NOCON Andrew, et al.
The social support needs of physically and sensorily disabled adults: a literature review.
Northern Ireland. Department of Health and Social Services. Social Services Inspectorate, 1995.
Summary
Literature review of major publications and research, 1985-95, of social support needs of physically and sensorily disabled adults; and to take account of international and national developments.
Context
Review was commissioned by SSI Northern Ireland to inform a task group developing strategies for physically and sensorily disabled adults.
Contents
Chapters address
- background
- independent living
- involving users
- organisational tasks
- provision of appropriate services
- sensory disability
- the wider social context
Discussion
New community care arrangements and the demands of the disability movement have potential to improve the care that disabled people receive from personal social services. However, specialist social workers may be drawn into generic care management and professional staff may be unwilling to share power.
Findings
User-directed personal assistance schemes have enabled disabled people to determine what assistance is to be provided, how, when and by whom, and have been shown to be cheaper than services provided by the statutory sector.
Partnership with users calls for a major cultural shift within organisations. Examples of over-investment show that such a shift is possible and can yield valuable results. Users nevertheless need appropriate support, facilities and training if they are to be enabled to contribute fully to the planning process.
Organisational tasks required are a population needs assessment on which to base the provision of appropriate services; an integrated approach by health and personal social services; education and training for professional staff; and outcomes evaluation to establish how well services are meeting users' needs and achieving policy goals.
Existing services have shortcomings, including unsuitable goals and timing, long waits for equipment, imposing of professionals' views, and inappropriate services for young people, older people and people from ethnic minorities.
Services for sensorily disabled people have been especially poor, with little known about needs and inadequate responses by agencies.
Disabled people require more support to gain access to mainstream provision in housing, employment, transport, education and access to buildings, as well as greater financial support to cope with their additional costs. The most successful approaches to equality of opportunity for disabled people involve universally accessible provision and a corporate inter-agency approach.
Conclusion
Accessing needs and providing more appropriate services requires listening to disabled people's views, the involvement of disabled people in individual needs assessment and broader service planning, and major change within tight budgets at the same time as a demanding new set of organisational responsibilities. The challenge is underpinned by the basic principle of a concept of independent living, equal opportunities and a voice in determining how needs are to be met.
See also executive summary
Annotated bibliography 155 refs plus 308 refs