Lots has been happening over the last couple of years for Making Positive Moves. In this blog post, we wanted to give you an update about the project and the results we have so far.
What did we do in the research project?
The “Making Positive Moves” research project focuses on understanding the support needed by people with learning disabilities to live their best lives in their own home after moving out from mental health hospitals under the Transforming Care Programme. Transforming Care launched in 2012 and aimed to support people with learning disabilities to live independently in their communities instead of hospital settings, ensuring they have the same rights and opportunities as others.
We spoke to 22 people with learning disabilities who had moved out of hospital, and 18 of these people also spoke to us again around one year later. We also spoke to some people’s family members and/or support staff. We asked people what it was like to move out of hospital and live in their own home, and what has made things easier or harder for them. You can read more about our recruitment to the project in a previous blog post – https://makingpositivemoves.org/project-update-on-recruitment-and-data-collection/
What did we find out?
We analysed the interviews using an approach called ‘Grounded Theory’, and we developed a model about “Living my best life”. We identified four key supports that form the foundation for a fulfilling life:
- Feeling safe in my relationships
- Making choices
- Belonging and keeping busy
- Feeling happy with who I am
When these supports were in place, peoples’ foundations grew stronger. However, if these supports were not in place, people’s lives and wellbeing could be impacted.
Feeling safe in relationships is crucial, and this was supported by people feeling known, feeling cared for, being listened to and trusting staff. Making their own choices about their lives was empowering for people, and they valued support to do this. It was important to people that they had the opportunity to do activities that they enjoyed, kept them busy and helped them to feel a sense of belonging in their community/communities. Many people began to feel happier about themselves after leaving hospital, and this was supported by other people valuing them.
We have created an animated video about our model, which has more information about each of the supports and how they can help people to live their best life. You can watch it here:
Working with stakeholders
A key challenge in improving care for people with learning disabilities is ensuring that research findings are used in real-world settings. To address this, we have developed a stakeholder network, including individuals with learning disabilities, families, social care providers, and policymakers. We have held stakeholder conferences, and we’ve had lots of helpful meetings with individuals and organisations. We hope that working closely with stakeholders will help us bridge the gap between research and practice in supporting people with learning disabilities.
What next?
We are working with key stakeholders, including people with learning disabilities and health and social care professionals, to develop resources. These will be based on the ‘Living my best life’ model and will aim to improve people’s wellbeing and reduce the likelihood of hospital admission.
If you would like to share your views or hear more about this, please get in touch:
hello@makingpositivemoves.org
