Learning from support workers: Can a dramatherapy group offer a community provision to support changes in care for people with learning disabilities and mental health difficulties?

Abstract

Accessible summary Dramatherapy groups are being used to help people with learning disabilities move from hospital back to their homes. The staff who support people to attend the groups talked about their experiences. The staff felt the groups help people stay well, build friendships and get support quickly if needed. The staff felt that the groups were helpful for themselves too as they felt supported and learned new skills. Abstract BackgroundThe UK Government's Transforming Care Agenda for people with learning disabilities has struggled to meet its goals of reducing inpatient beds and building community‐based support. This article reports on the experiences of support staff who attended dramatherapy groups developed to assist transitions from an inpatient hospital and to prevent re‐admissions through post‐discharge support. The groups provide ongoing support and a place where relationships can be developed between supporter and those supported. Materials and MethodsA focus group with a purposive sample of paid support staff. The data was synthesised using a thematic framework approach. ResultsThemes include: (a) new way of supporting and (b) hospital connection. The groups helped improve social interaction, friendship building, communication and self‐confidence. Additional benefits include the pooling of support and a connection with professionals that enables difficulties to be caught early. ConclusionsSupport workers valued these dramatherapy groups, recognising how the intervention enabled people with learning disabilities to develop relationships and provide easy access to mental health professionals. Support staff also found benefits for themselves which included shared support and an increased understanding and insight into the people they support.

A systematic review of community psychosocial group interventions for adults with intellectual disabilities and mental health conditions

“…Having a place to meet people regularly can offer on‐going support and reduce isolation. The group interventions offered links with professional's and allowed updates to be shared if needed with wider teams (Bourne et al, 2020). As retention across all the studies was good, this could translate that the psychosocial interventions reduced symptoms and were benficial, but supporting a person's well‐being should be on‐going (Leamy, 2011).…”

Advances for future working following an online dramatherapy group for adults with intellectual disabilities and mental ill health during the COVID‐19 pandemic: A service evaluation for Cumbria, Northumberland Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust

“…The Get Going Group online is an adaption of a community dramatherapy group and psychosocial intervention that ran successfully for over 6 years face to face before the pandemic (Bourne et al, 2020 ; Hackett & Bourne, 2014 ). Psychosocial interventions can be described as interventions that emphasise psychological, behavioural or social factors rather than biological factors such as pharmacotherapy (Bourne et al, 2021 ).…”