East Living ICT Project
Lead Research Organisation:
University of East London
Department Name: Humanities and Social Sciences
Abstract
Abstracts are not currently available in GtR for all funded research. This is normally because the abstract was not required at the time of proposal submission, but may be because it included sensitive information such as personal details.
Organisations
People |
ORCID iD |
| Andrew Minnion (Principal Investigator) |
Publications
Bunning, K
(2011)
Interaction between teachers and students with intellectual disability during computer-based activities: the role of human mediation
in Technology & Disability
| Description | We wanted to develop the application of the 'Multimedia Advocacy' approach to care and support for people with intellectual disabilities in the field and research the opportunities and obstacles in practice. A Business Placement exchange took place between the Rix Centre, which specialises in research and development of new media for the benefit of people with intellectual disabilities (ID) and East Living, a residential care provider. The project centred on the introduction of 'Multimedia Advocacy' across 18 residential units for service-users with learning disabilities. This entails the generation of rich media content by people with ID, supported by staff, to identify their wishes and express their choices and preferences, broadly enabling them to have more of a say in how they are supported, to take control of their lives. A Rix Centre researcher spent 3.5 months in East Living's residential care settings, providing support for staff and service-users to implement multimedia advocacy. She trialed a new e-Folio package devised to be accessible for people with ID and she evaluated the issues affecting the take-up of this approach to social care. A support worker from East Living spent a similar period engaging with the research work undertaken at the Rix Centre to gain technical skills and learn about the spectrum of critical themes that are central to the Centre's research agenda. Summary The project aimed to introduce the new innovative approach to person centred planning, Multimedia Advocacy, to 18 East Living learning disabilities schemes. East Living internally appointed a Multimedia Advocacy Champion - Ms Kath Field, who managed the involvement of all participants in the project, supported all schemes involved and was responsible for communications. In total 33 members of staff and 33 service users attended the 12 week university course that focused on forms and tools for communication, person centred planning and approaches, advocacy skills and the use of new technologies. It was hoped that after the training members of staff would be able to pass on the skills learned to other staff within their schemes. The project aimed to evaluate the impact of the suggested ways of working. The main outcomes and findings were: • Appointment of the East Living Multimedia Advocacy Champion - Ms Kath Field. • 17 out of 18 schemes successfully engaged in the project. • 33 members of staff and 33 service users completed the Multimedia Advocacy Course. • 33 multimedia advocacy portfolios have been produced. • 18 schemes received sets of equipment (laptop, digital still and video camera, headsets with microphones, memory stick for each member of staff on the training); all equipment stayed with the scheme after the project ended. • Some of the schemes involved in the project are now using the equipment on a regular basis to support people in their person centred planning. • Most service users enjoyed the project and would like to continue. • Most members of staff felt that they need more training in order to feel confident with the use of technology and to be able to share their knowledge with other staff. • Course attendance was good but there were some transport issues. • Time issue was an important factor and many members of staff felt that they were not able to engage with homework/ distance sessions activities as additional time was not given to them. • Many members of staff felt that their own managers were not supportive enough. • Staff ratio was a problem - two members of staff said that they were not able to follow their clients' wishes because of the limited resources: time, money and not enough staff time for one to one support. |
| Exploitation Route | The findings have since informed the take up of Multimedia Advocacy across many different care and support settiungs. They have contributed to the development of training materials and strategic implementation guidelines for Multimedia Advocacy take-up. The learning from the research has informed a large scale take up of Multimedia Advocacy both within further project activity and service delivery from the Rix Centre. Multimedia Advocacy approaches have also informed the Rix Centre's development of inclusive research methodologies, which have been disseminated through ESRC funded Seminars. Multimedia Advocacy informed research methodologies have subsequently been applied to our research into the accessibility of Museum and Heritage sites and public Collections and Archives for users with disabilities. |
| Sectors | Communities and Social Services/Policy,Education,Healthcare,Culture, Heritage, Museums and Collections |
| URL | http://www.multimediaadvocacy.com |
| Description | The research has provided a foundation for the development of the Multimedia Advocacy approach and its implementation in social care settings. |
| First Year Of Impact | 2012 |
| Sector | Communities and Social Services/Policy,Digital/Communication/Information Technologies (including Software),Education,Government, Democracy and Justice,Culture, Heritage, Museums and Collections |
| Impact Types | Societal,Policy & public services |
| Description | European Union Leonardo Lifelong learning programme |
| Amount | € 395,000 (EUR) |
| Organisation | European Commission |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | European Union (EU) |
| Start | 01/2010 |
| End | 12/2012 |
| Description | Get Connected |
| Amount | £100,000 (GBP) |
| Organisation | Social Care Institute for Excellence (SCIE) |
| Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 01/2013 |
| End | 05/2013 |