tma 03

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This essay will show how Goffmans theory concerning total institutions is supported and why this can cause difficulties to service users. It will also show why it important for care workers to help service users to have a voice and be heard to enable them to express their thoughts, feelings, ambitions and requests. This can by clearly illustrated by the case studies of Margret Scally a resident of Lennox Castle, an interview with Colin Sporul and Allen Williamson two nurses at Lennox Castle and final Lesley Learmonth. The essay will also show how care workers can facilitate in the process to ensure service users are confident in speaking out when they need to in the future. It was believed by members of society; people with learning difficulties should not be a part of the wider community or have the same rights. This opinion was reinforced when the government began to have large institutions built to house all the people described as ‘mental deficiency’: ‘idiots’, ‘imbeciles’, ‘feeble-minded persons’ and ‘moral imbeciles’. (The Open University (2011) DVD Unit 7, Lennox Castle timeline). Communication is an essential part of daily life for everyone but for people who have learning difficulties or impairments like those in Lennox Castle it is especially important. This is why it is imperative all workers in health and social care sector ‘support people in having a voice and being heard' (K101, Unit 4 p 183), this is one of the five principles of care implanted in the care sector. Care workers should encourage service users to speak out which will empower them to create their own individuality or identity which in turn will give them a better quality of life; this is a lot different to the way people with learning difficulties w... ... middle of paper ... ...re independent. Although Lesley in living in the flat she gets supported living and regular visits from a support worker, Lesley tells us ‘I like being independent…. I am settled’ (The Open University (2011) DVD Audio 7.3). Changes in the National Health Service and Community Care Act 1990 emphasised that people with learning difficulties should be helped and supported to become ‘integrated in to the community’ rather than being institutionalised. This aim has been partially successful with the help of care assessments. This gives the service user the opportunity to speak out with confidence stating what they feel is the right type of support for them, at the end of this process the service user will ‘have their own individual care plan’ documenting all that has been discussed and the support they will be receiving. (http://pb.rcpsych.org/content/24/10/368.full).

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