Page 65 - Demo

Insights from knowledge exchange in Communities of Practice633BackgroundIn line with the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) (United Nations, 2006), care professionals and legislators across the world find that restrictive practices and involuntary care should only be used against serious risk of harm to self or others as a last resort, using the lightest possible form, and for the briefest possible time (Rickard et al., 2013). In the Netherlands, organisations changed their policies regarding the use and registration of restrictive measures and involuntary care (Frederiks et al., 2017; Schippers et al., 2018). In addition, legislation was changed, such as the introduction of the Care and Coercion Act (CCA) in 2020. This Act focuses on providing care on a voluntary basis to all people with intellectual disabilities. Involuntary care, ranging from severe to mildly restrictive, can only be applied in cases of serious risk or harm. The Act now applies to all clients receiving long-term care, regardless of whether they live in a care facility or at their own home (Care and Coercion Act, 2018). These changes in policies and legislation led to the development of methods aiming to support care professionals in changing and improving care for clients with intellectual disabilities with respect to restrictive measures and involuntary care. Studies on the use of these methods in practice were promising on raising awareness and phasing out involuntary care (Bekkema et al., 2021; Embregts et al., 2019; Schippers, 2019). However, implementation appears to be hampered by a lack of understanding of how to implement new methods in care for people with intellectual disability successfully.Long-term intellectual disability care is characterised by life-long care and support on multiple life domains for clients by professionals of various disciplines (Kersten et al., 2018). Implementation of new methods therefore affects a whole system of professionals, clients, and their relatives (Bisschops et al., 2022). For direct support staff, the pressures and demands of changing work routines, and habits can cause feelings of anxiety and uncertainty about the future (Nilsen et al., 2012; Wood et al., 2014). This may be particularly true when implementing methods aiming to reduce involuntary care, given that involuntary care is a response to