Intimate and Personal Care with People with Learning Disabilities

This book is both a timely and challenging exploration of providing personal care for people with learning disabilities, an area of care provision that tends to be neglected in comparison with high profile areas of care management today.

Well researched and presented, there is comprehensive coverage of all main aspects of providing intimate and personal care, ranging from the wider context (culturally sensitive provision, sexuality, health and hygiene, and law) to more specific practice areas (multi-disciplinary working, teaching independent living skills, people with profound/multiple disabilities, children and young people and older adults).'

- Professional Social Work

'Intimate and Personal Care with People with learning Disabilities edited by Steven Carnaby and Paul Cambridge (Jessica Kingsley Publishers, £19.99) is an academic book but it is fascinating and written to inform and change practice.

Giving intimate care is possibly the most difficult and complex area of care work, yet it is rarely analysed and understood in this sort of depth. We tend to write rather pompous and detached policies about dignity and privacy and they don't actually help staff to discuss and think through the realities that they face when helping clients with the most intimate situations. Care plans may generalise and skate over the details, leaving residents and staff to do their best in situations that are personally and professionally challenging. This is a book for managers (of care homes of all kinds) who want to develop their team's capacity to think and to understand, and thereby to provide the very best care.'

- Caring Times

'Probably the first substantial discussion of and guide to this essential area of care practice. A wideranging volume which deserves to be read and kept as a reference volume by all professional teams providing intimate care.'

- Current Awareness Service

This important guide is the first to consider the management and practice of intimate and personal care for people with learning disabilities. It examines in detail aspects of care such as training, ethnicity, sexuality and competence in practice, drawing on the extensive practical experience of the contributors. They discuss important issues including the nature of touch, how physical contact is intended and experienced, carers' duty of care, and risk management. Against the backdrop of a recent government strategy for people with learning disabilities, the book will also explore management considerations of best value, care standards, performance monitoring and inspection.

Providing academic, professional and learning outcomes from research, this book will be an invaluable guide to managers, policy makers, carers, academics and students in the field of social care and learning disability.

Michelle McCarthy is a lecturer in Learning Disability at the Tizard Centre, University of Kent. She was a founder member of the Sex Education Team (Horizon NHS Trust), and has worked and written on sexuality issues for women with learning disabilities for many years.

Dr Robina Shah, MBE DL JP FRCGP (Hon) is a psychologist and academic. She has been actively involved in health and social care policy and strategy, at national and regional level for over 25 years. Robina is also the author of numerous publications and has achieved national and international recognition for her published work. She is the National Director of Strategy and Policy on Carers for Frenkel Topping Ltd .as well as the Academic Lead for Patient and Public Involvement at Manchester University Medical School where she is also co-lead for compassionate care. Robina is a member of the Governments Standing Commission on Carers and an Honorary Fellow of the Royal College of General Practitioners. Robina is also an independent member of the Ministerial Cross Government Hate Crime Advisory Group.