Good practice in Learning Disabilities-from Institution to fulfilling lives

A history of Learning Disabilities and the move to current principles of Good Practice

Supporting people with Learning Disabilities can become an automatic task-centred process; thus resulting in the undermining of the human rights of service users. It is crucial that support workers regularly have the opportunity to reflect on the principles underpinning good practice in this area so that support is conducted in a way that is consistent with current good practice and to national standards.

This two day course, maps out the journey from Institutional Care through to the current context. The course aims to provide a framework for good practice and promote a more reflective approach to the work in this area.

Day one of the course provides underpinning knowledge of the section of the Learning Disability Knowledge set ‘History and Context of Learning Disability Services, including:

• Definitions and terminology
• Historical context
• Barriers to full citizenship
• The legal framework
• Ways in which change has been brought about
• Changes in healthcare for people with learning disabilities over time

Day two of the course provides underpinning knowledge of the Learning Disability Knowledge set element ‘Independence and wellbeing’ including:

• Person Centred Approach
• Principles of Person Centred Planning
• The wider context within which Person Centred Support is planned
• Enabling supporting and facilitating a Person Centred Plan
• Implementation, maintenance and review of a plan

The course certificate will provide certificates evidencing learning gained which could be used towards other accreditation.

Learning Objectives (Day one):

By the end of the day learners should be able to:

• Understand how people with Learning Disabilities were cared for historically, including health care; the principles that underpinned care in the past
• Understand how the high occurrence of abuse was able to take place
• Understand the journey from exclusion to inclusion:
        -Nerje
        -Wolfensberger
        -O Brien
• Explain the various models of Disability:
        -the Medical Model
        -the Social Model
• Understand the ideologies, differences and complexities between ‘care’ and ‘support’
• Understand key elements of Legislation that underpin principles of current good practice and developing frameworks
• Understand how workers need to integrate these principles into service practice
• Explain the principles of individual care as opposed to ‘batch care’
• Understand how to ensure that the human rights of people with learning disabilities are integrated into care/support practice; dignity, respect, value, inclusion, choices, independence, involvement, privacy, self direction etc
• Discuss the principles of Independence - Promoting Independence not Dependence
• Know the importance of team work and multi-disciplinary working
• Know the resources and restraints within the service
• Understand how restraints impact upon the lives and support of people with Learning Disabilities i.e. limited budgets, etc
Training methods:
• Tutor presentations
• Chalk & Talk
• OHP/PowerPoint/video
• Group work
• Handouts
• Word shower method

Learning objectives (Day two):

By the end of this day learners should understand:

• What is meant by Person Centred Planning
• The difference between this term and that used to describe a Carl Rogers philosophy and approach
• Terminology and abbreviations commonly used
• Breaking through the jargon
• What people with learning disabilities relate to
• The overuse of the term especially now in the service delivery world
‘we are a Person Centred company’
• Listening / Questioning Skills (exploring total communication & active listening skills)
• Working with people with profound disabilities
• Why the team approach
• The key characteristics to P.C.P (Exploring the difference from traditional approaches to assessment and individual planning in its underpinning beliefs and values; its practice and its consequence.)
• What is meant by Circles of Support
• Who should be involved in Circles of Support
• How inappropriate inclusion could counter the PCP principles
• Making Action Plans (MAPS) (Picture building, working to move away from the person’s nightmares and working towards their dreams using a pictorial map)
• PATHS and other tools
• The historical overview to service user involvement
• How to put PCP`s into practice:
        -initial work with the person
        -gathering information
        -putting the plan together
        -keeping the plan relevant & alive
        -review and updates . (Helen Sanderson approach )
• Barriers to be overcome:
        -outdated attitudes and culture
        -“this is not the latest fad”
        -“too much paperwork”
        -time
        -resources
        -priorities
        -personal prejudices
• How PCP should be fundamental to the service and everything else should be built on this; including the process of service user involvement, empowerment and anti-discriminatory practice

Working methods:

• Tutor presentations
• OHP/PowerPoint
• Role play
• Chalk & talk
• Discussion
• Word storming
• Group exercises
• Pairs work

CP257/7.9