Page 22 - Community Living Magazine 35-1

research round-up

Relationships are central to success when leaving

a locked ward or transitioning as an adult

People in secure units can move on faster if they if they have positive interactions with staff,
people with severe disability can express agency through those they know well and families
share experiences. Simon Jarrett rounds up the latest research

Good relationships and moving on Barriers to such relationships included: The authors look at transitions in the
Fish R, Morgan H (2021) “Them two are negative staff perceptions of the ability of lives of people with severe and profound
around when I need their help”: the people with learning disabilities to manage disabilities. They are often excluded
importance of good relationships in social relationships; staff not understanding from research, as studies generally
supporting people with learning communication through body language focus on those with mild or moderate
disabilities to be “in a good space”. British and other signals; and the use of restrictive learning disabilities.
Journal of Learning Disabilities; 49(3):293- practices, containment and control. This study follows the transition
302.  https://doi.org/10.1111/bld.12410 The authors conclude that flattening the journeys of six adults with severe
hierarchy between staff and residents is intellectual disabilities, including
his study arises from the seemingly key when supporting people with learning transferring to adult services and moving
insurmountable problem, despite disabilities to move on and that soft skills out of the family home.
Trepeated policy initiatives, of large are critical in enabling them to transition The research is based on observations,
numbers of people with learning disabilities back to their community. document reviews and interviews with
remaining locked up in secure settings. families and professionals in Scotland.
Noting that most people in such settings Adult transition and severe disability Taking what they call an “ethics of care”
are both physically and emotionally distant Jacobs P, Quayle E, Wilkinson H, perspective, the authors aimed to explore
from friends and family, the research MacMahon K (2021) Relationships matter! the extent to which each person had
focused on relationships with staff. These – Utilising ethics of care to understand people in their lives able to listen to them
become central to people’s lives and are transitions in the lives of adults with and if, in turn, those close to them were
critical for a successful transition to severe intellectual disabilities. British listened to during times of transition.
making a home in the community. Journal of Learning Disabilities; 49(3):329- While there was “a clear indication that
The research involved reanalysing data 340.  https://doi.org/10.1111/bld.12380 the six adults were involved in the
from two earlier qualitative studies that practical parts of transitions and that they
had used field notes and interview oting that most research tends to were listened to by those in their
transcripts with people with learning focus on early transition immediate environment… exploring the
disabilities living in such settings and the Nexperiences, such as those during organisational parts of the process
staff who worked with them. school years, this study examines showed a different picture”.
While the purpose of the original study transitions in adulthood. Parents mostly described how their son
was service improvement, this revisiting or daughter could not be involved because
of the data explored relationships they were unable to understand abstract
between staff and residents in depth, concepts. However, at the same time, all
which emerged as a significant theme in parents saw their child as a person able to
both studies. express their feelings and preferences,
The study found the critical issue in stressing that others needed to know them
staff-resident relationships was that when well to be able to properly listen to them.
they were positive, they enabled the Education, health and social care
person to be “in a good space”, which was professionals, even those who knew
seen by all participants as crucial to being people very well, reported they felt they
able to move on. had little power to influence what was
The analysis identified four main decided within a social care system
themes around positive relationships: stretched to its limits and with little choice.
their characteristics; barriers to them; Decisions were based on options available.
how they can be encouraged; and how Additionally, the report suggests that
they support people to move on. professionals’ values and beliefs about
Characteristics of positive relationships normality influenced their judgments on
included a comforting approach, what a good life should look like for
friendliness, reassurance, having time for people with severe intellectual disabilities
people, reciprocity, fairness, helpfulness in adult services. This seemed to be
and availability. All these have to be connected to them struggling at times to
navigated and realised within professional take into account the perspective of the
boundaries. When achieved, distress, Looking out: good relationships with staff are person and what they knew about them Seán Kelly
aggression and self-harm would reduce. critical to leaving secure units successfully through their daily interactions.

22 Vol 35 No 1 | Autumn 2021 Community Living www.cl-initiatives.co.uk