Training materials

Getting Involved in Choosing Staff
Pavilion, £55, plus £5.50 p&p. Contact 01273
623222 or e-mail info@pavpub.com

This is an excellent resource for involving people with learning
difficulties in choosing their own staff, writes Matt Dore, manager
of a supported living service for people with learning
difficulties. Split into three sections, it navigates the
recruitment process and deals with relevant legislation in an
accessible way. Section two has 26 planned activities to train and
prepare people for the job. These activities are fun and need
imagination and flexibility to accomplish. Section three lists
other resources that should be explored to maximise the
effectiveness of the training. It would be beneficial for all
staff, managers, independent advocates, social services and health
professionals to be fully involved in this training.

Learning the Language: Building Relationships with People
with Severe Learning Disability
Phoebe Caldwell, Pavilion, £95, plus £9.50 p&p.
Contact 01273 623222 or e-mail info@pavpub.com

The concept of “behaviour” being a form of communication is not
new, writes social worker Sally-Ann Whitehouse. But Phoebe Caldwell
has taken this concept further and developed “intensive
interaction”, a three-stage technique that breaks down the
communication barrier for people who have severe learning
difficulties, autistic spectrum disorder and other challenging
behaviours. The video illustrates how Caldwell establishes contact
and communicates through observing, mirroring and responding to
four people. The video and guidance show how staff and carers can
build positive relationships with people who have non-verbal or
limited verbal communication skills by using their own “behaviour”
or “language” to communicate.