Training for Staff Caring for People with Learning Disability

This paper considers the training of staff who care for people with learning disability in the community. Details are given of findings from a survey of staff in community units in the West Midlands which suggest that although most staff receive some training, this is largely a mixture of short in-service courses and there is a lack of consistency across the various agencies. Despite the considerable changes taking place within services for people with learning disability, which require new knowledge and skills, we are still far removed from having an explicit, relevant and agreed strategy for training ‘front-line carers’. Present approaches are reviewed and recommendations made for future development.