Factors associated with positive work experience among professionals supporting people with intellectual disabilities: a comparative analysis of three welfare organisations in Sweden

Abstract

Given the crucial role professionals play in maintaining the well-being of people with intellectual disabilities, their views on work satisfaction are relevant to analyse. A comparative analysis that takes into account the support provided in different welfare organisations can be of certain importance. The aim is to analyse the most common aspects of professional work satisfaction in work with people with intellectual disabilities in schools, healthcare, and social services, and to apply a comparative analysis of such experience taking into account respondents' organisational affiliations. Data were collected using a digital questionnaire. Given the aim of the study, we drew on one open-ended question: 'describe aspects of your work that are most satisfactory for you'. The analysis shows that respondents associated positive work experience with seven aspects: autonomy, competence, nature of the work, collaboration, trust and recognition, work environment, and service users. Findings indicate that discretion is an important facet of work satisfaction among respondents in all three organisations. Flexibility, autonomy in decision-making, the ability to plan and act within certain institutional and legal frameworks, and the ability to prioritise among daily work assignments are empirical examples of this.

Inclusion of people with disabilities at work: Integrative review

“…Therefore, the need to raise awareness among employers about working conditions is evident. A critical and in-depth reflection on the inclusion of PWD is necessary, as this directly affects the employer-employee connection, being important to add the idea of inclusion to business objectives (Ineland & Starke, 2020;Carvalho-Freitas et al, 2018;Lima et al, 2013).…”

“…From this point of view, it is essential to align the inclusive vision with the perspective of well-being, especially in the face of capitalism and the labor market (Santos & Carvalho-Freitas, 2019). The issue, therefore, is not limited to environmental barriers, as PWD deeply experience exclusion, prejudice, and marginalization in various spheres of daily life, including in the constitution of subjectivity itself, as the human being establishes a sense of self through connecting with others (Dutra et al, 2020;Ineland & Starke, 2020).…”

Inclusão de trabalhadores com deficiência: Revisão integrativa

“…Desse ponto de vista, é primordial o alinhamento da visão inclusiva na perspectiva do bem-estar, principalmente em face do capitalismo e do mercado (Santos & Carvalho-Freitas, 2019). A questão, portanto, não se resume apenas às barreiras ambientais, pois a PcD experimenta profundamente a exclusão, o preconceito e a marginalização em diversas esferas da vida cotidiana, inclusive na constituição da própria subjetividade, visto que o ser humano se estabelece nas suas relações com outros (Dutra et al, 2020;Ineland & Starke, 2020).…”

“…Em ressonância a isso, Dito isso, a necessidade da sensibilização dos empregadores quanto às condições de trabalho é visível. É necessária uma reflexão crítica e aprofundada sobre a inclusão da PcD, pois isso afeta diretamente a relação empregador-empregado, sendo relevante para agregar a ideia de inclusão aos objetivos empresariais (Ineland & Starke, 2020;Carvalho-Freitas et al, 2018;Lima et al, 2013). Nesse sentido, segundo Carvalho-Freitas et al ( 2018), um dos fatores de maior importância na manutenção do sentido e da satisfação do trabalho é a qualidade de vida relativa à atividade, sendo um fator profissional decisivo que interfere de maneira mais enfática que a dificuldade de inserção no mercado e a própria deficiência como agente excludente.…”