The role of professionals in promoting independent living: Perspectives of self‐advocates and front‐line managers

• Published in: Journal of applied research in intellectual disabilities Vol. 31; no. 6; pp. 1103 - 1112
• Main Authors: Pallisera, Maria, Vilà, Montserrat, Fullana, Judit, Díaz‐Garolera, Gemma, Puyalto, Carolina, Valls, Maria‐Josep
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Wiley-Blackwell 01.11.2018; Wiley Subscription Services, Inc; Wiley
• Subjects: Administrator Attitudes; Administrator Role; Administrators; Adult; Female; Focus Groups; Foreign Countries; front‐line managers; Humans; Independent Living; Intellectual disabilities; Intellectual Disability; Intellectual Disability - rehabilitation; Interpersonal Competence; Line managers; Male; Patient Advocacy; Qualitative Research; role of professionals; Self Advocacy; self‐advocates; Social Support Groups; Social Work; Spain; support staff; Spain; front-line managers; independent living; role of professionals; support staff; self-advocates; people with intellectual disabilities
• ISSN: 1360-2322; 1468-3148
• DOI: 10.1111/jar.12470

Background Support from professionals plays an important role in helping people with intellectual disabilities to live an independent life. This research aims to analyse the role played by support professionals based on the perceptions of the professionals and self‐advocates with intellectual disabilities. The research was conducted in Catalonia (Spain). Method A total of 33 interviews were conducted with front‐line managers and 10 focus groups with 72 self‐advocates. These were recorded and transcribed, and then analysed using thematic content analysis. Results Self‐advocates particularly value professionals' interpersonal skills and emotional support. Front‐line managers and self‐advocates highlight training actions aimed at enhancing autonomy in the home and propose fostering natural supports and increasing the involvement of people with disabilities. Conclusions Making progress in the rights of people with intellectual disabilities to an independent life requires requires transforming the support model, promoting decision making among people with intellectual disabilities, and strengthening interpersonal skills linked to emotional support in the training of professionals.