title: Listening to the views of children with learning disabilities: an evaluation of a learning disability CAMHS service.
abstract: In line with Valuing People Now: A New Three-year Strategy for People With Learning Disabilities (Department of Health, 2009), this article details a service evaluation for a learning disability-child and adolescent mental health service (LD-CAMHS) in Chesterfield, North Derbyshire. The aim of the project was to produce a set of quality standards in order to ensure service users' needs are met. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with seven children between the ages of 11 and 17 years, with moderate to severe learning disabilities. Four themes were derived from a thematic analysis; the experience of the service, communication, impact of the work carried out, and difficulties encountered. It was recommended that staff working within the service should ensure communication is at a level appropriate for the client; offer a welcoming approach; provide an open approach; and offer a reasonable choice of location. This article provides suggestions for how other LD-CAMHS teams could use these standards for their own purposes.
authors.affiliation: Sheffield Health and Social Care NHS Foundation Trust, UK. paul.boyden@shsc.nhs.uk
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Boyden
authors.forename: Michelle
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Muniz
authors.forename: Martha
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Laxton-Kane
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D016497:Adolescent Health Services / Q000592:standards*; D002648:Child; D002662:Child Health Services / Q000592:standards*; D005260:Female; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand / Q000592:standards*; D006801:Humans; D007406:Interview, Psychological; D007859:Learning Disabilities / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D008297:Male; D008605:Mental Health Services / Q000592:standards*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D006113:United Kingdom; D014705:Verbal Behavior