Looking Forward Not Looking Back: The Evaluation of Community Living

This article outlines the development of evaluative methods within the field of mental handicap services. It suggests that evaluators have too often taken for granted the tacit assumptions underlying service models, using these to determine the criteria for evaluating success. It argues that evaluat...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published inDisability, Handicap and Society Vol. 3; no. 3; pp. 239 - 252
Main Authors Evans, Gerry, Beyer, Stephen, Todd, Stuart
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Abingdon, UK Taylor & Francis Group 01.01.1988
Carfax Pub. Co
Online AccessGet full text

Cover

More Information
Summary:This article outlines the development of evaluative methods within the field of mental handicap services. It suggests that evaluators have too often taken for granted the tacit assumptions underlying service models, using these to determine the criteria for evaluating success. It argues that evaluators should be more explicit about the values they adopt, and what patterns of life services should be enabling people to achieve. By more closely linking evaluation criteria to what people with a mental handicap should achieve, evaluation can become more effective in promoting positive change in service models. The article describes an approach developed by the authors for the evaluation of the 'All-Wales Strategy for the Development of Services for Mentally Handicapped People'.
ISSN:0267-4645
0968-7599
0267-4645
DOI:10.1080/02674648866780241