ERIC Number: EJ1415945
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2024
Pages: 18
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1744-6295
EISSN: EISSN-1744-6309
Building High-Quality Interpersonal Staff-Client Relationships with People with Severe to Profound Intellectual Disabilities and Challenging Behavior: Insights of Professionals and Relatives
Maaike Hermsen; Rianne Simons; Hennie van Veen; Angela Prudon; Lina Rooijackers; Roy Otten; Renske Koordeman
Journal of Intellectual Disabilities, v28 n1 p17-34 2024
Background: Staff-client relationships impact the quality of support and life of people with severe to profound intellectual disabilities and challenging behavior, but are challenging to build due to clients' intense, complex and varying support needs. The present study explores the perspectives of professionals and relatives on what affects these interpersonal relationships. Method: 17 professionals and 11 relatives participated in focus groups and interviews. Data collection and analysis was performed in collaboration with a co-researcher. Data were synthesized thematically. Results: Interpersonal relationships constituted equivalence, striving for mutual understanding, trust and exploring clients' potential. The combination of staff characteristics (enthusiasm/passion, patience, resilience, creativity/humor, flexibility) and expertise (knowledge, vulnerability/sincerity, self-reflection) enabled staff to build these relationships. The importance of involving relatives was addressed. Contextual influences included the team (cooperation, flexibility, culture), organization (cooperation, boundary conditions) and setting (predictability, interior/atmosphere). Conclusions: The findings make practical knowledge explicit and scientifically underpinned for this specific population.
Descriptors: Interpersonal Relationship, Severe Intellectual Disability, Behavior Problems, Individual Characteristics, Expertise, Teamwork, Context Effect, Environmental Influences, Family Attitudes, Residential Care, Foreign Countries, Caregiver Attitudes, Caregivers
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Netherlands
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A