Archive

By David Felce, Gordon Grant et al.
Butterworth Heinemann
ISBN 0750 63196 1
£19.99

The All Wales Strategy was a bold move to change services and enhance the quality of life of people with learning difficulties and their families. It was launched in 1983 and may be seen as the forerunner of the 1989 White Paper, Caring for People and the 2001 White Paper, Valuing People. This book describes the programme of research on the strategy undertaken over 12 years by research centres in Cardiff and Bangor. The research ranged from studying the strategy as a policy initiative to tracing and evaluating changes in services, and their impact on the people using them.

Do new patterns of service lead to new ways of working? More importantly, do changes in services lead to a better quality of life? The strategy was ahead of its time in its commitment to high ideals. The research shows that not all of the ideals resulted in better practices or better lives. Nevertheless, development of small houses in the community and the establishment of self-advocacy groups. The book address issues still of relevance today when similar ideals of choice and independence are seeking expression in practice.

Dorothy Atkinson is senior lecturer, School of Health and Social Welfare, Open University.