behaviour services. This study has led to a larger study currently in progress. (Edited publisher abstract)
Easy read and accessible information for people with intellectual disabilities: Is it worth it? A meta-narrative literature review
- Authors:
- CHINN Deborah, HOMEYARD Claire
- Journal article citation:
- Health Expectations, 20(6), 2017, pp.1189-1200. Online only
- Publisher:
- Wiley
Background: The proliferation of “accessible information” for people with intellectual disabilities in UK health care has accelerated in recent years, underpinned by policy guidance alongside the recent introduction of mandatory standards. However, questions have been raised as to the impact of such resources as a means of enhancing involvement in health care and addressing health inequalities. Objective: To review and synthesise the evidence from different approaches used to evaluate the impact of accessible information for people with intellectual disabilities using a meta-narrative approach. Search strategy: Literature searches were iterative and incorporated formal databases, grey literature and hand searches alongside more intuitive and opportunistic methods. Inclusion criteria: Included English language papers published before December 2015 described the design and evaluation of written information adapted for adults with intellectual disabilities. Data extraction and synthesis: The authors organised the papers into five groups according to similarity in authors’ writing styles and presentation, epistemology and theoretical foundations, aims and methodologies, professional and organisational identities. Main results: The 42 included papers in the five groupings occupied diverse positions on (i) public communication vs individualised materials, (ii) literacy as contextualised skills vs social practices and (iii) the expertise of patients vs professionals. There was limited evidence for the impact of accessible health information, notwithstanding the potential benefits associated with their creation. Conclusions: Individually tailored information is more likely to meet personalised health information needs for people with intellectual disabilities. The emergence of different social formations in the creation of accessible information has potential for advancing engagement of diverse groups. (Edited publisher abstract)
Conundrums of supported living: the experiences of people with intellectual disability
- Authors:
- BIGBY Christine, BOULD Emma, BEADLE-BROWN Julie
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Intellectual and Developmental Disability, 42(4), 2017, pp.309-319.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
Background: Dissatisfaction with the inflexibility of the group home model has led to the growth of supported living that separates housing from support and is thought to have greater potential for better quality of life outcomes. Comparative studies have had mixed findings with some showing few differences, other than greater choice in supported living. By investigating service user experiences of supported living this study aimed to identify how the potential of supported living might be better realised. Method: Thirty-four people with intellectual disability participated in 7 focus group interviews and 6 people in an individual interview. Data were analysed using grounded theory methods. Results: Although participants experienced greater choice and control over their everyday lives, they did not feel they controlled the way support was provided and experienced restrictions on lifestyle associated with low income. Despite their use of community places and varied social connections to family, friends, and acquaintances, most experienced loneliness. Conclusions: If the potential of supported living is to be realised, shortcomings of support arrangements must be addressed by, for example, greater consistency of support worker skills, consumer control over recruitment and rostering, and more skilled support to build friendships and manage difficult relationships. (Publisher abstract)
Co-production and pilot of a structured interview using Talking Mats® to survey the television viewing habits and preferences of adults and young people with learning disabilities
- Authors:
- BUNNING Karen, et al
- Journal article citation:
- British Journal of Learning Disabilities, 45(1), 2017, pp.1-11.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
Background: Capturing the views of people with learning disabilities is not straightforward. Talking Mats® has been used successfully to solicit the views of such individuals. The aim was to co-produce an interview schedule using Talking Mats® on the subject of television-viewing habits and preferences of adults and young people with learning disabilities. A secondary aim was to assess the feasibility of the tool prior to a larger scale survey. Materials and Methods: A co-production process was adopted for the development of the Talking Mats ® interview. Ten adults with learning disabilities were recruited as collaborators. Six people participated in an advisory group that met on six occasions. Four supplementary members reviewed the group's work separately. The collaborators generated vocabulary for the tool, selected the most meaningful graphic symbols and reviewed the categories of television programmes. A script to accompany the Talking Mats® procedure was developed and checked for linguistic complexity. The resulting tool was piloted with five participants. The procedure was video recorded and evaluated for procedural effectiveness. Findings: Review of the video recordings from the pilot study revealed that no participant scored below the minimum effectiveness rating of 12. Areas of difficulty that were noted included: time duration of interview, tangibility of symbols and currency of vocabulary. These triggered a number of recommendations for address in the larger scale survey (Publisher abstract)
Using photovoice to include people with profound and multiple learning disabilities in inclusive research
- Author:
- CLULEY Victoria
- Journal article citation:
- British Journal of Learning Disabilities, 45(1), 2017, pp.39-46.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
Background: It is now expected that projects addressing the lives of people with learning disabilities include people with learning disabilities in the research process. In the past, such research often excluded people with learning disabilities, favouring the opinions of family members, carers and professionals. The inclusion of the voices of people with learning disabilities is a welcome and much needed change. While there has been many valuable inclusive researches carried out in the past 10–15 years, much of this research has included people with mild and/or moderate learning disabilities. Far less published research has included people with profound and multiple learning disabilities. Materials and Methods: This research article outlines how the visual method ‘photovoice’ can be successfully used to include people with profound and multiple learning disabilities in the research process. Results and discussion: It is argued that inclusive research is often limited by the choice of research methods, which result in the exclusion of people with profound and multiple learning disabilities from the research process. The article advocates a mediated and flexible approach to inclusive research that embraces and supports the needs of all involved. A practical example of photovoice research with people with learning disabilities demonstrates how this can be achieved. Conclusion: When planning inclusive research, researchers should be mindful of both the variety of needs that people with learning disabilities can bring to the research process and the need to tailor methods to these needs. Such action requires a flexible approach to the inclusive research process. (Publisher abstract)
Researching unheard voices: parents caring for their adult children who have learning disabilities
- Author:
- LAWRENCE Julie
- Journal article citation:
- Social Work and Social Sciences Review, 19(3), 2017, pp.81-97.
- Publisher:
- Whiting and Birch
The intention of this article is to convey the importance of research with ‘hard to reach’ populations and utilise the outcomes from a qualitative (Doctor of Philosophy) study completed in 2017. Important issues, which involved both social workers located within an adults’ multi-disciplinary team (MDT) and parents who supported their (adult) children with learning disabilities, are discussed throughout. The White Paper Valuing People (Department of Health, 2001) is briefly discussed in relation to the impetus towards supporting parents and informal carers. Furthermore, the notion of health and social care integration and its progress is also highlighted, with a focus upon how progress (or not) has had an effect upon parents supporting an (adult) child with learning disabilities. Creative methods of parental engagement are revealed, which highlight the complexities of supporting a son or a daughter with learning disabilities. Stanfield’s (2000) Four-level Framework has been utilised as the basis for data generation and the analysis of the findings. The ‘lived experiences’ of parents who received statutory services are presented as five individual case studies, which discuss their sons’ and daughters’ support arrangements. The Mental Capacity Act, 2005 has been referred to in this article as the underpinning legislation which brought about changes for the parents and the circumstances of their children. Consequently, the parents discussed their changing relationships with social workers as a result of using this legislation. All the parents (n=5) illustrated the significance of social workers’ support and how their input had made a positive difference to their lives. The findings from this research study were shared with social workers and allied health professionals located within the learning disabilities service. The purpose was to present ‘new knowledge’ about the lives of parents receiving multi-disciplinary services. (Edited publisher abstract)
Supporting personal relationships: supporting people who need care and support to have meaningful relationships
- Author:
- SKILLS FOR CARE
- Publisher:
- Skills for Care
- Publication year:
- 2017
- Pagination:
- 22
- Place of publication:
- Leeds
A guide to help employers to develop their staff to support people with learning disabilities their personal relationships, in a way that respects and values the individual. The guide highlights the importance of focusing on the benefits that personal relationships can bring, and providing support around what personal relationships mean to the person and how it fits in with their personal choices and needs. Sections of the guide cover the values and behaviours that social care workers need and what they need to know and understand to support people with their personal relationships in a person-centred way. It also explains what employers can do to support the development of their workforce and how to develop a workforce development programme to provide staff with the skills to support personal relationships. A good practice example provides details of a workshop run by The Avenues Group to train staff in personal relationships, sexuality and sex. Appendix provides handouts from the workshop. The guide has been developed with people who need care and support, their families and social care employers. (Edited publisher abstract)
Perceptions of therapeutic principles in a therapeutic community
- Authors:
- CAPONE Georgina, et al
- Journal article citation:
- Therapeutic Communities: the International Journal of Therapeutic Communities, 38(2), 2017, pp.60-78.
- Publisher:
- Emerald
Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to explore staff and service users’ perceptions of therapeutic principles within a unique male high secure learning disability therapeutic community (LDTC). Design/methodology/approach: A qualitative approach was adopted using deductive content analysis and inductive thematic analysis. In total, 12 participants took part in a semi-structured interview to explore their perceptions of Haigh’s (2013) quintessence principles and any further additional therapeutic features in the environment not captured by the theory. Findings: All five quintessence principles were identified in the LDTC environment. Some limits to the principle of “agency” were highlighted, with specific reference to difficulties implementing a flattened hierarchy in a forensic setting. Additional therapeutic features were identified including; security and risk, responsivity, and more physical freedom which appear to aid implementation of the quintessence principles. Research limitations/implications: The study was performed within a single case study design. Therefore, results remain specific to this LDTC. However, the finding of these principles in such a unique setting may indicate Haigh’s (2013) quintessence principles are evident in other TC environments. Originality/value: This is the first research paper that has attempted to test whether Haigh’s (2013) quintessence principles are evident within a given therapeutic community. The research provides empirical evidence for the quintessence principles in a novel TC setting and suggests recommendations for future research. (Publisher abstract)