Anjuli Kaul explores a recent systematic review on the identification and treatment of mental health and substance misuse problems in sexual assault services.
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Mindfulness has been offered as a way to help reduce stress in family and carers but few studies have as yet looked directly at the effects of offering mindfulness-based interventions to people with learning disabilities themselves.
In her debut blog, Leen Vereenhooghe looks at an attempt to evaluate a mindfulness group in an inpatient assessment and treatment unit through the experiences of those who took part.
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We know that access to accurate information is crucial if people are to make good decisions about the support they get from services. If someone with a learning disability is admitted to a hospital unit for assessment or treatment for a mental health issue or in response to behaviour that is challenging support services, this can be a particularly difficult and confusing time for all concerned.
In her debut blog, Alison Giraud-Saunders, along with co-author Angela Cole, describes a booklet that she co-authored with the involvement of family members which has lots of key information on the law and people’s rights.
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Background The recent position paper by the Royal College of Psychiatrists on the need for in-patient beds for people with learning disabilities was published as part of the response to the Winterbourne View scandal. The paper made it clear that it was important to make a very clear distinction between the function of in-patient support [read the full story…]
Background When asked to consider what makes life good for us, we might often think about the central place of choice – the choice of what we wear, what we eat, how we spend our time, the work we do – all these things will be part of our identity. If we need support, then [read the full story…]
The events at Winterbourne View assessment and treatment service, where the BBC Panorama programme uncovered systematic abuse of people with learning disabilities, has led to a serious case review written by Margaret Flynn and Vic Citarella. The review concluded that the services provided at Winterbourne View were not based on an understanding of the needs of the [read the full story…]
Yesterday saw the release of the serious case review relating to the appalling treatment of people at the Winterbourne View care home, as exposed in the BBC Panorama programme last year. The review, chaired by Margaret Flynn, points to a lack of leadership amongst commissioners, as well as criticising the role of the Care Quality [read the full story…]
Last year, the BBC screened its secret filming at the Winterbourne view home in Bristol which showed shocking scenes of abuse. The subsequent inquiry led to arrests and convictions, but there were concerns that this was not an isolated incident. The care services minister stated his determination to strengthen safeguards and the Care Standards Commission [read the full story…]
Previous posts on this blog have pointed to the fact that there is a lack of knowledge in some areas around the mental capacity act. This paper sets out the learning from developing and implementing a two phase process to help professionals involved in conducting capacity assessments to overcome any hesitation or lack of confidence. [read the full story…]
