From NDS Newsletter – Group homes for people with PIMD

I’ve grabbed the following from an NDS newsletter. I think it is only for Victorian group homes.

Do you know of any great group homes for people with intellectual disability and high support needs?

The ‘culture’ of group homes has long been recognised as being important in realising a good ‘quality of life’ for people with intellectual disabilities, but has been little researched.

The School of Social Work and Social Policy at La Trobe University and the Tizard Centre in the United Kingdom have been awarded funding from the Australian Research Council to learn about the ‘culture’ of highly performing group homes for people with high support needs. We want to understand what the staff culture in good group homes looks like, how it emerges, how it changes over time and what supports it. Our findings will help to inform organisational development, policy and practice in group homes.

The project brings together key researchers in this field, Professor Jim Mansell, Professor Chris Bigby, Dr Julie Beadle – Brown, Dr Marie Knox and Dr Tim Clement. Together we have much experience in investigating quality of life in group homes.

Do you know a group home for people with severe and profound intellectual disabilities that you regard as being one of the best of its kind? You may work in such a setting or know one that you consider to be a flagship service.

If you are able to recommend such a service in the broadest terms,( i.e. without breaching confidentially) that might be invited to participate in this research, please contact Professor Christine Bigby, phone: (03) 9479 1016 or email: c.bigby@latrobe.edu.au. Alternatively, you could bring this newsletter item to the attention of a manager in the relevant organisation.

New report: UK


From the PMLD Network listserve:
Dear All,

The report on “Communication and people with the most complex needs: What works and why this is essential,” which Sue Caton and I started last year, is now finished. The final report is available at

http://www.mencap.org.uk/document.asp?id=20568 for the main report and

http://www.mencap.org.uk/document.asp?id=20570 for the Easy Read version.

Sue and I would like to thank, most sincerely, all the members of this forum who contributed to the report. Your input was really appreciated, and we hope you like the final version.

Best wishes
Juliet Goldbart & Sue Caton, MMU j.goldbart@mmu.ac.uk

I’ve had a flick through the report and I think it is excellent. It will be of interest to speech pathologists, teachers, service providers, and families. I think it also provides a a good template for other interventions (e.g., physio, OT, music therapy). I must say I’m also well chuffed to see HOP in there (a commitment to give a person 10 minutes of 1:1 time).

What are ‘meaningful activities’?

This side box was in the Lambeth report. Some of the things I agree with, some I’m not so sure about. I mean, you can’t define meaningful by saying it is meaningful to the person – it circuitous, because it still doesn’t say what’s meaningful. What is genuinely enjoyable – and is enjoyment necessary for meaning, or is just things that provoke us to action or thought (enjoyable, frustrating, or interesting)? Where are the dividing line between what you or I might find meaningful, and what each individual with PIMD might find meaningful (does it always need to have a community parameter?)
What do you think? Have you seen any better definitions of meaningful activities
What are ‘meaningful activities’?
• They are stimulating and meaningful to the individual.
• People’s physical and health needs are supported in a dignified manner.
• The person can access the community by taking part in activities that they find genuinely enjoyable.
• They recognise that many people with PMLD experience the world largely on sensory level and take this into account.
• People are included in community activities in ways that are meaningful to each person.
• Manual handling policy and practice don’t act as a barrier to the person taking part in community activities.
• They recognise the importance of one-to-one interaction, with a workforce who are skilled in meeting complex health needs, and trained in nonformal communication techniques.
• Suitable and flexible transport is provided that enables people to physically move around their community.