Small Staffed Houses for People with a Severe Learning Disability and Challenging Behaviour

Abstract

This study reports a longitudinal evaluation of the effectiveness of community-based residential services, individually designed for people who, in addition to their severe or profound learning disability, have very serious challenging behaviour. Observations were made over three years, tracking individuals in both pre- and post-move settings. Overall, the results suggest that even for this client group (who are traditionally the most difficult to place) small staffed homes can provide improved client experience as measured by engagement in meaningful activity; but that to do so requires attention to the quality of staff performance as well as to basic material and social resources.