PEOPLE WITH LEARNING DISABILITIES IN 'OUT-OF-AREA' RESIDENTIAL PLACEMENTS: VIEWS OF FAMILIES, MANAGERS AND SPECIALISTS

Out-of-area placements may make it harder for people to maintain family links and for care managers to monitor quality. This study explored the views and experiences of family members, care managers, residontial home managers and the members of multidisciplinary community teams involved with out-of-area placements. For each of 30 people placed out-of-area, home managers, care managers and family members were interviewed. In addition, focus groups were conducted with five community learning disability teams. Findings from the interviews and focus groups suggested that placements, especially those for people with more complex needs, were difficult to find and secure. The distance involved often caused problems of coordinating to ensure that appropriate care Was provided. Problems of poor quality care Were identified by families and particularly by members of community teams. However, the findings were mixed, with care managers, home managers and family members generally reporting satisfaction with placements. Further research should focus on comparing quality of life and quality of service for those placed out-of-area with that of those placed in-area to establish whether there are real qualitative differences. In conclusion, despite its limitations, this study offers further evidence that the continued focus on stemming out-of-area placements and developing good quality local placements is justified.