Introduction to personal relationships work with people with learning disabilities

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Introduction to personal relationships work with
people with learning disabilities
Sexuality Training Level 1

• Stephen Jones

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Fears, Hopes
Questions
Comfort zone
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Aims of today

• To develop support staff confidence, awareness,
  skill and ability to discuss the needs of people
  with learning disabilities in relation to their
  sexuality and relationships

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Objectives and Learning outcomes

• Have an understanding of values and attitudes
  necessary for proactive support in the area of
  sexuality and personal relationships
• Understand the role, rights and responsibilities
  of paid staff in relation to support in the area
  of sexuality and relationships
• Know the rights and responsibilities of people
  supported in relation to their sexuality
• Have an awareness of the law in relation to
  people with learning disability and sexuality

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Sexuality is
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The right to be sexual
Dilemmas What do you do? What affects your
responses?
My Choice my risk
I feel I cant support your relationship
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Myths
Our own experiences
Family views
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Common Questions
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Rights of adults with Learning Disabilities

• Access to guidance which will assist them in
  their social, personal and sexual development
• Access to support and advice from people who are
  competent to provide it
• The opportunity to develop close, intimate and
  loving relationships and the privacy this demands
• To have appropriate support and protection from
  exploitation, abuse and degrading treatment
• To have information about him/herself kept
  confidential

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Responsibilities of adult with learning
disabilities

• To stay within the law
• To respect the rights of others
• To treat others with respect and privacy
• To treat others with consideration and sensitivity

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Rights of staff

• To have appropriate support and protection from
  exploitation, abuse and degrading treatment which
  may be perpetrated by the service users that they
  work with
• To be given relevant information, advice,
  support, supervision and training from someone
  who is appropriately skilled and conversant with
  policy on personal and social relationships
• To be treated with respect, consideration, and
  sensitivity
• To be protected from unfair allegations and
  adverse publicity and supported when allegations
  are made by means of policies and procedures

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Responsibilities of staff

• To work constructively with others within policy
  and procedures to support adults with learning
  disabilities in pursuing personal and social
  relationships
• To report any incidents of abuse, neglect or poor
  practice in line with their employers adult
  protection procedures in a non judgemental
  manner
• To request training, support and guidance when
  necessary
• To ensure that the adult with learning
  disabilities is kept informed and treated with
  respect and dignity and appropriate
  confidentiality in a non abusive, non judgemental
  environment

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Sex Talk Rules

• The context of words is important.
• Establish the individuals level of understanding
• Make sure that words you use are understood
• Make sure you establish what words are
  acceptable, what not.
• Make sure as a team you agree on what words you
  will use, when why
• Wherever possible educate people with the correct
  words terms
• Educate the individual on what words are
  acceptable in public which are not
• Keep it simple. Keep it factual
• If using Alternative communication methods,
  establish signs, objects of reference, symbols
  etc.
• Be sensitive, sex is difficult to discuss
• Answer honestly
• Close discussion if it becomes uncomfortable
• Dont allow yourself to be in a position where
  you are compromised

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What the Law says

• It is legal for anyone aged 16 and over to engage
  in sexual activity with partners of the same or
  opposite sex. This applies to someone with a
  learning disability provided the person has
  capacity to consent to sexual activity

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Mental Capacity Act

• A person lacks capacity if at that time s/he is
  unable to make a decision for themselves because
  of an impairment or disturbance in the
  functioning of the brain or mind. It does not
  matter whether the impairment is permanent or
  temporary.

• 5 Key principles
• Every adult has the right to make his or her own
  decisions and must be assumed to have capacity to
  do so unless proved otherwise.
• People must be given every support and
  opportunity to enable them to make a particular
  decision. Not to be treated as unable to make a
  decision unless all help has been unsuccessful.
• Individuals retain the right to make unwise or
  eccentric decisions
• Anything done for or on behalf of people without
  capacity must be in THEIR best interests.
• The least restrictive intervention must be
  employed. Consideration must be given to the
  persons RIGHTS FREEDOMS.

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Inability to make decision

• A person is unable to make a decision is s/he is
  unable to
• Understand the information relevant to the
  decision
• Retain information
• Use or weight up that information as part of the
  process of making a decision
• Communicate his/her decision (whether by talking,
  using sign language, objects of reference or
  other means)

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Excluded Decisions

• Nothing in the act permits the following
  decisions to be made on behalf of a person
• Consent to marriage or civil partnership
• Consent to sexual relationships
• Consent to divorce or dissolution of a civil
  partnership based on two years separation
• Giving consent under the Human Fertilisation and
  Embryology Act 1990