Empowerment in Learning Disabilities Services

The history of Learning Disability services is a complex one; organisational and individual attitudes and behaviour leading to highly oppressive and at times abusive “support”. This is due both to the vulnerability and the nature of the disability. The title of this course immediately raises issues of power and control that require careful consideration when supporting people in a Learning Disability context.

This one day course examines the underpinning conditions that lead to oppressive outcomes and considers principles of practice, ethics and working methods that would promote the interests of users of Learning Disability Services.

Learning Objectives

By The end of this course learners should have understood:

• An overview of the history of Learning Disability services in the UK
• What we can learn from this history
• The vulnerability that is inherent within this disability
• The assumptions, structures and methods of support that lead to the disempowerment of service users
• The desirable outcomes for service users
• Principles of Practice in Learning Disability services
• A philosophical approach to supporting service users in today’s climate
• What is meant by “Empowerment”
• What power we hold and how we tend to use it
• How we deal with power imbalances
• How we need to act in a professionally responsible way and respect service users rights at the same time
• What we can do to support the independence and self esteem of service users; promote their choices
  and responsibilities
• Structures and working methods that can help achieve this: working in a Person Centred way, Advocacy,
  Self Advocacy Consultation etc.

Training Methods:

• Tutor presentations
• OHP/PowerPoint
• Group work
• Chalk and talk
• Role plays
• Activities

CP183/5.9