The analysis indicated a lack of information and continued support following a diagnosis. In the absence of information and support, caring partners described difficulty understanding and adjusting to behavioural, physical and psychological changes in their partner. A greater understanding of the condition was beneficial in terms of adjustment and emotional responses to a partner.

Accessible summary• We are people with and without learning disabilities doing research together.• In this paper we talk about the good bits and the bad bits of doing research together. SummaryIn our paper we talk about what it is like to be a group of people with and without learning disabilities researching together. We describe the process of starting and maintaining the research group and reflect on the obstacles that we have come across, and the rewards such research has brought us. Lastly we put forward some ideas about the role of professionals in such a group that we hope people might find useful.

This review examines how people understand and make sense of a dementia diagnosis. The review explores how lay frameworks and information presented at diagnosis may inform a caregiver's understanding of dementia in a family member. Existing qualitative research exploring how caregivers understand and make sense of dementia is reviewed. A literature search was conducted, and the results indicated that family carers often receive little or unclear information about dementia, with diagnostic information often delivered in euphemistic terms. Lack of clarity regarding diagnosis and prognosis creates uncertainty for caregivers and impacts future care planning. Caregiver's understandings of the condition vary, with some symptoms often not attributed to the condition. The literature highlights significant gaps and misconceptions in public knowledge regarding dementia, which raises questions about how family caregivers understand the condition. Further research is required to explore how information is presented to family carers at the time of diagnosis and how this is used to understand the condition.

This study identifies perceptions on the features that are of greater or lesser value to successful life story work with looked after and adopted children. Using a Q-methodology approach, 29 participants from professional and service-user backgrounds ranked 57 statements designed to chart their views on the features they thought important for successful life story work. Participants clustered into three groups based on their views. In all three groups, respondents indicated that good life story work should involve helping a child to express and manage emotions that arise during the work. However, on other issues opinions were more varied. One group thought that life story work needs to provide a safe and supportive exploration of a coherent life narrative. A second one held that it needs to be a child-led, ongoing approach based on here-and-now relationships. The final group highlighted the need for a comprehensive and adaptable record. Links are made with attachment theory and existing models of life story work. Clinical and research implications are provided with an emphasis on the role for clinical psychologists in this work.

Objectives Person-centred approaches do not easily lend themselves to standard methods of evaluation. This study develops a technique that will involve service users and their circle of support in making individual plans. Methodology Q-methodology is a phenomenological approach, which enables the researcher to co-construct the stories of many people. Two people with learning disabilities and seven members of their circle of support were identified to participate in the study. They attended a stakeholder meeting to identify 36 valued activities. The 16 participants then completed a Q-sort using photographs to represent these activities. These sorts were then interpreted using Q-methodology. Results There were a number of intercorrelations between the card sorts. Principle component analysis showed that two factors accounted for 73% of the variance of the data. The two clusters represented the members of each person's circle of support. Analysis and comparison of the factors have highlighted the similarities and differences between individuals and their circle of support. Conclusions This study shows that Q-methodology is a useful adjunct to person-centred planning. Looking at and interpreting the data, which emerge through Q-methodology, hashighlighted both similarities and individual differences for goal planning. It has also highlighted potential areas for service change and development. Using Q-sorts over time may be a way to demonstrate the subjective change in peoples' values that occur through person-centred planning (PCP).