Background Personalised or individualised supports are those which respond to unique needs of an individual, which focus on their personal assets and abilities; accentuate choice and control and are delivered in the community alongside other citizens. In recent years in the Republic of Ireland, there has been an increasing focus in public policy on personalisation [read the full story…]
Background Cost pressures on adult social care budgets continue, with evidence to the Select Committee on Public Service and Demographic Change suggesting that 85% of councils are implementing eligibility thresholds at ‘substantial’ or ‘critical’ needs. Adults with learning disabilities who are in receipt of adult social care support may need support for substantial periods and [read the full story…]
The recently published guidance from the joint commissioning panel for mental health suggested that ‘there is no universally agreed commissioning model for mental health services supporting people with learning disabilities’ and this reflects an on-going debate about the structure and delivery of services to meet the needs of this group. The commissioning guidance suggests that [read the full story…]
The evidence on prevalence of mental health issues in people with learning disabilities is subject to some debate, as a result of methodological issues in the published studies. Despite these difficulties, there is agreement that the prevalence of mental health problems in this group is high. There continues to be debate over the appropriateness of [read the full story…]
In times of economic hardship, it would be easy to discount the contribution to emotional well being that taking part in arts activities can afford us. However, the arts offer opportunities for self expression and people with learning disabilities have the right to take part in creative and expressive activities, achieving new goals and potentially [read the full story…]
A number of recent inquiries have highlighted the concern that people with learning disabilities may on occasion be denied access to their basic human rights. The authors of this study set out to explore this concern in relation to approaches to risk management taken in services, which they suggest may focus too much on professional [read the full story…]
The organisation of mental health services for people with learning disabilities, particularly issues relating to inpatient care remains an important area for research. This review of the literature set out to identify recent findings. The review found that people with learning disabilities appeared to be admitted with more severe problems and also received more interventions [read the full story…]
