The Mental Capacity Act – Who Makes the Decisions?

When a neurotypical or “normally developing child” reaches their milestone age, it is celebrated and recognised that they are becoming adults. At 16, they can consent to sex and move on to college or higher education. At 17, they can learn to drive. At 18, they can buy alcohol or cigarettes; then, at 21, they […]

An Insight into Positive Behaviour Support

Positive Behaviour Support (PBS) is the recommended intervention for people with autism and learning disabilities who may display behaviours that challenge. Emerson and Einfield (2011) describe behaviours that challenge as those that fall outside of social norms, but also when they occur to such an extent, be it in frequency, duration, or intensity that they […]

Housing Crisis in the Care Sector

There are too few homes to meet existing demand for good-quality housing. Changes in tax breaks and increasing borrowing and building costs for landlords, housing associations and property developers have created a perfect storm which has compounded an already existing housing crisis. A lack of planning and joined-up work between Local Authorities and Integrated Care […]

Autism Awareness – Understanding and Supporting those on the Spectrum

March 27-April 2 is recognised as World Autism Acceptance Week: a time to increase understanding and support for individuals with autism and their families and support networks. Autism, also known as Autism Spectrum Condition (ASC), is a complex developmental condition that’s caused by differences in the brain. It can affect communication, social interactions, and behaviour.  […]

Who has the Power to Transform Care?

In a perfect world, people would never become numbers within a struggling system, and no one would be stuck in hospitals, where they may be subjected to poor levels of care, and in some cases abuse or neglect. In this perfect world, the transition process would run like clockwork, with departments working collaboratively, lines of responsibility […]

Front-line Nursing into Leadership, and the Willingness to Learn

When we decide to join the care sector, usually the driving force behind it is wanting to help people; care becomes a vocation and we thrive in those personal interactions where we can see the tangible difference we are making in real time.This was certainly true on a personal level, having started as a support […]

Detained in a Mental Health Hospital – and the Covid-effect

This month, NHS Digital revealed that at least 2,060 people with a learning disability and/or autism were still being kept in inpatient settings.It’s difficult not to be concerned about people’s welfare, knowing that since the lock-down has been implemented, visitation has been banned across many sites due to infection control concerns. People living in these […]

Compliance versus Commitment in Healthcare: 3 Ways to Foster Commitment

One of the biggest questions we ask as leaders, especially in the health and social care sector, is about how we can inspire our people to provide high quality care and support at a time when investment is low, and demand for clinical care is higher than ever.  We are working at a time where […]

Care at Home

It is a well-known fact in the health sector that people’s recovery from most physical health-related issues is of higher speed and quality when in their home environment. Having recently had some time to think about this concept, I reflected on our mental health sub-sector and started to think about how this mindset could be tangibly […]

Beyond Silicon Valley

The tech industry is founded on innovation, creativity and growth. Operating in a highly competitive landscape, firms are required to think outside the box in order to stay ahead of the game.  It’s no surprise then, (and it makes absolute sense) to find that this industry is a pioneer in harnessing the power of a neurodiverse […]