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RESEARCH: BARRIERS TO RELATIONSHIPS
Trained staff can help people overcome the

barriers they face in intimate relationships

Research from the Tizard Centre at the University of Kent finds that
supporting people with learning disabilities in intimate relationships
can present a challenge to staff and a culture of risk-aversion can prevail.
Training can help staff to engage with the dilemmas they often face.
Dr Claire Bates reports

as not being allowed to share a bed, to understand a sexual relationship and
SUMMARY limited privacy and forbidding consent. With this support, she may have
Aims: This research review discusses sexual relationships. been able to consent to this form of
some of the barriers to relationships relationship in the future.
people with learning disabilities FINDINGS
face and how they can start to ACCOMMODATION: This example demonstrates again the
be addressed. IMPACT ON CHOICE balance staff need to achieve between
AND AUTONOMY enabling individuals to engage in
Methods: 11 adults with learning Some people with learning disabilities relationships while still protecting them
disabilities were interviewed to explained how their living situation from harm, including considering their
share their experiences of affected their relationship. One couple capacity to make decisions regarding sex
selecting and being in an intimate was unhappy due to the restrictions and partner choice.
partner relationship. placed on them by staff and conflict with

Further information: housemates, such as not being able to
http://www.emeraldinsight.com/doi/ share a bed on week nights or cuddle in “ People with learning
full/10.1108/TLDR-03-2016-0009 communal areas as this upset their disabilities are not always
housemate. Staff had to balance the
wishes of all members within the group treated as adults or as free as
home. However, some of the restrictions other people to make their
BACKGROUND implied possible control by staff as own choices regarding their
aving someone to love who loves opposed to support. It also appeared that
H you back is highly valued. some people still felt they required the intimate relationships.
The importance of relationships is now staff’s permission to engage in normal RISK AVOIDANCE ”
recognised by the Care Act (2014), adult activities such as sharing a bed.
which identifies the development and This was not an option for some as
maintenance of personal relationships housing providers did not always provide Possible indications of a culture of risk
as an eligible need. In 2001, double beds. This suggested that the avoidance in organisations were identified
Valuing People aimed for more people person was not seen as an adult who such as the double use of contraception
with learning disabilities to form might wish a partner to stay overnight. for one couple (pill and condoms),
intimate and sexual relationships. a woman with an implant who was not
However, in 2009, Valuing People Now SEXUAL RELATIONSHIPS: sexually active and another person’s
showed a lack of progress. CAPACITY AND CONSENT insistence that she was unable to remove
Mencap highlighted that in 2016 Not everyone needed support to initiate her clothing with her partner. The first
little had changed as just 3% of relationships. A woman with low couple could have been screened at a
people with learning disabilities support needs engaged in relationships family planning centre to rule out any
lived with a partner. with partners who could be considered fear of STI’s. This suggests that staff may
‘undesirable’. Staff have a duty of care to have been fearful of a pregnancy,
Safeguarding processes are often protect vulnerable adults in such despite all participants being adamant
accused of creating a climate of liability relationships; however, if a person has that they did not want children.
avoidance, with support providers the capacity to consent to a relationship, However, not all organisations were risk
being fearful of supporting relationships, staff can only offer advice and support. averse in all areas and were, for example,
particularly sexual ones, due to The Mental Capacity Act (2005) states actively supporting one woman to
criticism if something ‘goes wrong’. that capacity should always be assumed start a sexual relationship (in terms of
However, people with learning unless there is evidence to suggest providing emotional support and sexual
disabilities are more vulnerable to abuse otherwise. In an interview, one person’s health advice), despite her previous
and support providers have a duty of responses suggested that she did not experience of sexual assault.
care to protect. Research has shown that have the capacity to engage in a
people with learning disabilities face consensual sexual relationship at this CONCLUSIONS
restrictions, often put in place to ‘protect time. What was unclear was whether Risk aversion persists around sexual
them’, but as a result their relationships the woman had received any support or relationships. People with learning
are highly supervised. Restrictions such education to help increase her capacity disabilities are not always treated as

22 Vol 31 No 1 | Autumn 2017 Community Living www.cl-initiatives.co.uk