Search

Accessible Summary: Some clients in learning disability services have problems in their relationships with people. Some clients with learning disability have broken the law and live in hospital. For clients in hospital, treatment can be learning about managing behaviour, feelings and relationships.  This treatment is given by different professionals. This treatment is important to help stop these clients getting into trouble with the police again. An important part of treatment is to help clients understand their experiences in relationships. This case study is about Oliver, and how psychologists and an art therapist worked together to help him.​ Abstract: Background: Clients with attachment issues are over‐represented in learning disability services. Forensic inpatient services are no exception. Treatment pathways comprise multidisciplinary interventions, and skills‐based treatments are considered vital to recovery and maintenance of prosocial and adaptive behaviour and reduction in risk. An important aspect of treatment is the psychological intervention to enable clients to understand their early experiences and the way this may have impacted on later relationships and behaviour. Without exploring the difficult early lives that many clients in forensic inpatient services have experienced, skills‐based treatments and attempts to facilitate discharge may not be effective. Materials and methods: This case study presents the theoretical background of attachment, autism, learning disability and sexual offending that informed the collaborative multidisciplinary psychological treatment offered to one man with learning disabilities and autism in a secure forensic setting. Results: The introduction of Art Psychotherapy enabled the client to explore his history and the potential internal barriers to his therapeutic progress. Issues of safety and belonging, previously unexplored with this man, were uncovered and these themes were incorporated into his risk formulation and treatment plan. Conclusions: The paper reflects on the specific contribution of Art Psychotherapy in specialist services, and the importance of the collaborative relationship between the Art Psychotherapist and the ward Multi‐Disciplinary Team. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accessible summary:: “Learning disability” replaced the outdated term, “mentally handicapped” in the UK over 20 years ago. Recently, some services and professionals have been using the term “intellectual disability” instead. In America, “intellectual disability” has been chosen to replace the old term, “mental retardation.” There has been lots of explanation why this has happened. In the UK, there has not been much explanation. It is important to know what terms mean and why they are being used because their use affects the lives of people with learning disabilities. This article looks at what different people in the UK think about term “intellectual disability.” Abstract: Background: The term “intellectual disability” is increasingly used to refer to people with learning disabilities in British learning disability policy, practice and research. This change is undoubtedly a reflection of the changing international context. The inclusion of the term “intellectual disability” has been particularly pronounced in countries such as the USA. By contrast, this change has been relatively silent in England. Methods: In light of this, the paper explores the discussions of 12 focus groups conducted with professional and lay groups working in or influencing learning disability research and practice in England. Each focus group was asked the following two questions: Have you heard of the term “intellectual disability” and how do you feel about the term “intellectual disability?.” Discussion and Conclusion: Thematic analysis of the discussions identified four dominant themes: dislike and disbelief; ambiguity; tautology; and fear. It is concluded that more explanation is required in order for researchers and practitioners in England to understand this semantic change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study examined the effects of transition employment support to two cohorts of young people who were in their last year in school or college in 2005/2006 and 2006/ 2007. This paper reports the views of carers, teachers and support workers of the impact this additional support made to the young people. 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 aim and purpose of transition support and which may make it difficult to achieve a smooth transition for all stakeholders when not taken into account. This may have implications for how to structure and deliver transition support, some of which are being outlined in the discussion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accessible summary: • Valuing People is a policy which aims to help people with learning disabilities become included in all parts of life. It needs money and resources to make it work. • It has worked well for some people but others have had some very bad experiences as a result of how the policy has worked. • This has led to these people not being included, and this is something that nobody intended to happen. • We make some suggestions of how things could be improved, so that the aims of Valuing People can be met. The paper examines aspects of the implementation of Valuing People by focusing upon four case studies of people, which are representative of a greater number of referrals to an organisation providing support for people with learning disabilities. It shows that despite many positive aspects of the policy, it sometimes fails the most vulnerable, resulting in greater levels of social exclusion for this group. The paper draws on Scull (1983) and Burton & Kagan’s (2006) documentary analysis of Valuing People ( Department of Health, 2001 ) to argue that the policy, in its implementation, is firmly located within the Government’s neo-liberal ideology. The conclusion is that whilst the policy is intended to be one which enhances social inclusion, its implementation has the unintended consequences of social exclusion, which could have been, and still can be, avoided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accessible Summary In the UK, more people with learning disabilities have the chance to have more choice and control over their lives., One big issue for many people with learning disabilities is that they should have control over their own money., There can be quite a lot of problems for people with learning disabilities around managing money. Staff do not always know how best to help. Banks and building societies are not always helpful or accessible., Giving people more choice or control over their money does not always mean that things will be better for people with learning disabilities., People with learning difficulties need better kinds of support to have choice and control over their money., Summary In the UK, policy on adult social care places an emphasis on maximising choice and control for service users, including people with learning disabilities. The shift from the provision of organised services for groups of people to offering individual and personal budgets and pots of money for people to buy their own services has major implications for the way in which people with learning disabilities are offered the opportunity to be much more 'hands-on' with managing their own financial affairs. Some of the financial implications of personalisation are arguably quite complex, and it is not clear how well people with learning disabilities are being supported with this. This paper highlights some key and emerging issues on the topic of money and personalisation and draws on interviews with a range of staff in learning disability services and highlights their views, hopes and concerns about the best ways to support people with money matters. The response of mainstream financial institutions to the needs of people with learning disabilities and the political and economic context in which the personalisation agenda is developing are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]