This article describes an evaluation study, the focus of which is the Changeover Foundation programme (Scottish Human Services I995). This programme was designed to critically examine, evaluate and to suggest changes to leisure day service provision for people with a learning disability at two social service managed facilities. Participants of the programme came from a variety of backgrounds and included day service managers, staff, volunteers, carers, service users and representatives of other statutory service providers. Evaluation methods included conducting focused group interviews (n = 2) and individual interviews with course participants (n = I0). The findings give a generally positive evaluation. A major strength of the programme was that of bringing together a diverse group of people that included service users to undertake critical appraisal of day care leisure services. Many of the positive aspects of the programme centred on the development of meaningful group interactions and relationships. Problems identified mainly related to the course manual. It was seen as too complex especially by service users and needed to be supported by other educational materials such as video or audio-tapes. Suggestions for changes to services were also identified. Limitations of the study are discussed. The problems of including those with a learning disability in this type of project are identified and suggestions to how it may have been better approached are given.
This article, the second in a series of three, outlines an initiative in North Wales which developed a programme of education provided by a district nursing team for social service home carers. The main aim of the project was to improve collaborative working between social services home carers and district nurses. This article describes the rationale for and the progress of the project drawing on relevant literature to justify the approaches used. The approaches undertaken to evaluate the work in terms of structure, process and outcome for patients, home carers and district nurses are discussed.
This article — the first in a series of three — outlines the development of a communication package devised to enhance communication and collaboration between a district nursing team and a social service home care team. Poor communication results in fragmented and uncoordinated care; the fundamental objective of this care intervention was to assist the improvement of patient care by enhancing communication and collaboration between the two teams. This article provides the rationale for the development and implementation of this package drawing on relevant literature to justify the approaches undertaken.
This article, the last in a series of three, discusses the evaluation of a project established to provide a programme of education for social services' home carers that focused on the development of skills relating to care work. This education was delivered by district nurses (DNs) to address a number of problems associated with the provision of personal care identified by the home carers and their DN colleagues. An action research framework was used to improve collaborative working between the staff of the two disciplines. The article outlines some of the key findings from the evaluation of the project in relation to the structure, the process and the outcome of the project. The project evaluation was mainly positive and this success can be partly attributed to the fact that an action research method was used to drive the project.
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