Exploring the process of goal setting using person Centred planning for individuals with severe/profound intellectual disabilities with inconsistent yes/no responses Authors- .Molony, E. Teague, M. Sloan, G. Clarke and S. Guerin-1UCD School of Psychology, St Michael's House

Issued on October 4 2019

Summary

Exploring the process of goal setting using person Centred planning for individuals with severe/profound intellectual disabilities with inconsistent yes/no responses

  1. Molony1, E. Teague2, M. Sloan2, G. Clarke2 and S. Guerin1

1UCD School of Psychology, Ireland; 2St Michael's House Disability Services, Ireland

Introduction: Goal setting allows for meaningful activities to be planned for individuals to promote quality of life (QoL), within the context of person‐centred planning (PCP). It can be difficult to promote the QoL of individuals with severe/profound intellectual disabilities (ID). Staffs ability to interpret the persons will and preference to inform the process can be limited in the absence of a consistent yes/no response. There has been limited research into the goal setting process for people with severe/profound ID and and inconsistent yes/no response.

Methods: Cross case analysis was used to examine the experience of six individuals with ID through interviews with frontline staff and people important to the individual and file reviews.

Results: Goals set for the individuals with severe/profound ID in this study were similar to the goals previously set for individuals with mild/moderate ID. The goals chosen were designed to reflect what was important to the person. Staff commitment and support were necessary for the individual with ID to engage in the goal setting process.

Implications: The findings from this research were used to inform changes in the PCP process in an ID service using an implementation science approach. Changes included increasing the involvement of service users in the PCP process and considering ways to adapt tracking of PCP goals to inform organisational strategic planning.

Keywords severe/profound intellectual disabilities, Goal setting, Person‐centred planning, Inconsistent yes/no