Reaching out: a proactive process to include young people with learning disabilities in counselling in secondary schools in the UK

Research reports high levels of mental health problems faced by young people in the UK. Schools provide a range of mental health support services, although these are often not robustly evaluated. This paper aims to explore the mental health provision of secondary schools across two large regions in the North of England and provide comparisons to the mental health questionnaire scores of their pupils. Results are part of a wider study providing an overview of the mental health of secondary school pupils. Measures include the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire, distributed to year 8, 9, and 11 pupils attending secondary schools and a bespoke mental health service provision questionnaire for school staff at the same schools. A total of 6328 pupil questionnaires and 36 staff questionnaires were returned from 21 schools. Results showed a non-significant correlation between provision and young people’s mental health scores and highlight a range of factors to take into consideration. There is a need to improve the evaluation and recording of school-based mental health provision. Mental health difficulties in young people are prevalent in schools. Future research is needed to elucidate which types of services are most helpful in preventing, supporting, and signposting those with mental health problems.

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Specialist inpatient services for people with learning disabilities across the four countries of the UK

Tizard Learning Disability Review ◽

10.1108/tldr-08-2016-0023 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 21 (4) ◽

pp. 220-225 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Chris Hatton

Keyword(s):

Learning Disabilities ◽

Northern Ireland ◽

Young People ◽

Length Of Stay ◽

Service Use ◽

Inpatient Service ◽

Content Type ◽

Inpatient Services ◽

Trends Over Time ◽

The Uk

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to compare data from national censuses on specialist inpatient service use by people with learning disabilities across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Design/methodology/approach National statistics (England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland) reporting inpatient service censuses including people with learning disabilities were accessed, with data extracted on trends over time, rate of service use, young people and length of stay. Findings The number and rate of people with learning disabilities in specialist inpatient services varied across the UK: 230 people in Scotland (rate 4.88 per 100,000 population); 3,250 people in England (5.48); 183 people in Wales (5.90); 144 people in Northern Ireland (7.82). The number of people in inpatient services in Northern Ireland halved over four years, in other areas reductions were modest. Between 5 and 8 per cent of people in inpatient services were children/young people. Median length of stay in the person’s current inpatient service varied: 19 months in England; 33 months in Scotland; three to five years in Northern Ireland. Social implications Different parts of the UK vary in the scale of their specialist inpatient services for people with learning disabilities. With the exception of Northern Ireland, which may still be in the last stages of completing a “regular” deinstitutionalisation programme, strong policy prescriptions for substantial reductions in specialist inpatient services are currently only resulting in modest reductions. Originality/value This paper is a first attempt to compare national inpatient service statistics across the UK. With increasing divergence of health and social service systems, further comparative analyses of services for people with learning disabilities are needed.

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Listening to Young People with Learning Disabilities Who Have Experienced, or Are at Risk of, Child Sexual Exploitation in the UK

Children & Society ◽

10.1111/chso.12231 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 32 (2) ◽

pp. 98-109 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Anita Franklin ◽

Emilie Smeaton

Keyword(s):

At Risk ◽

Learning Disabilities ◽

Young People ◽

Sexual Exploitation ◽

Child Sexual Exploitation ◽

The Uk

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Good practice in transition services for young people with learning disabilities: a review

Advances in Mental Health and Learning Disabilities ◽

10.1108/17530180200800025 ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 2 (3) ◽

pp. 18-22 ◽

Cited By ~ 13

Author(s):

Diana Barron ◽

Angela Hassiotis

Keyword(s):

Learning Disabilities ◽

Young People ◽

Transition To Adulthood ◽

Good Practice ◽

Transition Services ◽

Information Research ◽

New Methodologies ◽

The Uk ◽

Available Information ◽

Neurodevelopment Disorders

There is now a vast amount of available information, research and policy on the transition of young people with learning disabilities to adulthood. These sources are informed by different professional philosophies and practices, resulting in a heterogeneous mass of data that can be confusing, contradictory and repetitive. In this review we provide an overview of recent publications about services for young people with learning disabilities at the time of transition, with particular focus on those with mental disorders including neurodevelopment disorders and/or challenging behaviour. We discuss their relevance to good practice and the implications for the future development of services for people with learning disabilities in the UK. We argue that, despite the qualitative differences between the experience of transition to adulthood for young people with learning disabilities and that of other young people, the principles of service provision remain the same. Developments in research and clinical practice in this field ought to reflect good practice, as well as embracing new methodologies, and benefit from advances in adolescents without learning disabilities.

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