Improving how we work with carers in multidisciplinary teams in LD services: Our reflections

Abstract

This article is a reflective piece on the experience of developing how our multidisciplinary team (MDT) works with carers in our Specialist Learning Disability Service (SLDS). We aimed to create a broader understanding and incorporate carers’ perspectives by using principles from systemic practice. As clinicians we have often heard carers reporting that their involvement in care is not adequately recognised and their expert knowledge of the person they care for is not taken into account. The work to date is part of a broader project beyond the scope of this article, designed to shape the ways in which we work with families and wider support networks. Through this article we hope to share details of what we have done as project leads, along with some of the reflections (presented in italics) on our experiences of implementing this project.