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The purpose of this paper is to review a case of a man with a mild learning disability and autistic spectrum disorder who successfully appealed against a Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards authorisation under English law.

The authors wanted to identify the factors contributing to the individual’s deprivation of liberty and subsequent successful appeal. The authors examined the accounts from the experts involved on each side of the case including different views on the person’s capacity to make certain decisions. The authors examined several of the individual’s psychological and psychiatric assessments. The authors interviewed the individual on two occasions: once during the appeals process, and following his successful appeal.

The authors identified several reasons as to why the individual was successful in appealing against the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards. First, the individual was able to seek legal support to appeal independently. Second, experts involved on each side of the case had differing opinions regarding capacity to make certain decisions. Third, the indication for the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards was subsequently declared not valid. Finally, the authors found that the quality of life and psychological well-being for the individual improved following removal of restrictions.

The authors highlight the wider issues relating to an individuals’ rights to challenge authorisations in the Court of Protection as well as to future considerations and directions of the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards legislation in light of evolving case law.

The authors highlight the importance of empowering patients in matters relating to their care and treatment, as well as protecting their human rights, dignity and autonomy.

The authors examine the barriers to challenging Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards authorisation and the ever-evolving Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards process.

Over 1,250 people with intellectual disabilities die unnecessarily every year in NHS care. The purpose of this paper is to develop higher-order learning amongst medical students to increase engagement with this disadvantaged group and redress this injustice in care provision.

The Psychiatry of Intellectual Disability input to University College London's (UCL) undergraduate medicine MBBS curriculum was re-designed. Materials were developed to broaden the students’ understanding of the stigma and health implication of intellectual disability and the affect it has on the care received by these patients. These were delivered in lecture and e-learning formats. The concept of psychological capital was used to frame the development of new materials with direct involvement of service users with intellectual disability. It is a management model designed to promote higher levels of learning, resulting in a deeper understanding of patient issues by UCL medical graduates.

Findings from the online survey that accompanies the e-learning materials suggests that students have overwhelmingly adopted a positive outlook towards patients with intellectual disability and consider training necessary for all doctors. The filmed scenarios with people with intellectual disability appealed to students.

The broadening of the educational materials required a re-design of the methods of curriculum delivery, a higher level of self-directed learning and student time commitment. Further assessments of the impact of the module are planned to include formative assessments of learning.

Medical lack of knowledge, personal attitudes and a reluctance to engage with people with intellectual disability have been identified as barriers to their receiving appropriate care.

A blend of organisational change theories has been integrated into the production of a new, multi-media, e-learning package.

This article has been withdrawn as it was published elsewhere and accidentally duplicated. The original article can be seen here: 10.1108/09684879710173398. When citing the article, please cite: Ian W. Hall, (1997), “Using ISO 9000 to improve customer service”, Training for Quality, Vol. 5 Iss: 3, pp. 126 - 129.

The article reviews the policy, legislation and literature on sex and relationships for people with learning disability, through a search of electronic databases, journals and other resources. It reviews the rights of people with learning disabilities to a sexual life and their views of service responses, sexual offences legislation and the link between sexual knowledge and practice. It also explores sexual orientation and preference among people with learning disabilities, differences between the genders and sexual offending, including consideration of ‘victimless’ offences. It concludes that the balance between empowering and protecting people with learning disabilities is challenging but important. Interventions to promote safer, healthier sexual behaviour need to address more than improving knowledge. We need to find out more about what people with learning disabilities think about their sexual experiences and how they are supported in this area.

Secure inpatient services for people with intellectual disability are provided in a piecemeal way, often without strategic commissioning. We describe how we conducted a needs assessment that enabled us to develop a new service for men with intellectual disability who often had substantial additional mental health needs. Consulting with all stakeholders was essential, and we found the service user and family perspectives particularly helpful. We had to make special arguments for some aspects of the treatment programme. We found that foundation trusts that are able to develop services at financial risk, before contracts are signed, enabled development to take place at a faster pace. Good relationships with community teams have been essential, as has true integration with mainstream forensic services. Maintaining a relationship with commissioners was a particularly challenging aspect, perhaps because the development was provider‐led. Despite these challenges, many people with intellectual disability with very high needs are being supported much nearer to home.

The care programme approach (CPA) is an important part of supporting people with mental health problems in the community and has been applied with variable success in services for people with learning disabilities. Investigation into service users' understanding of the CPA has been limited. We employed multiple methodologies to explore what service users with learning disabilities and additional mental health problems thought about the CPA process, and what their understanding of it was. We used the findings to work with other professionals to adapt the meetings in a way that was accessible and inclusive. We included this work in the service communication plan and produced guidance for care co‐ordinators and materials to be used at the meetings. The guidance and materials can be used by any service and will be available online.

It is widely recognised that people with intellectual disabilities receive a poorer quality of healthcare than their non-disabled counterparts. Training for healthcare professionals in intellectual disability is often scant or non-existent. The purpose of this paper is to explore the usefulness of employing actors with intellectual disabilities as simulated patients in the assessment of trainee psychiatrists.

The development of a structured clinical exam “station” designed to assess the ability of trainee psychiatrists to communicate with a simulated patient played by an actor with an intellectual disability is described. The paper also assesses the potential benefits of this kind of assessment and the experience of actors and examiners taking part in this process.

The station was found to perform well in discriminating between candidates of various abilities and was well received by actors, examiners and observers. The station is now routinely used in the formal assessment of trainee psychiatrists.

The use of people with intellectual disabilities in training and assessment appears to be advantageous in terms of improving knowledge, attitudes and skills amongst healthcare professionals and gives increased opportunities for people with intellectual disabilities to undertake valued social roles.

Few institutions currently employ actors with intellectual disabilities as simulated patients as part of their training programmes and as a result there is little in the way of literature on this subject. This paper describes an alternative approach to teaching and assessment which falls in line with recommendations from the Department of Health to involve service users in the training of healthcare professionals.

The new Mental Health Act 2007 substantially amends the Mental Health Act 1983. In this article, some of the most important changes are highlighted, including changes to the definition of mental disorder, the new professional roles of approved mental health practitioner and responsible clinician, and the new powers for Supervised Community Treatment. The likely impact of these changes for people with learning disability and professionals working with them is discussed.