Transforming staff practice through active support

Abstract

Active support training is an effective strategy for empowering staff to better support people with an intellectual disability to be meaningfully engaged in daily activities. There are implications for organisations related to ongoing implementation and practice improvement.

Quality Group Home Care for Adults with Developmental Disabilities and/or Mental Health Disorders: Yearning for Understanding, Security and Freedom

“…Like Riches et al . (), Koritsas et al . () reported active support as promoting social inclusion through staff responsiveness to how adults with developmental disabilities and/or mental health disorders living together in group homes can find meaning in social activities and opportunities.…”

“…Active support is intentioned to enhance resident's meaningful participation in community activities by training and supervising staff in the design and implementation of programming and activities appropriate for the dynamic of a particular group home (Riches et al 2011). Using a train-the-trainer model, Riches et al (2011) enlisted five apprentice trainers to first learn active support principles and practices and then be supervised in training 119 staff members (affiliated with 12 group homes) in the principles and practices of active support. Analysis of staff member assessments of resident behaviour and social engagement reflected active support principles and practices as facilitative to meaningful social inclusion for residents.…”

“…Active support is intentioned to enhance resident's meaningful participation in community activities by training and supervising staff in the design and implementation of programming and activities appropriate for the dynamic of a particular group home (Riches et al . ). Using a train‐the‐trainer model, Riches et al .…”

“…Using a train‐the‐trainer model, Riches et al . () enlisted five apprentice trainers to first learn active support principles and practices and then be supervised in training 119 staff members (affiliated with 12 group homes) in the principles and practices of active support. Analysis of staff member assessments of resident behaviour and social engagement reflected active support principles and practices as facilitative to meaningful social inclusion for residents.…”

Training staff to promote self‐management in people with intellectual disabilities

“…If support staff stimulate clients to do things themselves, instead of taking over, this could reduce clients’ dependency, passivity, and “learned helplessness” (Sigafoos et al., ), regardless of whether someone has a mild or severe intellectual disability (Ramdoss et al., ). Several studies have investigated person‐centred active support, an approach directed at active engagement and participation in meaningful activities (e.g., Beadle‐Brown, Hutchinson, & Whelton, ; Mansell, Elliott, Beadle‐Brown, Ashman, & Macdonald, ; Riches et al., ). Although this approach could enhance the ability of people with intellectual disabilities to manage (parts of) tasks independently, it is not its primary aim.…”