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This article describes the changes in the population of people with learning disabilities in Sheffield and the associated demand for specialist learning disability services, primary and acute health services and the wider public realm. It comments particularly on people with the most complex needs. The study to produce this data was in two parts: an analysis of changes in the overall number of people with a learning disability which included a projection of how the number might change over the next ten years, and an analysis of the health and support needs of young people with profound and multiple learning disabilities (PMLD), and how these might change in the future. The findings are compelling. The overall number of people with a learning disability in Sheffield increased by 25% in the 10 years from 1998 to 2008, the number of children and young people with a learning disability increased by nearly 120% and young people with PMLD were found to have an unprecedented level of health and social care need, which will increase further as they enter adulthood. The implications of the findings are discussed and suggestions for further research are offered.

The purpose of this paper is to provide insights into diversity management practices in the Baltic states and present experience of HRM practitioners' in initiating the integration of people with disability into the workforce at a multi national retail chain.

An interview with HR managers of a retail chain on issues related to the integration of people with disability into the workforce, providing background for the relevance, motives, implementation difficulties and organisational benefits of such practices from a business perspective.

Main challenges related with integration of people with disability into the workforce are as follows: attraction of people with disability, work adjustment to meet the abilities of employees with disability, and preparation of managers and co‐workers to work along with these people. Attraction of people with disability works best on the basis of references from their peers. These people make highly loyal employees. Besides they contribute to the development of a more positive climate in the organisation.

This paper presents a good practice case on the integration of people with disability, one of the most discriminated groups of employees, which is still a rare business practice in the Baltic countries. It also provides recommendations on integration issues for other practitioners.

There is now a vast amount of available information, research and policy on the transition of young people with learning disabilities to adulthood. These sources are informed by different professional philosophies and practices, resulting in a heterogeneous mass of data that can be confusing, contradictory and repetitive. In this review we provide an overview of recent publications about services for young people with learning disabilities at the time of transition, with particular focus on those with mental disorders including neurodevelopment disorders and/or challenging behaviour. We discuss their relevance to good practice and the implications for the future development of services for people with learning disabilities in the UK. We argue that, despite the qualitative differences between the experience of transition to adulthood for young people with learning disabilities and that of other young people, the principles of service provision remain the same. Developments in research and clinical practice in this field ought to reflect good practice, as well as embracing new methodologies, and benefit from advances in adolescents without learning disabilities.

This paper aims to discuss the barriers that people with intellectual disabilities face to come out as transgender in the context of a paucity of research with or about this group.

The commentary and brief overview of trans participation in literature on people with intellectual disabilities presented in this paper is informed by a Queer Theory and Critical disabilities Studies approach.

Researchers in this area are correct that there is insufficient literature that addressed the experiences of trans people with intellectual disabilities; however, for trans people with intellectual disabilities to be involved in research they must first be safe to self-identify and come out in their communities and services. Existing research suggests that people with intellectual disabilities may face additional barriers to self-identifying as LGTBQ, and that for those who have claimed a trans identity, it is not safe to come out.

There is a need for researchers and professional and lived experience experts to be engaged in policy and social research with the aim of creating safe spaces and communities for people with intellectual disabilities to explore and affirm their gender.

There are no published papers that redirect focus from a paucity of research into the experiences of trans people with intellectual disabilities towards addressing why trans people with intellectual disabilities may choose not to come out in a context of hostility towards transgender identity in disabilities services.

The purpose of this paper is to present information from the Joint Health and Social Care Self-Assessment Framework (JHSCSAF) on reported rates of cervical cancer, breast cancer and bowel cancer screening for eligible people with learning disabilities in England in 2012/2013 compared to screening rates for the general population.

Between 94 and 101 Learning Disability Partnership Boards, as part of the JHSCSAF, provided information to allow the calculation of rates of cervical cancer, breast cancer and bowel cancer screening in their locality, for eligible people with learning disabilities and for the population as a whole.

At a national level, reported cancer screening coverage for eligible people with learning disabilities was substantially lower than for the population as a whole (cervical cancer screening 27.6 per cent of people with learning disabilities vs 70 per cent of total population; breast cancer screening 36.8 per cent of people with learning disabilities vs 57.8 per cent of total population; bowel cancer screening 28.1 per cent of people with learning disabilities vs 40.5 per cent of the general population). There were considerable geographical variations in reported coverage for all three screening programmes.

Consistent with previous research, localities in England report cancer screening rates for eligible people with learning disabilities considerably below those of the general population. There is an urgent need to address data availability and quality issues, as well as reasonable adjustments to cancer screening programmes to ensure uniformly high rates of cancer screening for people with learning disabilities across England.

Given the increased prevalence of mental health problems amongst people with intellectual disabilities, it seems pertinent to consider how the recovery approach could potentially benefit practice within mental health services for people with intellectual disabilities. This paper seeks to explore the similarities between recovery principles and existing approaches in services for people with intellectual disabilities; it also aims to reflect on the potential barriers to the explicit uptake of the “recovery” approach in this context.

The presence and implementation of “recovery” approaches within mental health services for people with intellectual disabilities are reviewed. This is achieved through an examination of existing practices that could be described as recovery oriented, along with reflections on how these relate to the recovery approach. Questions are raised regarding whether practices can be regarded as “recovery oriented”, without first consulting service users.

Further consideration is needed about the extent to which mental health services for people with intellectual disabilities are recovery oriented and how recovery would be defined amongst people with intellectual disabilities.

It is suggested that further research using qualitative methodology is conducted, to enable the voice of service users to be heard.

The paper is one of the first to explore the relevance of the recovery approach to people with intellectual disabilities. Given the increasing emphasis on recovery approaches within mainstream services, it seems vital to give consideration to the potential for its meaningful application to people with intellectual disabilities and mental health problems.

It has been suggested that the emotional needs of people with intellectual disabilities have been neglected (Kroese, 1998). More recently there has been evidence of increased clinical and research activity in this area (Beail, 2003; Bouras & Holt, 2007; Foundation for People with Learning Disabilities, 2004). Currently much of the focus in this area is on mental ill‐health. This article will consider briefly the literature on mental ill‐health, with particular emphasis on the development of individual treatment approaches. From this discussion it will be evident that much of the research and theory in this area focuses on deficits and disadvantage. I will go on to suggest that a clinical and research focus that explores strengths and resilience will offer a more positive agenda for developing understanding of emotional well‐being and mental ill‐health in people with intellectual disabilities.

Psychosocial interventions are a core part of the service structures of mainstream mental health services. Research and clinical services for people with learning disabilities have often adopted a broadly psychosocial perspective. However, there is surprisingly little literature that considers psychosocial intervention for people with learning disabilities who have mental health problems. This paper describes the structure of psychosocial intervention and then considers the evidence base that is available to develop this approach for people with learning disabilities and mental health problems.

The life expectancy of people with learning disabilities has increased substantially. Services for older people with learning disabilities are provided by various sectors and practitioners (generic health and social care, or specialist learning disability or old age). The literature suggests that practitioners do not feel well‐equipped to support people with learning disabilities as they grow older, and older people's services do not always have the opportunity to share experiences and skills. This paper highlights areas such as dementia support, where the intersection between services is not clear, and explores what might help practitioners to meet the needs of people with learning disabilities as they grow older.

Picking up from Cotter et al.’s article on the transferential process, the purpose of this paper is to set out some arguments about the ways of meeting the emotional needs of people with learning disabilities.

The commentary draws on two studies: one is about understanding and changing disabling practices, and the other is about bereavement support for people with learning disabilities. Both use qualitative approaches, and in both studies, people with learning disabilities are active agents or co-researchers, who have assisted in shaping the ideas and values of the research.

Professional practices, including those within the therapeutic context, can act as institutional barriers which create people with learning disabilities as passive or incompetent. However, this paper sets out some preliminary findings showing that not only can people with learning disabilities support each other, but also that face-to-face support workers can support people with learning disabilities to understand and cope with their emotions.

Frontline support workers should be seen as professionals, with their own range of resources to provide good emotional support. Further, people with learning disabilities can come together in groups to develop peer support about difficult and sensitive topics.

Talking about therapies for people with learning disabilities has long been overlooked. As their value is now recognised, it is important that the views and wishes of people with learning disabilities themselves are heard, so that they can contribute to the processes which support them.