Julie Ridley

Disclosing disability in the context of professional regulation: a qualitative UK study

In the UK, the ‘fitness to practice’ criteria that allow regulatory bodies to use health standards to restrict entry to the human professions have resulted in some disabled people being excluded from this workforce. Disclosure of disability is therefore a risky process for those aiming to practice or train in nursing, social work and teaching. This research, commissioned to inform the Disability Rights Commissions Formal Investigation into fitness standards in the professions, was undertaken in 2006–07 and explored experiences of disability disclosure amongst professionals. Interviews with 60 practitioners and students, most of whom had unseen disabilities, revealed considerable variations in the extent of disclosure. Disclosure was perceived as having the potential to exclude participants from their chosen profession. Two overlapping models of disability disclosure emerged from data analysis. The study concludes that abolishing health standards for the professions would increase disability disclosure and decrease the stigma associated with disability.

When self‐directed support meets adult support and protection: findings from the evaluation of the SDS test sites in Scotland

Purpose – This paper aims to explore the possible connections between self‐directed support and adult support and protection, both of which are important policy developments in Scotland.Design/methodology/approach – The authors draw on findings from the national evaluation of the test sites or pilots of self‐directed support in Scotland and interviews at two time points with adult protection leads in the test sites. These interview data are set in the context of Scottish developments in adult support and protection.Findings – Self‐directed support and adult protection had not been joined up initially. In the three Scottish test sites those responsible for adult safeguarding had not been engaged with the changes. They were unclear about the new systems and were concerned about the implications of reduced monitoring of risks. Shared training between those implementing self‐directed support and those carrying out adult protection work was viewed as a way of bridging these different areas of practice through ...

Supported Employment in Scotland: Some Issues from Research and Implications for Development

This article arises from the authors’ experience of undertaking research on behalf of the Scottish Executive, following the deliberations of a national working group focusing on employment (Scottish Executive, 2003) set up to progress the recommendations of the Same as You? review (Scottish Executive, 2000), Scotlands equivalent of Valuing People (DoH, 2001). The detailed findings of the research study and its methodology can be found elsewhere(Ridley et al, 2005); only a brief summary is given here. The main purpose of this article is to contribute to a debate about the achievements and under‐achievements of supported employment in the contemporary Scottish context. The research findings are used to discuss where we are now, some of the main problems, and how policy and practice need to move forward and develop. We suggest that the time is ripe to initiate strategic change in policy and professional practice. Supported employment must be firmly embedded in the wider employment landscape and the practice agenda of professionals, in order to ensure that real, paid jobs in integrated settings become a routine option for people with learning disabilities who express these aspirations.

Independent Children’s Social Work Practice Pilots: Evaluating Practitioners’ Job Control and Burnout

Objectives: To investigate whether a new model that delegates some out-of-home care services from the public to the private and not-for-profit sectors in England enhances practitioners’ job control and stress levels. Methods: A 3-year longitudinal matched-control evaluation examined changes in Karasek demand-control model and Maslach burnout levels of 2,050 staff working in five social work practice (SWP) pilots, their host local authorities and comparable sites. Results: Mixed-effect models indicated no significant difference in main outcomes among SWP staff when compared to staff in host and comparison local authorities. There were notable differences in relation to job insecurity and social support. Conclusion: The minimal effects observed may relate to the diverse nature of SWPs with no specific work model predominating.

Matching, Ethnicity and Identity Reflections on the Practice and Realities of Ethnic Matching in Adoption

Ethnicity and adoption have taken centre stage in the Coalition Governments focus on child care social policy in the UK. The current political perspective is one of promoting the placement of children of minority ethnic heritage with white families, in order to avoid delay in adoption where no families of a similar ethnic heritage are available. John Wainwright and Julie Ridley reflect on the contemporary debate by discussing the findings from a commissioned service evaluation of an adoption agency that specialised in recruiting families of black, Asian and dual heritage, and placing children of black and minority ethnic (BME) heritage. This service evaluation provides evidence that focusing on recruiting BME individuals and families and matching them with children of similar heritage can be effective. The evaluation utilised mixed methods, including interviews with staff in the service, prospective and current adopters, and statistical information that informed an understanding of the type of ethnic matches made. Comparison was also made with a general adoption service within the commissioning agency using the same data collection methods.

Housing support and personalisation: observations from the Scottish self directed support test sites

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to consider the role of housing and housing support services in working with systems of self-directed support (SDS). The paper draws upon findings from an evaluation and follow up study of three SDS Test Sites in Scotland and wider research. Design/methodology/approach – The evaluation of the SDS Test Sites took place in 2009-2011 with a follow up study in 2011-2012. Methods included a literature review; an analysis of secondary data on the use of SDS in Scotland; interviews with key stakeholders; learning sets in the three areas; 30 depth individual case studies and a large-scale stakeholder event prior to finalising the report. These data are drawn upon to reflect on the implications for housing providers and practitioners. Findings – The interviews revealed that some SDS users had housing and related support needs, such as to prevent or resolve homelessness, to facilitate resettlement, to prevent hospital admissions, to access supported accommodation or to move fr...

Conflict of roles: A conflict of ideas? The unsettled relations between care team staff and independent mental health advocates

Drawing on a national study of independent mental health advocacy, we explored the social relations of independent advocacy. The study was commissioned by the Department of Health (England), and involved a case study design covering eight different geographies and service configurations, and interviews or focus groups with a total of 289 stakeholders across two phases of inquiry. This paper focused on the analysis of qualitative data relevant to the relationship between mental health-care services and independent advocacy services, drawn from interviews with 214 participants in phase two of the study. Discussion of these particular findings affords insights into the working relations of independent advocacy within mental health services beset by reorganizational change and funding cuts, and increasing levels of legally-sanctioned compulsion and coercion. We offer a matrix, which accounts for the different types of working relationships that can arise, and how these are associated with various levels of understanding of independent advocacy and appreciation for the value of advocacy. The discussion is framed by the wider literature on advocacy and the claims by practitioners, such as nurses, for an advocacy role as part of their professional repertoire.