In this blog, Tara Quinn-Cirillo looks at a qualitative study looking at the issue of autonomy for older women with learning disabilities.
[read the full story...]"What about me?" Autonomy in older women with learning disabilities
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Results: 10
For: advocacy AND personalisation
Safe and social – helping learning disabled people improve skills and understanding
Some people with learning disabilities may find it difficult to learn social rules and behaviours, which can impact on involvement and engagement in their commnunities.
In her debut blog, Mandy Johnson looks at a project in the Republic of Ireland which set out to help people consider the desirability of a range of social behaviours and the complexities of social context.
[read the full story...]Self-concept amongst adults with mild learning disabilities is good, but can be strengthened with practitioner support
A positive self concept has been associated with psychological well-being, peer acceptance and self-confidence, but how do people with mild learning disabilities view themselves?
In this, his debut blog, Alex Leeder looks at a qualitative study that set out to provide us with a deeper understanding of how adults with learning disabilities think about themselves and how practitioners could help them to think about this more positively.
[read the full story...]“There’s no need to laugh. Isn’t this a normal subject?” People with learning disabilities talking about sex and relationships
People with learning disabilities need to be able to talk about sexuality, sex and relationships, but often this opportunity is denied or is heavily influenced by existing social and cultural norms.
In this, her debut blog, Michelle Gregory looks at a paper which reports on how one self advocacy group tackled this issue and how they disseminated their findings.
[read the full story...]Sex education programmes focused on ‘protection’ and ‘prevention’ with little attention given to supporting people to develop healthy, positive sexual relationships
Knowledge about sexuality is a key factor in helping people develop healthy relationships, maintain their sexual health and avoid potentially abusive situations, but how much do sexuality education programmes for people with learning disabilities help fulfil these aims?
In her debut blog, Sian Anderson looks at a review of literature which looks at the effectiveness of sex education programmes and educational materials developed for people with mild or moderate learning disabilities.
[read the full story...]Equipping family carers with better information about in-patient assessment and treatment for people with learning disabilities
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.
[read the full story...]National event for people with learning disabilities provides clear proposals for inclusion and development
Earlier this year, a national event organised by and for people with learning disabilities looked at the closure of long stay institutions. Here we reflect on the proceedings and the positive and constructive proposals that emerged.
[read the full story...]Review finds lack of published, robust evidence on impact of advocacy in social care services
Background A recent report from the Improving Health and Lives team suggested that over half of the advocacy organisations in the UK provide services for people with learning disabilities. The report pointed out that given the increasing move towards personalisation and the changes taking place in the organization of commissioning, that there was likely to [read the full story…]
Best interests decision research reports complexity of practice and concerns about notion of capacity
Background The Mental Capacity Act (2005) provides a legal framework for assessing capacity in individuals. Where an individual is shown not to have capacity to make a specific decision at a specific point in time, it also provides a framework for decisions to be made on behalf of that person, in that person’s best interest. [read the full story…]
Good practice projects in supporting people with learning disabilities identified in DH project report
Background What is good practice when supporting people with learning disabilities? This is the question that was raised following the publication of the Government’s interim report into the events at Winterbourne View. The question was put to the National Valuing Families Forum and the National Forum for People with Learning Disabilities over the last year [read the full story…]