Staff awareness training: improving knowledge and confidence of autism spectrum disorders and intellectual disabilities in a locked rehabilitation unit

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to present a training package which was delivered to improve staff members’ knowledge and confidence of autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and intellectual disabilities (ID). Design/methodology/approach The training was facilitated in a locked rehabilitation unit for adult males, many of whom had diagnoses of ASD and/or ID. With all staff receiving an invite, 25 attended which was the majority of the staff team. This included staff from housekeeping, nursing and catering. Findings To evaluate the effectiveness of the training, a survey and short assessment was administered before and after training. This revealed an improvement in both perceived knowledge and confidence of ASD and ID, as well as actual knowledge. Follow-up interviews also revealed some evidence of sustained learning and practice changes. Research limitations/implications Based on these findings, it is recommended that further face-to-face training is delivered at this locked rehabilitation unit to further improve professional practice. Originality/value This paper provides value to other inpatient settings as it highlights to practitioners how face-to-face training can significantly improve staff members knowledge and confidence of developmental disorders.