Description
This valuable new self-study guide, Supporting People with Profound and Multiple Learning Disabilities, will help support staff and others to understand and respond to the complex and holistic needs of people with profound and multiple learning disabilities. Written by expert trainers and practitioners in the field, it will help to develop knowledge in how to support, communicate, engage and develop appropriate strategies to provide effective, meaningful support.
The guide includes key knowledge, case studies, reflective exercises, learning points and video clips to enable staff to study at their own pace as part of their continuing professional development or to support any qualifying training in the field.
The self-study route guides the reader through the content and materials and when to watch particular videos and do the various exercises and activities, to encourage independent thinking and learning.
Audience
This self-study guide is for support staff working in the adult health and social care sector.
Contents
Supporting Health and Everyday Needs
Definitions of PMLD, the everyday support needs for a person with PMLD and associated complex health needs.
Supporting Social and Emotional Wellbeing
The importance of living a meaningful life: supporting social and community participation and inclusion; developing and maintaining friendships, and; enhancing life opportunities.
Communication
The importance of being able to communicate and to have choice and control over your own life. Enabling decisions and choice-making; giving someone a voice and ensuring they can be heard. Exploring practical ways we can support and enhance communication for people with PMLD.
Sensory Engagement
The importance of creative planning to enable someone with PMLD to engage in the world around them.
Co-production
Learning about the essence of co-production and collaboration and why multi-faceted support is fundamental to delivering high quality, effective support in adult social care.
Values and Attitudes
Legislative, professional and parental movements that are transforming and enhancing the lives of people with PMLD. Recognising that everyone is a citizen; everyone can make a valuable contribution if supported in the right way. Respecting that everyone has the right to an ordinary, fulfilling life and how we can get involved to ensure this is truly embedded into everyday practice.
Details
Authors: Erren Wheatland and Katie Reid
ISBN:978-1-912755-61-5
Contents include:
Supporting Health and Everyday Needs
Definitions of Profound and Multiple Learning Disabilities (PMLD), the everyday support needs for a person with PMLD and associated complex health needs
Supporting Social and Emotional Wellbeing
The importance of living a meaningful life: supporting social and community participation and inclusion; developing and maintaining friendships, and; enhancing life opportunities.
Communication
The importance of being able to communicate and to have choice and control over your own life. Enabling decisions and choice-making; giving someone a voice and ensuring they can be heard. Exploring practical ways we can support and enhance communication for people with PMLD.
Sensory Engagement
The importance of creative planning to enable someone with PMLD to engage in the world around them.
Co-production
Learning about the essence of co-production and collaboration and why multi-faceted support is fundamental to delivering high quality, effective support in adult social care.
Values and Attitudes
Legislative, professional and parental movements that are transforming and enhancing the lives of people with PMLD. Recognising that everyone is a citizen; everyone can make a valuable contribution if supported in the right way. Respecting that everyone has the right to an ordinary, fulfilling life and how we can get involved to ensure this is truly embedded into everyday practice.
Publication date: November 2019
Authors
Erren Wheatland is a dual registered nurse (adult and children), she has a BSc in Professional Practice, and a PG Cert in the Epilepsies. She has worked within an Acute NHS Trust, a Community NHS Trust and is now a Specialist Nurse Practitioner at Achieve together. Erren’s career predominately has been supporting children, young people and adults with PMLD, complex health needs and life-limiting conditions in managerial and educational roles. Erren’s career was inspired by her parents who as well as raising their own children, have always fostered children with learning disabilities and complex health needs. She is passionate and committed to provide excellence in health and social care.
Katie Reid works as a Healthcare Facilitator at Achieve together. Her primary role is to advocate for people with learning disabilities, ensuring that they have equal access to health services, striving to reduce health inequalities. She works directly with individuals, working in collaboration with families, external health professionals and therapists to ensure people receive excellent health care support.
Her background has covered children’s services including working in support roles and as a Registered Manager, where she provided support for children and young adults with Profound and Multiple Learning Disabilities and associated complex health needs. This is an area of her work in which she continues to be very passionate about!
Reviews
Supporting People with Profound and Multiple Learning Disabilities is a much needed introductory guide book for anyone starting out on the adventure of caring for people with profound and multiple learning disabilities. Written by two passionate and dedicated health and social care experts, Katie Reid and Erren Wheatland, its chapters take you through: Supporting health and everyday needs; Supporting emotional health and well-being; Communication; Sensory engagement and activities; Collaboration and co-production; and Legislation, values and attitudes.
The chapters are laid out clearly and are intended to be used as a self-study guide, interspersed with activities and questions to keep the reader engaged. The book would work very well as a team study guide, with chapters being focused on as the subject of subsequent team meetings and the questions and activities within them enriching discussion between team members.
Although written for people new to caring for people with profound and multiple learning disabilities the chapters are rich with suggestions for further reading that would springboard more experienced team members into new sources of relevant information. The case studies bring to life the topics discussed.
People with profound and multiple learning disabilities are among the most marginalised members of our society. Caring for them effectively can be complex and support can be hard to find. This book lays out that complexity in a clear and accessible way and will hopefully go a good way to ensuring that people new to caring for people with profound and multiple learning disabilities begin with a solid foundation of knowledge and understanding.
Joanna Grace: Sensory Engagement Specialist, Author, Trainer, TEDx speaker and Founder of The Sensory Projects
