People with a Learning Disability

1

• People with a Learning Disability
• What do we do about sex?
• Cliff Robins

2

• Previous research shows recurrent themes
• Care staff develop close relationships with PLD,
  but unsure what to do about sexual offending
• Sex offences often not reported by care staff,
  perpetrators of sexual offences often not taken
  through the CJS

3

• Of 30 care settings only 7 (23) said they would
  always report indecent exposure or sexual
  assault.
• Staff in 3 settings (10) said they would not
  necessarily always report serious sexual assaults
  such as rape

4

• SO against children reported to police in ¾ of
  cases
• SO against other LD adult reported in only 11 of
  cases
• SO against staff never reported to the police

5

• Lack of training re sex and sexuality and adults
  with LD
• PLD misunderstood and misrepresented when it
  comes to sexual matters
• Sex and learning disability . Dont lets talk
  about it and maybe itll go away

6

• Miss X - Mild LD - referred to consider reasons
  she has many sexual partners
• When she turns up she thinks the psychologist is
  a dating agency going to get her a suitable man.
• The referrer was too embarrassed to talk to her
  about the real reasons for the referral.

7

• This study considers how Care Staff say they
  respond to sexual offending
• Participants care staff in residential homes
  for PLD.
• Extended semi-structured interviews.
• Participants all white British age range 20-57
• Participants reported responding to sexual
  offending of PLD in their own individual ways

8

• If you are looking at the actual reaction of a
  support worker it is their personal opinion
  coming through.
• We rely on staff knowing clients well and
  learning to read the signs like changes in their
  behaviour.
• You get to know your service users they have got
  their ways of telling you they want something.

9

• All participants felt that heterosexual and
  homosexual relationships for PLD were
  appropriate
• I have not got a problem entirely their own
  business.
• I would class it as anyone else having a sexual
  relationship.
• They have got every right to sex, the same as
  everybody else.
• I dont have any problems homo or heterosexual
  relationship, whatever they prefer.

10

• But acceptance of sexual relationships in LD not
  universal.
• There is a common view that maybe people with LD
  should not be allowed sex in the first place.
• I think it depends how severe the LD is.
• If its really a severe LD it is a very difficult
  one to answer.

11

• Sexual approaches to care staff
• It is an offence I mean it is the same as being
  assaulted by a client.
• Well it could be an offence, it depends.
• I would imagine there is a procedure to follow.
• I think if you are telling him to stop and he
  wont, maybe it should go a bit further

12

• You say look, that is not appropriate - or get
  somebody else to sort of step in and explain.
• I think you should speak to the deputy manager or
  the senior or manager.
• But that is not saying its going to be a police
  case

13

• It is entirely up to the member of staff. If they
  can cope with the added pressure let them deal
  with it.
• If you can cope with it by all means carry on
  yourself.
• Depending on the person that was being touched
  up, I think if she feels comfortable well she can
  talk to that person

14

• Er excuse me

15

• Training around sex and LD
• I dont think there is any training in that area.
  
• I have been working care since (period of years)
  and I have never had any training about it, and I
  have done a lot training

16

• There is no specific training, not that Im aware
  of anyway, but I do think it is needed
  definitely
• We dont really get training, I think sex is one
  of the things you deal with, or not deal with
  when it happens.

17

• Views of level of LD in an extreme
• case of assault
• If it is clear that he has raped her, and he has
  been warned then maybe police. But the police are
  a bit extreme, because he has a problem
• He is only doing what is natural. He is not doing
  it to be nasty
• But I suppose it depends on the LD really.

18

• I dont know, it would be an offence if not LD
• It depends on the individual and LD, the person
  really might not realise that that it is
  upsetting for someone.
• If there is too much of it we can get the law in,
  because they are sort of breaking it arent they?

19

• Care staff often consider they
• understand clients.
• You do it (understand capacity) through carers,
  we have got to know them.
• You get to know your service users - what they
  want even if they cant communicate fully
• They have their ways of telling you they want
  something. You tend to know after a while if
  there is something wrong.

20

• Finally
• On the one hand care staff say
• They dont understand PLD and sexual matters.
• They are unsure about legalities or what to
  do
• They have no training or guidance

21

• At the same time they say
• They have an implicit understanding of the
  individuals in their care
• - and those individuals understanding of
  matters relating to sex.
• This tension could well lead to confusion in
  how staff respond to sexual offending

22

• But thats enough of that sort of thing
• 
  Or is it..