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The purpose of this paper is to document the impact of major policy changes and reductions in government funding on residential provision for people with intellectual disabilities (ID) in Ireland.

Ireland is unique in having a national database of people in receipt of services from specialist ID providers. Information on persons in residential settings from 2005 to 2016 was examined in terms of changes in the types of provision over time and broken down by age groups.

From 2011 onwards, cuts in government funding coincided with a continuing reduction in the overall provision of residential accommodation for adults with ID. There was a parallel increase in the number of people living with family carers, especially persons aged 55 years and over. The greatest reduction was in residential centres which was in line with recent policy but this was not matched by an increase in alternative options, with fewer people aged 20-34 living in residential accommodation of any kind. Compared to Great Britain, Ireland has proportionately more residential places with fewer people living independently.

More Irish families have to continue caring for their adult relatives into their old age. Likewise, those resident in group homes and living independently are growing older which means there is an increased likelihood they will require additional support.

This national data set is a valuable tool for monitoring changes in service provision over time and for determining the impact of government policy and funding decisions.

This paper aims to design and evaluate an innovative community-based service for adults with autism in a rural region of Northern Ireland. The goal was to reduce their social isolation through gaining social skills and building social networks.

Over three years, 54 persons with a median age of 21 years received 12 months of one-to-one, personalised support and opportunities to participate in peer groups and social activities which are detailed in the paper. Quantitative and qualitative information about the impact of the service was obtained from its users, their relatives, as well as service personnel.

Service users rated themselves to have changed in more ways than did their relatives and staff although there was a consensus that the changes were most marked in terms of spending more time out of the house, engaging in more community activities, being more independent and increased confidence. The main benefits they perceived from participation in the project were socialising, new experiences and learning new things.

As with many service projects, a longer term follow-up of service users was not possible due to resource constraints.

The service could be replicated with suitable staff although current constraints on social care budgets have limited its expansion to more users and extension to other areas in Northern Ireland.

Reducing the social isolation of adult persons with autism spectrum disorders needs to be personalised to the person, their living circumstances and the community in which they live. Family carers also stand to gain from community support services.

This low level, low cost service was implemented in a predominantly rural area with a majority of users from socially deprived areas.

The purpose of this paper is to argue that sports, play and games have contributed immensely to human evolution and development.

This paper is a commentary.

Often dismissed as past-times or amusements, a wealth of research has now evidenced the benefits of sports to children, youth, adults and senior citizens. Physical health, emotional well-being, friendships, learning/cognition and self-esteem are all positively impacted through participation in sports. Yet these benefits are rarely exploited for people with intellectual disabilities. A fundamental reason is that the culture of health and social services is the antithesis of that inherent in sports. Reconciliation is clearly desirable but it requires innovative and creative actions from both sectors.

Examples are given based on emerging experience and evidence but their implementation remains a daunting challenge with as yet few “fans” in support of harnessing the power of sport to improve the quality of life of people with intellectual disability.

The move from congregated living arrangements to more homely, community‐based accommodation is a policy objective in many developed countries but its implementation is rarely monitored. This paper aims to address this issue.

The National Intellectual Disability Database in Ireland provided the data to explore the changes in provision that occurred from 1999 to 2009 for nearly 8,000 adults resident in either congregated or community‐based accommodation.

Over the ten years, there was a marked rise in the numbers living in community group homes and by 2009 just under 50 per cent of persons resided in community settings. Although there was a reduction in the number of places in congregated options over the decade, this was not uniform in that increased numbers of persons were living in new forms of congregated provision designated as specialist units. Moreover, the estimated annual turnover of 2.4 per cent vacancies per annum meant that nearly half of the new admissions were to congregated settings. Over the ten years, a few people moved to a different type of accommodation although more people moved from congregated to community settings than vice versa. A few moved to more independent living arrangements. Despite unprecedented increased investment in services in this period, on average only 70 new places were created per annum – a 1 per cent increase on total places.

Outmoded models of residential provision are likely to persist unless there is sustained investment in new forms of provision largely through a planned transfer of resources.

This national study illustrates how policy changes could be monitored in other countries.

The purpose of this paper is to provide a commentary on “Adults with learning disabilities known to local authorities in Scotland: a national dataset” by Claire Stuart and colleagues.

Drawing on experiences with the National Intellectual Disability Database in Ireland, the authors identify the key elements to be addressed such as the uses to which information from the database will be put; the definition of intellectual disability for inclusion of individuals; defining the information to be gathered; the systems for gathering information; checking and auditing the information that is collected, and the types of reports emerging from the analyses.

A national database of persons with an intellectual disability is at least desirable – if not essential – to the delivery of equitable and effective service supports. The advent of computerised data management tools makes this a realistic option in most European countries although debates continue around the protection of personal data and the costs involved in establishing and maintaining dedicated databases.

National data sets on intellectual disability can make a significant contribution to equitable and effective service planning. However, major challenges need to be overcome so that the information collected is reliable and valid.

This article provides separate, but linked, overviews of learning disability policy in the four countries of the UK, commenting on current policy and its links to the wider policy agenda, delivery strategies and challenges for the future. The authors are each responsible for the element relating to their country.

In the former Yugoslavian republics, community nursing services are not well developed to support families with infants who have developmental problems. The purpose of this paper is to design an in-service training package for nurses on supporting families of children with developmental disabilities.

A conceptual framework evolved to guide the design and content of the training package which was further consulted on with local partners. A cascade model of training was adopted, based largely on experiential learning. A nine-session training package (around 20 hours in all) was devised and a Training for Trainers workshop held to prepare them to use the package in their locality. The in-service training of nurses is ongoing during 2014-2015.

Key findings are presented in relation to perceived training needs; the key features of the Training Framework; the content and teaching methods used and the outcomes of the Training for Trainers workshop. Ongoing evaluations will assess the impact of the training on community nurses and on families.

This study provides a conceptual model for the provision of effective in-service training on developmental disabilities for community personnel throughout the region and internationally.

The purpose of this paper is to provide a commentary on the preceding article describing changing patterns in the provision and take-up of accommodation services for adults with learning disabilities in Ireland, in the context of the types of reductions in funding that have been apparent internationally for some time.

The commentary examines some of the implications and discusses some of the underlying quality of life issues implicit in the data presented. It also explores the tensions between owning one’s home and receiving specialist support and examines what supported living might enable services to achieve.

The paper concludes that the nature of economic policy and professional practice, alike, have implications for the quality of home life enjoyed by adults with learning disabilities; and that the interplay between them is more complex than is often allowed.

These issues are not new, but frustratingly enduring. Their fresh consideration might assist the urgent need to achieve a more coherent narrative capable of consistent application for present and future generations.