Adapting the Solihull Approach for staff caring for adults with learning disabilities and/or autism: evaluation of a pilot programme
Intended for healthcare professionals
Evidence and practice    

Adapting the Solihull Approach for staff caring for adults with learning disabilities and/or autism: evaluation of a pilot programme

Tanya Neilson Senior staff nurse, Cheswold Park Hospital, Doncaster, England

Why you should read this article:
  • To improve your understanding of behaviour that challenges among adults with learning disabilities and/or autism

  • To familiarise yourself with the principles of the Solihull Approach for training health and social care practitioners

  • To enhance your knowledge of the concept of attachment theory and how it can be applied in adults with learning disabilities and/or autism

The Solihull Approach is a model that has been used successfully to provide training for health and social care practitioners who support children and families, and is based on the concepts of containment, reciprocity and behaviour management. This article describes a pilot project in which the two-day Solihull Approach foundation course was adapted for practitioners who care for adults with learning disabilities and/or autism. The aim was to enhance their understanding of behaviour that challenges in this population.

A total of 11 participants completed the pilot programme. To evaluate the adapted training programme, the participants were asked to complete a questionnaire before and after the course, and their responses were then compared. The trainers also recorded participants’ feedback continuously throughout the programme and summarised this in a reflective account. The findings of this service evaluation suggest that the Solihull Approach is transferable to the training of staff who support adults with learning disabilities and/or autism. However, several areas for further development were identified and a larger-scale evaluation is warranted.

Learning Disability Practice. doi: 10.7748/ldp.2021.e2152

Peer review

This article has been subject to external double-blind peer review and checked for plagiarism using automated software

Correspondence

tansy.n@hotmail.co.uk

Conflict of interest

None declared

Neilson T (2021) Adapting the Solihull Approach for staff caring for adults with learning disabilities and/or autism: evaluation of a pilot programme. Learning Disability Practice. doi: 10.7748/ldp.2021.e2152

Acknowledgement

The author would like to thank Amanda Howlett from Norwich Children’s Services, England

Published online: 23 September 2021

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