Category Archives: day services

Approaching Best Practice for adults with PIMD in day services

I had the pleasure of spending a day at WALCA in Bexley, NSW, last week.

There were many things about the service that make me suggest they are approaching best practice.
Most notable was their InterCom service in IGLO:). This part of the day service included two staff dedicated to supporting the communication of the service users. The staff had built particular expertise in Intensive Interaction and other communication strategies. They had an area of the day service where they could bring clients for one to one work. In addition, they had other staff spend a day in the part of the service so that they could model and share what they’d learnt. 
They showed and discussed a video that they had made of the work. They impressed me with their ability to describe the outcomes for service users and how these had been bought about: people who were now taking turns in sound play, people who had started the service screaming most of the day and now smiling in interactions… Very impressive, and showing the value of day services when time is dedicated to staff learning and nurturing their ability to bring about and describe outcomes.

Raising Our Sights – video

After several months of waiting, the UK Raising Our Sights video that accompanies the report is now on the Department of Health website. It has been segmented into parts, for download size purposes I assume. I recommend watching all parts – but if you have to choose, I would recommend starting with Victoria and Mitchell’s video (Alex and Simon perhaps are more in-line with having severe ID rather than profound – but nevertheless it is a good video).
I think this an important example of supporting adults with PIMD and it may be helpful to both services and families supporting people with PIMD.
Click here for both the report and the videos.

upcoming event – Raising Our Sights

Cross posting this event that might be of interest (related to below mentioned report)
Raising our sights: services for adults with profound intellectual and multiple disabilities
Professor Jim Mansell
Friday 16 April 2.00pm – 5.00pm
Presented by Professor Jim Mansell, Director of the Tizard Centre, University of Kent
Implementation of new government policy for people with intellectual disabilities in England (‘Valuing People’) after 2001 has not made sufficient progress for people with more complex needs. A revision of the policy has identified this (‘making it happen for everyone’) as a goal. One of the groups identified as not receiving better services quickly enough are adults with profound intellectual and multiple disabilities. This master class describes the results of a review of services for adults with profound intellectual and multiple disabilities and its recommendations for action. Participants in the master class will have the opportunity to assess Victorian policy and practice in the light of the issues identified.
Enquiries to Professor Christine Bigby, C.Bigby@latrobe.edu.au – bookings essential