It is widely accepted that young people residing in residential care transition to independence and adult responsibilities earlier than peers living within their family of origin. There has been a lack of literature examining the way young people in care construct this transition. In response, in-depth qualitative interviews, guided by grounded…

Background: Active support (AS) has been shown to increase the amount of time that residents in shared residential settings are involved in purposeful activities. The organisational processes required to implement AS have been less well researched. Method: Staff in community houses answered questions about the occurrence of organisational…

Background: Identifying the factors associated with greater increases in resident engagement has the potential to enhance the effectiveness of active support (AS). Method: Observational data from Stancliffe, Harman, Toogood, and McVilly's (2007) study of AS were analysed to evaluate amount of staff help, effectiveness of staff help, and staff use…

Two music programs were developed specifically to meet therapeutic objectives for newly arrived immigrant and refugee students and for adolescent boys in a residential care facility. The author's observations justify further research to establish whether music can support and nurture the social, physical and mental wellbeing of young people,…

Background: An investigation of the clinical morbidity and genetic profiles of individuals with Prader?Willi syndrome (PWS) in Western Australia (WA) was undertaken as part of a wider study into the effects of intellectual disability (ID) on the life course of individuals. Methods: All persons with a diagnosis of PWS were identified from the…

This article focuses on the ways in which patterns of marriage and fertility shape older people's involvement in community groups and their support networks. The data are from Australia, Finland, Germany, Israel, Japan, the Netherlands, Spain, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Findings show that childless older adults, regardless of…

This paper provides an overview of demographic characteristics of direct-service personnel in Melbourne community residential units for intellectually disabled individuals. Many are found to be relatively inexperienced participants in the workforce, and most are young, single females. Implications of these findings for quality of care and staff…

Background: The "Service Need Assessment Profile" (SNAP) measures individual functional needs in areas of daily living. It produces a support profile, detailing the time allocations for staff support to assist in each area of need. The "Supports Intensity Scale" (SIS) is a support needs assessment scale designed to provide an…

Kinchela Boys' Home on the mid-north coast of New South Wales, was established by the state's Aborigines Protection Board for Aboriginal boys and youths in 1924 and closed in 1970. By the 1930s the place had become known as a notorious carceral, poorly managed and psychologically isolated. An overdue government enquiry in 1940 concluded that it…

This paper reports on outcomes of a deinstitutionalization project for children with severe multiple intellectual and physical disabilities, in which 98 residents of a hospital were relocated to small group homes. Positive effects were found in self-care and in social interactions. No meaningful changes in physical health were observed. (Author/PB)

This article reports on a deinstitutionalization project for children with severe multiple intellectual and physical disabilities, in which 98 hospital residents were relocated to small group homes. Relocation generally resulted in a more varied life-routine for residents, a broader range of social activities and greater contact with their…

An analysis of data on residential services for people with mental retardation between 1995-1999 found growth in recipients of Commonwealth/State Disability Agreement-funded residential services; a decline in the proportion of people housed in large residential settings; an increase in those served in group homes; and more rapid growth in…

A national census of children in residential care in New South Wales and Victoria (Australia) was conducted in 1983 and repeated in 1988. Results are analyzed in terms of number of children, number of units, children's age and school attendance, reasons for residential care, size and organization of residences, administration of residences, and…

Attention is drawn to important themes thought likely to influence the continuing development of group care services for children and young people in the decade ahead. These include a poorly educated workforce, autonomous training, multi-disciplinary approaches, centres of excellence, diversified programs, new trends and issues shaping the future,…

Uses examples of institutional child abuse within the Australian police force, social service departments, diplomatic service, schools, the judicial system, and the church to show that leadership may mitigate or amplify abuse. Contends that the precedence of adults' rights over children's rights contributes to child abuse. The recent creation of a…