Education and training for learning disability practice: key messages from contemporary literature.

Over the last quarter of a century, much attention has justifiably been given to the closure of long-stay hospitals and the subsequent community-based experiences of people with learning disabilities. This has inevitably led to debate regarding how best they might continue to be supported, and by wh...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of Intellectual Disabilities Vol. 13; no. 4; pp. 291 - 305
Main Authors: Crickmore D, Wray J, Crickmore, Debbie, Wray, Jane
Format: review Journal Article
Published: Sage Publications Inc. Dec2009
Online Access:View this record in EBSCOhost
Description
Summary:Over the last quarter of a century, much attention has justifiably been given to the closure of long-stay hospitals and the subsequent community-based experiences of people with learning disabilities. This has inevitably led to debate regarding how best they might continue to be supported, and by whom. Having identified a range of accredited provision currently available to prepare or develop staff working with adults with learning disabilities in the United Kingdom, this article reviews a range of contemporary literature relating to education in learning disability health and social care that is typically produced and viewed in isolation. Four themes are identified: training social carers, user involvement, (inter)professional practice and work-based learning. Key messages emerge from these themes to form recommendations for the future education of learning disability practitioners across the workforce.