Working together – Supporting people with Learning
Disabilities and Mental Health problems
COTSSPLD annual conference
5th October 2012
College of Occupational Therapy, 106-114 Borough High
Street London
COTSS-PLD members
£65
COTSS-MH members
£75
(includes 1 years membership to COTSS-PLD)
Non-members
£90
(includes 1 years membership to COTSS-PLD)
Students
£70
Application Form
Working together – Supporting people with Learning
Disabilities and Mental Health problems
COTSSPLD annual conference
5th October 2012
Name
Address
Contact e-mail address
Contact phone number
Place of work
I am a COTSS-PLD member
I am a COTSS-MH member
I am a presenter
I am a student
I am a non-member
BAOT number:
Please note that free membership can only be given to BAOT members.
Payment Methods:
INTERNET OR TELEPHONE BANKING: please contact your bank and quote
COTSSPLD bank account number 31202928 and sort code 40-05-19 and use
COTSSPLD and your full name as a reference
CHEQUE: made payable to College of Occupational Therapists Ltd posted to the
address below
Amanda Knight, COTSSPLD Administrators, Unit A4 Kingfisher House, Kingsway North,
Team Valley trading Estate, Gateshead, Tyne and Wear, NE11 0JQ
Please note, we can not send invoices
In order for us to plan the workshops and smaller presentations we
need to know which presentations you intend to go to. Please put a tick
next to the session you would like to attend at each given time slot.
Room 3

Room 4
11301:00
• Occupational Therapy with
adults who have learning
disabilities and dementia –
Jenny Cooper
• Occupational Therapy,
Learning Disabilities and
Dementia – Moira Scanlon
• Talking about Dementia –ways
of making information more
accessible – Mary Waight
• The use of the OCAIRS
assessment within a medium
secure learning disability
secure unit – Hannah Grieve
• What colour do you want the
walls – meaningful
involvement of clients in the
relocation of a low secure
learning disability service –
David Ogden
• Getting to know you” in a
residential home for people
with learning disabilities and
mental health problems – John
Pope
2:00 –
3:00
• A collaborative multi-element
approach to supporting an
individual with autism and a
learning disability - Brian Murtagh
and Jo Ball
• Needs and services for those with
Asperger’s syndrome – Carmen
Brook-Southon
• The application of the mental
capacity act with dual
diagnosis (people with
learning disability and mental
health problems) – Sue Mesa
• Learning disability audit tool
– Genevieve Smyth
3:304:30
• A square peg in a round hole –
Tricia Lyne
• Reflecting on the development
of an accessible DVD to
promote the role of learning
disability Occupational therapy Emily Hulls
• An investigation in to acute
psychiatric staff’s attitudes and
self-efficacy towards adults
with learning disabilities – Sue
Mesa
• Adapting mindfulness –
Karen Prouton

Thank you for your application, we look forward to seeing you on the
5th October 2012
Working together – Supporting people with Learning Disabilities and
Mental Health problems
COTSSPLD annual conference 5th October 2012
College of Occupational Therapy, 106-114 Borough High Street
9:00
9:30
9:45
10:15
Registration and coffee
Welcome and opening the day – Jo Ball
Key note speech – Bob Gate
11:00
BREAK
Workshops Room 3
(presentations)
Workshops Room 4
(presentations)
11:30
Occupational Therapy with
adults who have learning
disabilities and dementia –
Jenny Cooper
The use of the OCAIRS
assessment within a medium
secure learning disability
secure unit – Hannah Grieve
12:00
Occupational Therapy,
Learning Disabilities and
Dementia – Moira Scanlon
1:00
What colour do you want the
walls – meaningful
involvement of clients in the
relocation of a low secure
learning disability service –
David Ogden
Talking about Dementia –
“Getting to know you” in a
ways of making information residential home for people
more accessible – Mary
with learning disabilities and
Waight
mental health problems –
John Pope
AGM – Jo Ball, Dorian Thomas and Amanda Knight
1:20
LUNCH
12:30
2:00
2:30
3:00
3:30
4:00
4:30
5:00
Workshops Room 3
(presentations)
A collaborative multielement approach to
supporting an individual
with autism and a learning
disability - Brian Murtagh
and Jo Ball
Needs and services for
those with Asperger’s
syndrome – Carmen
Brook-Southon
BREAK
Workshops Room 3
(presentations)
A square peg in a round
hole – Tricia Lyne
Reflecting on the
development of an
accessible DVD to promote
the role of learning
disability Occupational
therapy - Emily Hulls
Close – Jo Ball
Finish
Workshops Room 4
(Interactive sessions)
The application of the
mental capacity act with
dual diagnosis (people with
learning disability and
mental health problems) –
Sue Mesa
Learning disability audit tool
– Genevieve Smyth
Workshops Room 4
(Interactive sessions)
An investigation in to acute
psychiatric staff’s attitudes
and self-efficacy towards
adults with learning
disabilities – Sue Mesa
Adapting mindfulness –
Karen Prouton
Presentation Abstracts:
Presentation title:
Keynote speech
Presenter: Bob Gates
We are very please to welcome professor Bob Gates who will be giving our key note
speech.
Bob has thirty eight years experience in the field of learning disabilities within the NHS,
and the wider health and social care economies, as well as Higher Education. During
this time he has been involved in education, research and has a number of publications
to his name including the oxford handbook of intellectual disability nursing, (2009),
Learning Disabilities: towards inclusion (2007).
Bob is the founding Editor and co - editor of Journal of Intellectual Disabilities, an
editorial member of Journal for Child Health, Consultant Editor for Learning Disability
Practice, and International Board member for Working Papers in The Health Sciences University of Southampton e-journal, and member of the editorial board for
Understanding Intellectual Disability and Health http://www.intellectualdisability.info
He is patron of ‘Friendly Bombs' a theatre group for people with learning disabilities
based in Slough and ‘CALL' a county wide citizen advocacy scheme in Lincolnshire.
He is an NMC reviewer for the UK and fellow of the Royal Institute for Anthropology
His interests in the field are varied but mainly focus on challenging behaviour, disability,
advocacy, learning disability education and workforce issues.
Most recently he wrote a paper entitled Learning Disability Nursing: Task and
Finish Group Report for the Professional and Advisory Board for Nursing and
Midwifery which resulted in the development of a new Centre for Learning Disability
Studies. Bob is now leading this development. He hopes to create collaborative links
with the specialist section . He welcomes your thoughts about how we can achieve
this.
Presentation Abstracts:
Presentation title:
TBC
Presenter:
About this presentation:
Presentation Abstracts:
Presentation title:
Occupational Therapy with adults who have learning
disabilities and dementia
Presenter: Jenny Cooper
About this presentation:
This presentation will share the research findings of a project completed as part
fulfilment of a Master’s degree in Occupational Therapy.
Research by Lillywhite and Haines (2010) emphasised the strong desire for
people who have a learning disability to access generic services where possible.
Goodman et al (2009) recognised how the role of the occupational therapist is
evolving with old age in people who have a learning disability.
The aim of the research study was to explore the perceptions of occupational
therapists on their role in end-of-life care for adults who have a learning
disability and dementia.
A qualitative study using in-depth semi-structured interviews was conducted
with a purposive sample of five specialist occupational therapists working within
community learning disability teams.
Thematic analysis of data was used. The findings of the study suggested that it
would be advantageous for specialist occupational therapists based in learning
disability teams to take the lead in end of life care for people who have a
learning disability and dementia, facilitating joint working with generic services
in areas such as equipment provision. Findings also suggested that the
occupational therapists should aim to promote long term participation in
occupation to enhance quality of life.
Presentation Abstracts:
Presentation title:
Occupational Therapy, Learning Disabilities and Dementia
Presenter: Moira Scanlon
About this presentation:
In a piece of qualitative research I completed in 2010, Carers identified
a number of areas of difficulty and key supports that would have
enabled them to care more effectively for the person with a learning
disability dementia.
A lack of timely equipment and adaptations often resulted in the
person moving from their current home, whilst an inability to engage
the person in meaningful activity caused particular stress to carers.
OT’s have specialist skils in these areas and could be pro-actively
facilitating better care for people with a learning disability diagnosed
with dementia, and their carers.
The ‘Dementia Design Audit Tool’ as well as photo examples from
Stirling University will be used to generate thinking about equipment,
adaptation and best practice in dementia design. This will be followed
by a brief look at meaningful activity and some resources to enable
OT’s to facilitate meaningful activity and encourage re-engagement
through the use of graded activity.
Presentation Abstracts:
Presentation title: Talking about Dementia –ways of making
information more accessible
Presenter: Mary Waight
About this presentation:
We have been working on project to help people with learning
disabilities understand about dementia for when either a family
member has developed dementia or if they are living with a friend
who has it.
The aim of the project is to get the information right so that it is at a
level that the indivudal can understand. In order to do this we have
undertaken joint assessments with the SLT initially looking at language
comprehension. We have then assessed the best method of passing
on information eg. use of the written word, use of computers and
access needs. We looked at what information was available already
and as part of the MDT discussed what would be required.
Appropriate information has been developed for each person based on
their level of language understanding and literacy needs a well as
access needs.
The presentation will demonstrate the different methods used and
discuss feedback received.
Presentation Abstracts:
Presentation title: The use of the OCAIRS assessment within a
medium secure learning disability secure unit
Presenter: Hannah Grieve
About this presentation:
A literature search was carried out to look at the current use of the OCAIRS
assessment within forensic learning disability services. The OCAIRS assessment is
commonly used in forensic mental health services, with a strong research and
literature base as well as adapted questions.
The use of OCAIRS within the learning disability forensic services appears to be
more limited, with the preferred MOHO assessment being the MOHOST, due to
the ability to utilise other sources of information in order to inform and complete
the assessment.
As a service, we have looked at adapting the OCAIRS assessment and some of
the OCAIRS concepts, so that the assessment is more accessible and can be used
within our medium and low secure learning disability service, in order to provide
a more collaborative approach to assessment and give more ownership of the
assessment process back to the client. It provide an open forum to discuss roles,
values and responsibilities, as well as offence related issues.
The development that we would be keen to share with others, is the use of an
adapted OCAIRS assessment for use within forensic learning disability services,
and the benefits of same.
Presentation Abstracts:
Presentation title: What colour do you want the walls –
meaningful involvement of clients in the relocation of a low
secure learning disability service
Presenter: David Ogden
About this presentation:
Newhaven was a learning disability low secure unit based in West Yorkshire
In 2010 the unit was due to relocate to an existing building offsite which would
be refurbished to our needs.
Concerns were expressed by the service users who wanted to be as involved in
the project as possible. The service users have a range of disabilities and the
objective was to meaningfully involve everyone in the process of the move.
A service user representative elected by client group attended the in house
development meetings to put across patients views, supported by staff
members.
From these meetings the views were taken forward to meetings by staff
representatives and, dependent on leave, service users.
Ideas from the service users were incorporated into plans following robust
discussions with planners and architects
During the build phase of the project it was suggested that a video diary be
produced by clients with leave. This was following an earlier successful
production of a DVD for new clients and their families.
The idea kept all clients meaningfully involved in building project and proved an
effective way of keeping service users engaged with the developments.
The project won the SWYT user and carer involvement award 2011.
Presentation Abstracts:
Presentation title: “Getting to know you” in a residential home
for people with learning disabilities and mental health
problems
Presenter: John Pope
About this presentation:
Huntercombe House, Peterlee is a residential facility for adults with learning
disabilities, mental health difficulties and other conditions. We have been open
since May 2010 and have successfully enabled a number of individuals to move
into less supported environments, living in the community following a period of
rehabilitation with us.
We want to celebrate our service and see the conference as an opportunity for
us to share our knowledge/experiences with other professionals.
We are particularly keen on the implementation of the client centred approach
and the positive benefits this has on adults with learning disabilities. We want to
raise awareness of the importance of this, ensuring those working in this area
continue to promote this practice. We have a number of different tools we would
like to share with the conference (including the Pool Activity Level and its
benefits within this area).
We also want to celebrate the impact of having Occupational Therapy and
experienced Nurses within the residential model. The implementation of health
professionals within the residential model ensures that the individuals receive
the right support, which is meaningful and person centred. We want to share
examples of how this model works and the benefits this can have on the
individual's rehabilitation.
Presentation Abstracts:
Presentation title:
A collaborative multi-element approach to supporting an
individual with autism and a learning disability
Presenters: Brian Murtagh and Jo Ball
About this presentation:
We would like to present a case study about a young man with
an autistic spectrum condition who presented with
problematic behaviours which limited his access to
meaningful community participation and impacted on his
quality of life. A multi-professional approach allowed us to
explore different aspects of this presentation and deliver a
package of care that drew from the expertise of a community
learning disability nursing, speech and language therapy and
occupational therapy . We used a range of evidence based
interventions including risk assessment, social stories, sensory
processing, and health action planning. At the centre of this
collaboration was the service user who was driven and
directed these inventions. Whilst he can not be at the
presentation he has kindly produced a DVD talking about one
aspect of his care and has also produced illustrations to
supplement the vocabulary used in the social stories.
Presentation Abstracts:
Presentation title:
Needs and services for those with Asperger’s syndrome
Presenter: Carmen Brock-Southon
Aspergers Syndrome is a pervasive developmental disorder which is evident from
early childhood and is on the autistic spectrum due to similarities with autism.
This client group typically have co morbid illness and it is often difficult to
distinguish between personality, mental health problems, sensory modulation
problems and the syndrome making it difficult as occupational therapists to
diagnose the cause of some occupational difficulties. The correct medical
diagnosis is key as components of mental illness such as schizophrenia and OCD
may be mistaken as features of the syndrome.
Diagnostic criteria include Impairment in social interaction, restricted repetitive
patterns of interests and behaviour, difficulty with language and communication,
there is no language delay as in autism and IQ is normal or above average.
The main occupational problems are difficulties with social awareness; managing
emotions; sensory processing; managing change; rigid thinking pattern,
executive function difficulties and language.
A range of MDT standardized assessments are used to highlight problems areas,
the main OT interventions are social skills training; adapting the sensory
environment; exposure; behavioural activation; daily living skills training
inclusive of community skills and vocational training.
There are few services available in this current climate but specialist residential
placements exist along with the national autistic society.
Presentation Abstracts:
Presentation title: The application of the mental capacity act
with dual diagnosis (people with learning disability and mental
health problems)
Presenter: Sue Mesa
About this presentation:
The Mental Capacity Act (2005) came into force in 2007. It
requires all health and social care professionals to review and
amend their policy and practice in relation to enabling people
who lack capacity to be assisted to make decisions and access
services. A 2010 study published by the Mental Health
Foundation has revealed that over half of health and social care
professionals are failing to comply with the requirements of the
Mental Capacity Act 2005 when conducting
assessments of mental capacity.
In this workshop participants will have the opportunity to briefly
review The Mental Capacity Act and explore its application to
Occupational Therapy practice with those with dual diagnosis.
Intended Outcomes:
OT to be clear about the scope of the Mental Capacity Act and its
interface with the Mental Health Act.
OT’s to be confident regarding their professional responsibility under
the Mental Capacity Act.
OT’s to be signposted to further OT specific training in this area
Presentation Abstracts:
Presentation title:
Using the learning disability practice audit tool
Presenter: Genevieve Smyth
About this presentation:
In 2012 a self assessment toolkit for OTs and managers to audit
practice against research recommendations in “OT and people
with learning disabilities” (Lillywhite and Haines 2010) was
launched.
The tool uses a colour coded self rating system so OTs can
monitor their own progress or monitor progress by the whole
team. It is hoped that the tool will further help
implementation of the recommendations and therefore shape
the future of OT practice.
This session will describe the development of the audit tool,
explore the content including the research recommendations
and make suggestions about how it could be used in everyday
practice.
Presentation Abstracts:
Presentation title: A square peg in a round hole
Presenter: Tricia Lyne and Annette Henriques
About this presentation:
The paper will outline the challenges of working with clients with mental health
problems and Asperger’s Syndrome (AS). A case study will be presented to illustrate
the difficulties encountered, particularly accessing appropriate services and resources.
This will incorporate a description of how practice was adapted to take into account an
individual’s needs.
The vocational needs of this client group shall be also explored, with an emphasis on
strengths to encourage recovery and inclusion (Department of Health 2010).
Issues to be raised include:
Gaps in services
Provision challenges
Modifications to interventions
Encouraging self-awareness
Working with strengths
Reducing stigma
Supporting Families/ Friends/ Carers
Promoting Social inclusion, Recovery and Mental Wellbeing
Finally the changes occurring within Mental Health Services and the opportunities for
collaborative working to improve provision for people who do not meet the criteria for
existing services will be discussed. Thus possible developments to build a better future
for people with mental health problems and AS will be put forward.
Presentation Abstracts:
Presentation title: Reflecting on the development of an
accessible DVD to promote the role of learning disability
Occupational therapy
Presenter: Emily Hulls
About this presentation:
As a specialist learning disability Occupational Therapy service we
wanted to promote our role to service users, service commissioners
and other professionals and agencies who work with people with
learning disabilities. We noted that learning disability services is an
area areas of practice without a specific film available on the COT
website.
We decided to develop our own DVD that focused on what we could
deliver as an OT service. The aim of the DVD was to support service
users to make an informed decision about engaging in occupational
therapy, encourage commissioners to continue to support our service
and raise awareness of our profession and our specialist service.
We would like to share our experiences of producing the DVD, what
went well, the challenges we faced and reflect on what we would do
differently. We hope that our presentation may inspire and instill
confidence in other Occupational Therapists to produce a similar
resource.
Presentation Abstracts:
Presentation title:
An investigation in to acute psychiatric staff’s attitudes and
self-efficacy towards adults with learning disabilities
Presenter: Sue Mesa
About this presentation:
This presentation will share the research findings of a project
completed as part fulfilment of a MSc Mental Health in Learning
Disability
‘Current UK policy directs that people with learning disabilities
should access mainstream inpatient psychiatric services
wherever possible. Amongst learning disability specialists there
are mixed opinions, with some raising concern that staff within
mainstream services have negative attitudes towards those with
learning disability and lack skills and confidence. There is a
dearth of UK based research to look at whether these concerns
reflect the reality and non in inpatient care. This study
investigates the attitudes and self-efficacy of inpatient staff to
people with learning disability.
Intended Outcomes:
To reflect on the type of psychiatric care on offer to clients with
learning disability in your practice area and how you/your team
supports psychiatric admissions into mainstream psychiatric care.
Presentation Abstracts:
Presentation title:
Adapting mindfulness for people with Learning Disabilities
Presenter: Karen Prouton
About this presentation:
Mindfulness “means paying attention in a particular way; on purpose, in the
present moment and non-judgementally” (Jon Kabat-Zinn 2004). Research has
shown that mindfulness based practices are effective in the management of
difficulties such as anxiety, depression, stress and anger and it’s application is
recognised within the NICE guidelines for ‘Common Mental Health Disorders’
(DOH 2011). Despite a good deal of interest in the area, there is little published
research in relation to mindfulness for the learning disabled population.
Within the New Forest Integrated Learning Disability Team, Occupational
Therapy has been working in collaboration with Clinical Psychology to develop an
adapted mindfulness group for people with a learning disability who also
experience emotional and mental health difficulties. It was felt that the basic
premise is a very simple one which can be utilised by our service users and
Occupational Therapy has much to offer in terms of using everyday and sensory
activities to help people focus on the present moment.
The 8 week Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction Programme (Williams 2011) has
been personally experienced by the OT and is being used as a basis for
developing an adapted mindfulness based programme to be offered for groups
or individually. A suitable outcome measure is also being explored. This is an
exciting development and may in time be offered to carers and staff experiencing
stress and burnout. Current progress will be shared.