Development of Research Programme
Clearly the focus was to be on learning disability with a special interest in profound and multiple disability. The Unit was to provide a focus for multidisciplinary research in the context of the University, particularly with respect to departments in the medical school.
Against a background of research and development, it was intended that not only the White Top Centre itself, but services more widely in Scotland, the rest of the UK, and internationally would benefit. For this reason we list in Section 5, below, some of the principal areas in which advisory work has been undertaken.
Research has focused principally on two themes:
- First, people with profound and multiple learning disabilities with respect to both their individual characteristics and their service needs;
- second, the impact of ageing on people with learning disabilities and its consequences for their family carers - a particularly appropriate topic given the family-initiated development of both Unit and Centre.
The source of funding for such work is diverse, embracing the Chief Scientist Office of the Scottish Home and Health Department, the National Health Service Management Executive, Local Authorities and voluntary sector agencies. To date 22 research grants have been awarded with a total value (including overheads paid to the University) of £668,420 They are listed in Section 3.1. With respect to the aims noted above, the majority do focus on the twin themes of profound learning and multiple disability, on the one hand, and ageing and learning disability on the other. In addition, several other university departments have been involved including the Department of Psychiatry, the Department of Orthopaedics, the Department of Psychology, (University of St Andrews) and the Department of Economics, (University of St Andrews). Appropriate research has been undertaken in the White Top Centre, involving service users, carers and staff. With respect to the last, they have benefited from training in the context of the research in topics as disparate as behavioural observation and policy with respect to sexual abuse.
The subject of dissemination is dealt with in Section 4 with regard to publications and wider advisory activities in Section 5.