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  Your Role as a Learning Disability Worker: Induction Award: Supporting people who have a learning disability
  Jackie Pountney
  Heinemann
  ISBN 9780435500009,
  £11.99

  Star rating: 4/5

Aimed directly at the newest member of staff, this book provides key information in a gentle, user-friendly way that will encourage the reader to learn more, writes Julian Budden.

It does this by answering some key questions about the support worker's role. What does the job entail? What part will I play in the wider team? How does this relate to the person being supported? All basic yet fundamental issues the new staff member must understand from early in their careers.

With this book in their hands the reader will see how vital their role is and what responsibilities they have for their personal development. They are helped to do this with advice that will enable them to become effective communicators and work in partnership with the people they support. There is even a section about how to learn and the pitfalls to avoid all given in a non-patronising way that makes working through induction the interesting and fun process it can be.

Each of the seven chapters starts with a quote from someone who supports people with a learning disability, so the reader can see what that chapter is about. Understanding is then challenged by asking the reader to look at a case study. Commentaries on the studies are found after the final chapter.

A substantial amount of the book's contents relate directly to NVQ criteria, which makes this a very useful resource.

Julian Budden is a learning disability day centre manager, Trafford Council