Mark Stephen Kilsby

Supported Employment in Britain

This paper describes supported employment, its growth as an alternative to traditional day services and research which indicates potentially beneficial outcomes in the areas of increased employee income, social integration, satisfaction, engagement in activity, employer satisfaction, and in the relationship between financial costs and savings. Outcomes may be reduced due to welfare benefit restrictions that hamper transition into employment, and more part‐time jobs are found as a result in the UK compared to the USA. Providers face problems with low expectations among carers, lack of knowledge of disability among employers, and their funding is precarious. If people with severe disabilities are not to be excluded from supported employment, commissioners need to consider the outcomes they require and the priority needs of clients when setting day service contracts.

Engagement and interaction: a comparison between supported employment and ATCs

The interaction and engagement patterns of 13 supported employees and 38 regular Adult Training Centre (ATC) attenders were compared. Data were obtained through direct observation within 13 employment sites and a representative sample of ATC organised activities. Results indicated that individual involvement was significantly higher in employment, compared to ATCs, but that the ATC group experienced significantly more social interaction, mainly due to higher levels of task specific dialogue between individuals and the service staff within ATCs. A breakdown of with whom interactions occurred revealed that individuals in ATCs tended to interact more often with care staff than anyone else. Individuals tended to interact more often during work with their non-disabled co-workers and a substantial proportion of time was spent interacting with the public. These findings suggest that the supported employment option yields advantages for individuals in some key aspects of community integration, compared to ATCs.

The TATE [Through Assistive Technology to Employment] Project: Outcomes of the TATE Project for people with learning disabilities and staff

This research looked at the TATE [Through Assistive Technology to Employment] Project and its delivery of ICT/AT to people with learning disabilities. It tested whether the Project affected the independence, skills, choice and control exercised by people with learning disabilities, and if staff attitudes and skills were changed. A purposive sample of 29 people with learning disabilities were selected, and keyworkers were surveyed with a postal questionnaire at two time periods. Questionnaires covered AT/ICT received and any outcomes in: independence; skills; choice and control. Staff were asked about changes in their skills and attitudes. Questionnaires were transcribed and organised into common themes. Staff became supportive of assistive technology and developed ICT skills. Service users used ICT, and developed ‘life stories’ using Powerpoint. A variety of AT was also installed leading to increased independence, confidence and skills. AT/ICT can improve independence and services by putting people with a learning disability at the centre of a well planned and resourced strategy.

Impact of agency organization on supportedemployment effectiveness [Abstract]

A relatively small number of people with intellectual disabilities appear to be at risk of offending (Murphy & Mason 1999). However, those who repeatedly break the law may attract the label of psychopathic personality disorder (PPD). A review of the literature revealed there has been little research investigating the diagnosis of PPD in people with an intellectual disability. The purpose of the present research was to develop our understanding of the disorder in people with intellectual disability. Using a structured interview, 20 consultant psychiatrists in intellectual disabilities in a region of south-east England were asked their opinions about psychopathic disorder in general and how it applies to people with an intellectual disability. In particular, they were asked about the prevalence and diagnosis of PPD in people with intellectual disabilities, difficulties associated with making the diagnosis, and how services currently managed people with an intellectual disability and a diagnosis of PPD. The findings and recommendations from this work are presented.The present paper reports on the evaluation of a UK project to provide employment support services for people with intellectual disabilities. The study involved 18 participants, and focused on individual and service outcomes. The investigation was concerned with assessing how such services contribute to the development of a supportive network in the workplace. Supported employees’ social networks were mapped in terms of structural properties (e.g. size and membership) as well as supportive behaviours (e.g. companionship and confiding). The evaluation gathered qualitative and quantitative data at two points in time: at the beginning of the placement and a year later. The data set was used to determine whether placements resulted in social integration and whether changes were moderated by individual standards of living. The implications for the planning and development of employment services for people with intellectual disabilities are examined.The present paper reports the methodology and findings of a 2-year collaborative study, led by the Tizard Centre, between the Universities of Kent and Durham, and the London School of Economics, and funded by the Department of Health. The research examined the outcomes and costs of community care for approximately 200 people with intellectual disabilities in 12 different services in England. Building on previous longitudinal evaluations at 1 (time 2) and 5 years (time 3) after discharge from a long-stay hospital, the paper reports 10-year (time 4) outcomes and costs, including different group characteristics, and their relationships with outcomes and costs. The key trends in outcomes and costs between times 1, 2, 3 and 4, and the relationships between costs and outcomes over time are also reported. Important issues for the planning and development of intellectual disability services, such as ageing, changing needs, and residential outcomes and types, are included in the analysis, along with opportunities to compare different models of community care.