Lemos&Crane, The Camden Society and Quaker Social Action are working together to develop a course promoting financial confidence, independence and resilience for adults with learning disabilities. Sarah Frankenburg a researcher at Lemos&Crane, describes what is emcompasses.
Quids In is being developed by the Camden Society and QSA based on the latter’s award winning Made of Money programme for low income families. The course focuses as much on the emotional and social aspects of financial resilience as knowledge and skills, incorporating topics such as assertiveness and getting help, ways to save, how changing behaviour can save money and planning for the future.
Cruelty and financial resilience
Research by Lemos&Crane and the Foundation for People with Learning Disabilities (Loneliness and Cruelty: people with learning disabilities and their experience of harassment, abuse and related crime in the community, 2012) highlighted the disturbing prevalence of targeted harassment and cruelty towards people with learning disabilities. Ours and others’ research identified finances as one area in which people with learning disabilities are often victim to exploitation. Cruelty of this kind not only has immediate financial and practical consequences but can have a devastating long-term impact on well-being, independence and an individual’s sense of personal safety and autonomy.
Guarding against financial abuse is just a part of the motivation for supporting adults with learning disabilities to improve their financial capability and resilience. Financial capability often brings with it a sense of independence and personal security. Being in a position to choose when to spend or save money is a meaningful aspect of adult life from which many vulnerable people can be excluded. With increased emphasis on personalisation in adult social care and more people now receiving personal budgets, building financial confidence, capability and independence for adults with learning disabilities is extremely timely.
Partnership
The Camden Society has many years’ experience of supporting adults with learning disabilities living independently in the community. The findings of the Loneliness and Cruelty research resonated with their day-to-day experience; in particular the vulnerability of people with moderate needs who receive little or no formal support. They report seeing a number of service users who need support in unraveling unsuitable phone contracts, for example, or who find it hard to budget on more than a weekly basis.
Quaker Social Action’s award-winning Made of Money programme has been a leader of good practice in the financial capability and inclusion field. Made of Money supports families on low incomes to take control and prevent financial problems becoming unmanageable. As well as practical advice the workshops recognise the other factors that influence financial behaviour.
People with learning disabilities and their experience of money
Developing a deeper understanding of the experiences that adults with learning disabilities have with finances is fundamental to developing a relevant and valuable course. During the research phase we found hugely varied experiences, attitudes and exposure to money. Despite this, a number of continuities emerged. One was a sense of clarity about what constitutes ‘the good life’. We invited adults with learning disabilities to make a ‘wish tree’ – a tree onto which people fixed drawings and paintings of their wish or dream – what they would do or buy if money were no object. The most common response was a home.
We found that relationships – with friends, family and supporters – are fundamental to people’s experiences of and attitudes towards money. This manifested in various ways but consistently had considerable impact on whether people found money to be a source of unease or empowerment. On the whole there was a general lack of clarity about price and value; people had little idea of what things cost. It is unclear whether this was due to the nature of people’s disability, education or a lack of exposure to financial matters. From the research phase it therefore became apparent that Quids In will have to focus on the emotional and social aspects of money management as well as practical skills, knowledge and awareness.
For many we spoke to, money was a source of considerable anxiety, and this served as a barrier to people developing a greater sense of self control. One of the central aims of Quids In is to address these barriers and support adults with learning disabilities to develop financial resilience, to protect themselves against financial exploitation and to experience the positive long-term effects of financial capability – a strengthened personal sense of independence, security and well-being.
The development of Quids In is now well underway, with one test group having already graduated from the pilot course. Over the course of 2015 more support workers will be trained to deliver and co-deliver the course, and Lemos&Crane will continue the embedded evaluation of its development. For more information visit www.lemosandcrane.co.uk.
Lemos&Crane are conducting embedded research and evaluation throughout the project which is supported by Pears Foundation.
