Health and social care staff responses to working with people with a learning disability who display sexual offending type behaviours

Abstract

This study found that 59% of social care staff were currently supporting a client with a learning disability who had offended or displayed an offending type behaviour. The range of behaviours was similar to that displayed by clients in a secure health facility and included rape, sexual assault and exposure. Only 22.9% of social care staff had received training in this area, while none of the health staff had. Both groups expressed low levels of confidence in supporting this client group. The areas of difficulty were common to both groups and included personal attitudes and attitudes of others to the behaviour, and concerns over risk, responsibility and safety. In respect of attitudes, social care staff were found to be significantly more likely to hold negative attitudes towards the person's behaviour, while health staff were significantly more likely to feel negatively towards the person. Health staff were significantly more likely to identify training as a means of further support, while social care staff identified professional input. Both groups identified the need for theoretical training about working with this client group. Despite this no significant differences were found between those who had and had not received training and confidence, attitudes and the need for further support.     

Britain After Brexit

On January 31,Britain exited the EU after being a member for 47 years.Rather than national celebrations,and a statement before a live crowd from Prime Minister Boris Johnson,the event itself was marked in an almost low-key way.After all,this was something which had been attempted two times before,under the prime ministership of Theresa May,and once under Johnson.Johnson’s final securing of an agreement to exit from the British parliament this time was a direct result of his being able to secure a working majority in the December 12,2019,election for the Conservative Party.     

ON THE BORDERLINE

The China-Japan dispute over the Diaoyu Islands is a global concern.It is said that "good fences make good neighbors." One of the longstanding political traits of human behavior is to create territorial certainty,especially since the decline of nomadic societies.However,disputes over territories are still the main cause of serious conflicts,some of which lead to violence between communities and countries.     

Boris and Beijing

The internal election of a new British Conservative Party leader at the end of July also meant that the United Kingdom(UK)gota new primeminister.Boris Johnson comes to power therefore via a route with no national election to legitimize him. He is also, even in his own party, a divisive figure.     

A Time of Reckoning

Controversial 20th-century British politician Enoch Powell once noted that all political careers in Great Britain end in tears. With Theresa May, his words proved true not just figuratively but literally. As the British prime minister announced on May 24 that she would step down on June 7, observers could see her face consumed with emotion and tears well up in her eyes. It was a bathetic note to end a chaotic, and for many, in glorious, period.     

AN OPPORTUNE MOMENT The upcoming G20 Summit provides space for change

Some nine months have elapsed since the last G20 meeting. What has changed? What has stayed the same? The temptation would be to emphasize the things that have happened and to understate the issues that have remained the same.     

Does Lineup Size Matter with Child Witnesses

Children’s (N = 89) identification accuracy was examined as a function of lineup size. Participants (8–13 years) viewed a videotaped staged event, described what was witnessed and then were presented with either a target-present or—absent lineup containing 6 versus 12 lineup members. The elimination lineup procedure (Pozzulo and Lindsay J Appl Psychol 38: 2195–2209 1999) was used to present lineups. No significant differences in correct identification rates were found across the target-present sized lineups. In addition, the target was likely to “survive” at a comparable rate regardless of lineup size. Moreover, there was no significant difference in correct rejection rate as a function of lineup size. The non significance of these data are critical given that most research with child witnesses uses 6-person lineups whereas in many real world contexts larger sized lineups are used (e.g., 12-person in Canada).     

The curious case of Housing First: the limits of evidence based policy

Evidence Based Policy has been articulated and practiced in Europe, particularly under the ‘New Labour’ policies of the former Labour government in the United Kingdom. In the United States, the impact of research on policy has been inconsistent due to differing relationships between researchers and policy makers. This paper gives an overview of evidence based policy and presents critiques based on its reliance on positivist methods and technical approach to policy making. Using these critiques as a framework, the paper discusses the case of Housing First, a policy adopted by the Bush Administration in order to address the problem of chronic homelessness. The case is an example of research driven policy making but also resulted in a progressive policy being promoted by a conservative administration. In discussing the case, the paper elaborates on the relationship between evidence and policy, arguing that evidence based policy fails to integrate evidence and values into policy deliberations. The paper concludes with alternative models of policy decision making and their implications for research.