The impact of social policy on changes in professional practice within learning disability services: different standards for children and adults? A two-part examination

Abstract

This is the first of two articles examining links between policy developments and changes in professional practice within learning disability services in England, focusing upon emergent differences between children’s and adult provision. The article focuses on the evolving tension around policy directions and managerialism/professionalism, with the latter as a set of practices driving services, particularly following the 1988 Griffiths Report but referring also to its antecedents. Implications of this development are examined to highlight a difference in emphasis between the credibility and professional status of the workforce in children’s, as opposed to adult, services for people with learning disabilities. A historical narrative demonstrates a continuum from the policies of Thatcherism to those of New Labour, underpinned by the assertion that normalization ideas have shaped both social policy and professional directions. The origins of current policy initiatives covering the last 20 years are explored, showing the consequences of a developing gap between professional inputs for children’s and adult services.