Fao Ratter

[Gavmacp]

I have just read something you have written. Interested in your job role. I work with learning disabilities. It wasn't the career move I wanted to make as a general nurse but now love it with a passion.
Work with a lot of unmotivated staff and would like to change their attitudes in a more positive way.
I find Learning disabilities laughable at times. As I have said not LD trained but someone mentioned the way I speak to the clients. All I do is treat them like human beings and speak to them and engage with them. Not rocket science but so few people do it!!
Interested in your experiences of trying to improve standards!!!!

[RATTER15]

Gavmacp, I love working with LD and especially challenging behaviours and forensic clients, Where I work the staff are attacked by clients almost everyday. The problem with this is the staff that have been attacked will sometimes get angry and abusive toward the client, some dont understand that these clients will never respond accordingly, they have very little concept of right or wrong and when that switch is flipped they literally have no control. When I get attacked I respond with total calm as though everything is under control and reassure the client that all is fine fine and find a distraction that will often subdue the attack, failing that we are trained in Restrictive Physical Intervention and we then need to take the client to a quite room designated for that client and to suit his or her needs. Many people are not cut out for this work, you sound like you are speaking them correctly in treating them like just another adult, however you need to be on your guard a little, it is easy to say things that may not be appropriate with learning dis clients, you need to look out for triggers, these would be found in their support plans, you need to be very careful of things like innuendoes etc. it can be quite hard sometimes. what one person sees as harmless fun chat may be seen by another as "over the top" sexually or possibly could provoke violence depending on the client type.

Some people have no idea how to interact with these people and experience tells me that if you don't have that ability when you start, all the training in the world wont change that.

As for motivating these people, I would talk about this and put it in writing at each supervision and keep the pressure on, if need be talk to CQC and explain your concerns, they can make a big difference believe me.

[RATTER15]

Strewth, I think that is my longest post yet!

[Dee Sa]

I worked with two ladies with Downs Syndrome, one I stayed at work for well past my retirement age, I worked with her for 13 years I found the job did not pay well but was very rewarding in its own right. It was never boring as no two days were the same.

[RATTER15]

On speaking to them like "any other adult" you must never show them you are annoyed with them or cross, you will need far far more patience and understanding than you would with "any other adult" always keep calm in tone and try to keep them calm.

[RATTER15]

Dee Sa, I know, the pay is usually little better than minimum wage. I love to work with Down Syndrome, they are generally very loving people. The problem where I work, is the younger female staff get fed up with being hurt through repeated attacks etc, they say the money isnt good enough for this kind of work, I do understand what they are saying but at the end of the day, you cant do this sort of work for the money, if its money they want they are better off stacking shelves at the supermarket.

[Gavmacp]

The clients I support are profoundly disabled.
They are at risk of been treated as objects. Trying to improve the service we provide but finding a lot of obstacles. I do a lot of work in my own time as management will not arrange paper work time.

[RATTER15]

As management I can only suggest employing very experienced team leaders to show the staff and to encourage them, get them on courses in activities specifically for your client group etc.

I have never actually worked with profoundly disabled people, so I'm certainly no expert in this field, however I imagine the same approach would apply.

[Gavmacp]

Many years ago I worked on a Treatment and Assessment unit. When we had violent clients in we would use an agency which used prison guards. They were interesting to watch as they used a lot of deesculation techniques in dealing with the clients. I also noticed that when the client was amiable they were absent but if they appeared I knew something was brewing. This strirred an interest in effective communication/behavioural techniques.

[RATTER15]

lol Gavmacp, we have experienced this type of approach with ex police and prison guards. They were a nightmare, they just wanted to get their hands on and were not interested in de-escalation at all, more macho crap than was necessary, all of our "restrictive intervention techniques" we use will not harm or hurt the client in any way, not like some of these guard types than want to throw people on the floor or have their arm up behind their backs etc, these clients really don't deserve that treatment. Now any agency staff used are not permitted to put hands on any client unless in an absolute emergency and then only until a trained staff member can take over.

[Gavmacp]

I am sorry to hear that! The chaps we used were quite the opposite. Did not use any physical techniques but used effective communication.
In fact one day I had to say "You're all screws". I had to explain that I had read a lot of negative stuff about screws but these were lovely guys.
Working with them was a real joy and sparked an interest in how I communicate especially in having a more positive outcome.

[RATTER15]

That is really good, I suppose it all depends on the training on individual establishments, some good and some bad.