Since the postings of the last couple of days on this topic, I have
been thinking about how those of us who are in any kind of support
position in relation to intellectually disabled people might respond
differently in respect of these all too familiar and often very
difficult to hear stories. In my own work I am trying to see how, as
supporters of any kind or description, we might begin to go beyond
the fault and blame of others position that these stories can so
often leaves us in.
One of the questions I have been asking myself in my own research
into the support work area is how do we get beyond what Sharon Lamb
calls 'this general tendency in people to blame others' for what is
not right in the disability world, posing this question in view of
the reality that a blaming stance does not seem to help, given that
it is not possible to both blame and encourage another to take
responsibility for their actions at the same time.
As Lamb suggests, as much as we might wish for the clarity of vision
a fault and blame position provides, it may be impossible to deal
with the complexities that make up the day to day lives of
intellectually disabled people and those who support them from within
this view. I agree.
Lamb also talks about the zero/sum position blame reinforces and how
becoming locked into this position means that we cannot explore
questions such as: How far are individuals controlled by the
conditions of their lives? At what point in time could the (blamed)
person concerned have had a choice to take a different road, to make
a different decision?
At the moment I think these are key questions that need to be
addressed in respect of unlocking what wider issues surround the
practices andrea and hazel outline, and how gainful changes might be
nurtured and encouraged.
Perhaps one thing that might be useful here is for the workers
themselves to be asked
What (material and social) support do you need in order for you to
succeed in your role right now?
Cheers Carol
>Go for it...
>
>I'd be interested to know which council you are referring to, you
>can reply off list if you like. I was involved in some leisure work
>with people with learning difficulties in the UK with a council
>which could be similarly described as dire. But from the Cornwall
>stories, it seems like there's more than a few councils in the same
>boat.
>
>Examples that I came across were group homes where no staff were
>available to accompany residents for anything that could be seen as
>"leisure", so only those residents who were able to use public
>transport unaccompanied were able to have a social life. In one
>group home a new worker took a resident out on his bike, hooray
>hooray... but she then found out it was "not her job" to do that.
>Question... who's job would it be then? Answer... no-one's. Which
>is why it had never happened before and probably won't again. In
>other cases only one member of staff would be on duty, and the rule
>was that that member of staff could not leave the premises if there
>were any residents home. So if five out of the six wanted to go to
>the pub and the sixth didn't, then no-one could go. The option of
>choosing friends outside the home was therefore completely negated
>because they all had to go together, or no-one went anywhere. On
>one occasion I was meeting up with a resident, and a staff member
>phoned me in advance to ask if the man should have a bath before he
>came... dignity? personal choice? And as for day centres, I've
>not seen one yet that wasn't characterised by bad practise from top
>to bottom. I apologise in advance if there's someone reading this
>who is working in a fantastic innovative day centre, don't take
>offence, but you are in a small small minority in a bad bad world.
>
>I could go on, but it would become a rant and we'll probably all
>familiar with similar stories. Re organisations, I'm currently
>working in Latin America, so I'm not completely up to date with
>everything. Valuing people, possibly? People First? I haven't had
>any dealings with them for ages though so I don't know what they're
>up to. If they don't have a local group then the national
>organisation might be interested. Maybe it doesn't have to be
>specifically a learning disability organisation, perhaps some of the
>wider disability campaigning groups might be interested? Some of
>the other guys who regularly post on-list might be able to help you
>there.
>
>Best of British to you
>
>Hazel
>
>
>
>On 21 Jul 2006, at 11:35, Andrea Hollomotz wrote:
>
>>Hello everyone,
>>
>>I have discovered a 21st century institution right at my doorstep
>>and am since then steaming with anger and driven into action. The
>>residential home concerned houses twenty-something individuals with
>>learning difficulties in England and continues to dehumanise its
>>residents. Thanks goodness I happen to have a very supportive
>>manager and he told me to get in touch with the Commission for
>>Social Care Inspectorate and he will also support me further, but I
>>should not broadcast any more details. I am currently collecting
>>further evidence of "bad practice" from other individuals and
>>professionals within my council and I am very hopeful (I may be
>>naïve?) that change is possible. I would like to share my thoughts
>>with you and am therefore sending the initial letter I have written
>>to the Commission for Social Care Inspectorate below. Please note
>>that although I changed all dates and names, I left it in social
>>work jargon. I am conscious of words like "learning disability",
>>"service user" and "good practice" and "empowerment", but
>>unfortunately one has to use them in order to be understood by
>>other professionals.
>>Please let me know if any of the points I raised could be backed up
>>better with current UK or international Human Rights legislation or
>>any kind of policy or practice guideline, as this would assist me
>>to support my claims.
>>
>>Andrea
>>
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