Empowering support workers to enable people with profound intellectual and multiple disabilities to engage in activity at home

    Research output: Chapter in Book/Conference proceeding with ISSN or ISBNConference contribution with ISSN or ISBNpeer-review

    Abstract

    Background: People with profound intellectual and multiple disabilitiesmay not always be well-supported to engage meaningfully in activity at home (Mansell 2010), arguably an occupational injustice (Townsend & Wilcock 2004). Research aimed to understand how occupational therapists seek to improve such support and encourage support workers and managers to adopt professionals’recommendations.Method: A single, purposively-selected case of supporting engagement in activity at home was investigated using a critical ethnographic case study method. An occupational therapist worked with five people with profound intellectual disabilities and their support workers over 1 year. Data were collected using ethnographic methods (participant observation, interviews and document analysis).Results: The case’s story highlights challenges encouraging others to follow recommendations as intended (Cross & West 2011). Its two overarching themes are how shifting support and leadership cultures impact on engagement in activity; and how occupational therapy seeks to create and sustain cultural change by working with support workers in a collaborative and empowering way.Conclusions: Staff occupational risks, in particular of burnout where roles are conflicting or ambiguous (Vassos & Nankervis 2012) may need to be addressed whilst promoting occupational justice for residents. The complexity of achieving implementation fidelity may be under-estimated.
    Original languageEnglish
    Title of host publicationDiversity & Belonging: Celebrating Difference
    Subtitle of host publicationAbstracts of the Fifth International IASSIDD Europe Congress
    PublisherBlackwell Publishing
    Pages583
    Number of pages1
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - 21 Jun 2018
    EventFifth International Association for the Scientific Study of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IASSIDD) Europe Congress: Inclusion and Belonging - Athens, Greece
    Duration: 17 Jul 201820 Jul 2018
    https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/toc/14683148/2018/31/4

    Publication series

    NameJournal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities
    PublisherWiley
    Number4
    Volume31
    ISSN (Electronic)1468-3148

    Conference

    ConferenceFifth International Association for the Scientific Study of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IASSIDD) Europe Congress
    Country/TerritoryGreece
    CityAthens
    Period17/07/1820/07/18
    Internet address

    Keywords

    • occupational therapy
    • intellectual disabilities
    • support workers
    • activities of daily living

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