Skills for support: personal assistants and people with learning disabilities

Abstract

Accessible summary This paper is about how people get good support. This can happen when you have a direct payment, and you have your own personal assistant (PA). But you need to have a good PA, who knows how to communicate well. Two people with learning disabilities worked in the research team on this project. The team made videos of people with learning disabilities working with their PAs. It is important that the PA knows how to support you well. For instance, they should treat you with respect. This means that you can tell them what to do. They should talk to you like an adult, and listen to what you want. They should not rush you. A good PA will remind you that you’ve got a choice. They will help you be in control of your choices, but they won’t force you to make a choice. PAs sometimes have to give you advice. But that should be on your terms. It’s good to have a friendly relationship with your PA. It’s a bit like team work. People with learning disabilities can help to train their own PAs. This project made a training pack, with a DVD. Summary For people with learning disabilities to have control over their lives, the quality of their support staff matters. This paper reports on an inclusive research study, which used video analysis to study the communication skills of personal assistants (PAs) who worked with people with learning disabilities. The findings reveal some of the fine detail in the strategies these PAs used, to show respect, support choices, and give advice. They were able to step back, to listen and observe the person with learning disabilities, and to use good, open body language. They also gave people time, built up a close relationship based on shared interests and activities, and they talked with people in a friendly, adult way. It is difficult to support people to manage their lives, and team work is important. People with learning disabilities also have to play their role in the relationship. This research produced training materials that will help people with learning disabilities to train and support their own PAs.