Staff Training to Run Activity Groups with People with Profound Learning Disabilities: Evaluation of Attitude, Knowledge and Skill Changes

Abstract

A training course designed to prepare staff to run stimulation groups for people with profound learning disabilities is described and evaluated. Nursing staff attending the day workshop improved significantly more than a control group in their attitudes, knowledge and skills (a simulated performance test) in relation to appropriate stimulation for this group. A profile of pre-training attitude, knowledge and skill is provided for different staff groups and it is shown that, prior to the workshop, nursing assistants had significantly more negative attitudes to such activities than trained staff or those in training. While each staff group improved on attitude and knowledge tests, nursing assistants alone failed to show post-training skill improvements. The practical implications of the results are discussed and the usefulness of the three measures assessed.