No abstract

A focus group is a group of people with a shared interest who meet to discuss a particular topic and generate information and opinion. Initially developed for use in market research, focus groups have been widely used in research and are often used in health and social care research. There is an increasing use of focus groups within learning disability settings both with staff and with service users. In this study a series of explorative focus groups gathered information from community staff regarding their experiences of stress when working with people with learning disabilities and challenging behaviours.

We asked psychologists how they were using telephone and video calls to support people with learning disabilities and autism, since the Covid-19 lockdown. In all, 95 psychologists answered our questions. Most (80 per cent) psychologists were using telephone to offer support. A little more than half (58 per cent) were using video calls to offer support. Psychologists talked about some problems offering support using video calls, like problems with computers and internet, service users finding it hard to use the video calls, and making sure people felt comfortable talking over video. Psychologists said that using video calls can help to keep in touch and offer support to people with learning disabilities and autism when we cannot meet face to face.

The transition from long‐stay hospitals to community residential homes is a difficult period for many people with learning disabilities. Whilst staff ensure a ‘clinical transition’ by forwarding details of the client's history, there is little information from the clients themselves to ensure an ‘emotional transition’. This paper examines ways in which Life Story Work can ameliorate transition stress for clients. The main issues for clients during this time are those of adjustment to the new environment as well as being given the opportunity to deal with the loss and bereavement of their previous lifestyle. It is suggested that we need to look at the clients' needs at this time from a psychological, as well as a practical viewpoint. Life Story Work is a person‐centred approach which enables both staff and clients to focus on particular aspects of their lives. In addition, it allows an opportunity for relevant counselling at a time when staff support and understanding are vital.

Little is known about how women with intellectual disabilities make decisions in relation to pregnancy. Social support is important for mothers with intellectual disabilities in many areas. This study explored how the support network influenced the decision-making of women with intellectual disabilities in relation to pregnancy. The study extended previous research to include the multiple perspectives of mothers, personal and professional support network. A model of decision-making was constructed, with implications of how services approach working with mothers with intellectual disabilities. Using a grounded theory methodology, three mothers with intellectual disabilities, two of their family members and six professionals were interviewed about their experiences of decision-making in relation to pregnancy. The results suggested that the quality of a woman's relationships were key to facilitating decision-making. The results highlighted the need for services to focus on creating supportive working relationships with mothers and other services involved in the parenting assessment process.