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Outputs (16)

Ambivalence about disability: Why people with mild learning difficulties who are looking for employment may not identify as disabled (2022)
Journal Article
Tarlo, R., Fyson, R., & Roberts, S. (2024). Ambivalence about disability: Why people with mild learning difficulties who are looking for employment may not identify as disabled. Disability and Society, 39(3), 548-570. https://doi.org/10.1080/09687599.2022.2073199

UK government policies over several decades have sought to actively encourage disabled people to take up paid employment, most recently by focusing on the ‘gap’ between employment rates of disabled and non-disabled people. These policies implicitly a... Read More about Ambivalence about disability: Why people with mild learning difficulties who are looking for employment may not identify as disabled.

Talking about learning disability: Discursive acts in managing an ideological dilemma (2022)
Journal Article
Cluley, V., Pilnick, A., & Fyson, R. (2022). Talking about learning disability: Discursive acts in managing an ideological dilemma. SSM - Qualitative Research in Health, 2, Article 100088. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssmqr.2022.100088

Learning disability is a term that can mean different things to different people. It is also a term that has undergone much revision and critique, being linked to stigma and prejudice. Consequently, talking about learning disability can be a delicate... Read More about Talking about learning disability: Discursive acts in managing an ideological dilemma.

Improving the inclusivity and credibility of visual research: interpretive engagement as a route to including the voices of people with learning disabilities in analysis (2020)
Journal Article
Cluley, V., Pilnick, A., & Fyson, R. (2021). Improving the inclusivity and credibility of visual research: interpretive engagement as a route to including the voices of people with learning disabilities in analysis. Visual Studies, 36(4-5), 524-536. https://doi.org/10.1080/1472586X.2020.1807402

Visual methods are often used in social science because of the potential for inclusivity and accessibility. In disability studies in particular, inclusive research is widely viewed as best practice and visual methods are often considered more accessi... Read More about Improving the inclusivity and credibility of visual research: interpretive engagement as a route to including the voices of people with learning disabilities in analysis.

The demographics of forced marriage of people with learning disabilities: findings from a national database (2020)
Journal Article
Clawson, R., Patterson, A., Fyson, R., & McCarthy, M. (2020). The demographics of forced marriage of people with learning disabilities: findings from a national database. Journal of Adult Protection, 22(2), 59-74. https://doi.org/10.1108/jap-09-2019-0029

Purpose The purpose of this study is to compare the UK demographics of forced marriage of people with learning disabilities and people without learning disabilities to inform effective safeguarding practice. Design/methodology/approach An analys... Read More about The demographics of forced marriage of people with learning disabilities: findings from a national database.

Staff understandings of abuse and poor practice in residential settings for adults with intellectual disabilities (2019)
Journal Article
Fyson, R., & Patterson, A. (2020). Staff understandings of abuse and poor practice in residential settings for adults with intellectual disabilities. Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities, 33(3), 354-363. https://doi.org/10.1111/jar.12677

Background A common factor in the abuse of people with intellectual disabilities in residential settings has been the failure of care staff and frontline managers to recognise poor practice at an early stage and prevent its development into a cult... Read More about Staff understandings of abuse and poor practice in residential settings for adults with intellectual disabilities.

Theorising disability: a practical and representative ontology of learning disability (2019)
Journal Article
Cluely, V., Fyson, R., & Pilnick, A. (2019). Theorising disability: a practical and representative ontology of learning disability. Disability and Society, 35(2), 235-257. https://doi.org/10.1080/09687599.2019.1632692

This article contributes to the ongoing development of the theorisation of learning disability, focusing on the value of the ontological turn. We argue that while social theory has influenced understandings of disability within academia, particularly... Read More about Theorising disability: a practical and representative ontology of learning disability.

Forced marriage of people with learning disabilities: a human rights issue (2017)
Journal Article
Clawson, R., & Fyson, R. (2017). Forced marriage of people with learning disabilities: a human rights issue. Disability and Society, 32(6), 810-830. https://doi.org/10.1080/09687599.2017.1320271

This paper reports some of the findings of an exploratory study which sought to better understand the demographics of forced marriage of people with learning disabilities and the contexts in which such marriages may occur. It was found that forced ma... Read More about Forced marriage of people with learning disabilities: a human rights issue.

'I was just gobsmacked': care workers responses to BBC Panoramas 'Undercover care: the abuse exposed': invoking mental states as a means of distancing from abusive practices (2016)
Journal Article
Patterson, A., & Fyson, R. (2016). 'I was just gobsmacked': care workers responses to BBC Panoramas 'Undercover care: the abuse exposed': invoking mental states as a means of distancing from abusive practices. Discourse and Society, 27(6), 607-623. https://doi.org/10.1177/0957926516665555

This paper draws upon discourse analytic techniques and discursive psychology to examine how care workers build accounts of viewing the BBC Panorama programme “Undercover Care: The Abuse Exposed” which graphically documented the abuse of people with... Read More about 'I was just gobsmacked': care workers responses to BBC Panoramas 'Undercover care: the abuse exposed': invoking mental states as a means of distancing from abusive practices.

Acquired Brain Injury, Social Work and the Challenges of Personalisation (2015)
Journal Article
Holloway, M., & Fyson, R. (2016). Acquired Brain Injury, Social Work and the Challenges of Personalisation. British Journal of Social Work, 46(5), 1301-1317. https://doi.org/10.1093/bjsw/bcv039

© 2015 The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The British Association of Social Workers. All rights reserved. Increasing numbers of adults in the UK are living with acquired brain injury (ABI), with those affected requirin... Read More about Acquired Brain Injury, Social Work and the Challenges of Personalisation.

Building an evidence base for adult safeguarding?: problems with the reliability and validity of adult safeguarding databases (2015)
Journal Article
Fyson, R. (2015). Building an evidence base for adult safeguarding?: problems with the reliability and validity of adult safeguarding databases. British Journal of Social Work, 45(3), https://doi.org/10.1093/bjsw/bct163

This article considers current adult safeguarding policy guidelines for England, which require local authorities to collect adult safeguarding data for the purposes of research and service development. It then moves on to report some of the findings... Read More about Building an evidence base for adult safeguarding?: problems with the reliability and validity of adult safeguarding databases.

Inclusion or outcomes? Tensions in the involvement of people with learning disabilities in strategic planning (2013)
Journal Article
Fyson, R., & Fox, L. (2014). Inclusion or outcomes? Tensions in the involvement of people with learning disabilities in strategic planning. Disability and Society, 29(2), 239-254. https://doi.org/10.1080/09687599.2013.776491

Social inclusion is a key principle that underpins the provision of services for people with learning disabilities in England. Learning Disability Partnership Boards, which are responsible for local strategic planning of learning disability services,... Read More about Inclusion or outcomes? Tensions in the involvement of people with learning disabilities in strategic planning.

Independence or Protection - does it have to be a choice? Reflections on the abuse people with learning disabilities in Cornwall (2007)
Journal Article
Fyson, R., & Kitson, D. (2007). Independence or Protection - does it have to be a choice? Reflections on the abuse people with learning disabilities in Cornwall. Critical Social Policy, 27(3),

This commentary will use recent events in Cornwall to highlight the ongoing abuse of adults with learning disabilities in England. It will critically explore how two parallel policy agendas – namely, the promotion of choice and independence for adult... Read More about Independence or Protection - does it have to be a choice? Reflections on the abuse people with learning disabilities in Cornwall.

Young people with learning disabilities who sexually harm others: the role of criminal justice within a multi-agency response (2007)
Journal Article
Fyson, R. (2007). Young people with learning disabilities who sexually harm others: the role of criminal justice within a multi-agency response. British Journal of Learning Disabilities, 35(3),

This paper outlines the key findings from a recent study of statutory service responses to young people with learning disabilities who show sexually inappropriate or abusive behaviours, with a particular focus on the involvement of criminal justice a... Read More about Young people with learning disabilities who sexually harm others: the role of criminal justice within a multi-agency response.

Foster Fathers: their experiences and contributions to fostering (2007)
Journal Article
Wilson, K., Fyson, R., & Newstone, S. (2007). Foster Fathers: their experiences and contributions to fostering

The paper reports some of the findings of an exploratory study which looks at foster fathers’ experiences of fostering and discusses their routes into foster care and their perspectives on their roles and tasks. The study collected quantitative and q... Read More about Foster Fathers: their experiences and contributions to fostering.

Young people with learning disabilities who sexually abuse: understanding, identifying and responding from within generic education and welfare services
Book Chapter
Fyson, R. Young people with learning disabilities who sexually abuse: understanding, identifying and responding from within generic education and welfare services. In M. C. Calder (Ed.), Working with children and young people who sexually abuse: Taking the field forward. Russell House Publishing

This chapter will start by providing an overview of current knowledge about young people with learning disabilities who sexually abuse. Research cited will, unless otherwise indicated, be limited to UK studies since international variations in the de... Read More about Young people with learning disabilities who sexually abuse: understanding, identifying and responding from within generic education and welfare services.