Theme 1: Training

Training in any profession is important. In order for the CJP to be able to manage any situation they meet, training about LDs within The Justice System could be considered to be fundamental, as it raises awareness about learning difficulties and thus educates the CJP to improve their communication and management of YPLDs through increased knowledge of the area.

With respect to learning about working with learning difficulties there were distinct viewpoints arising from the interviews: For some, experience appeared to be the fundamental basis of their learning; secondly, there was a group who perceived the training they received as being too shallow, or too general or indeed, too specific at times and therefore not relevant to certain individuals or roles; and thirdly, some considered training to be pertinent and important for the future.

100 1a: Inadequacies of training received

For some participants, the training they had received was perceived as being inadequate because it was too shallow or generic. Also, that there was a shortage of specialist and targeted training opportunities, for example:

Participant 11 (a Solicitor) along with other participants share similar views that the training they receive is too ‘generic’: “I mean we have had training, we’ve had training on equality and disability but not on the specific issue of dealing with clients who are learning disabled” (participant 11, Line 94-95). Participant 8 (Case Managing Practitioner) and participant 12 (a Barrister) are of the same opinion stating respectively: “I’ve had some training on Dyslexia, Dyspraxia, um which wasn’t specific to, which was just provided by the local authority so that was a generic training” (Line 54-56).

And I’m not sure that (.) their (social) training, from what I hear, and what they can teach you on a course is going to get that across. On the merit of having a course, it would imply that one-size-fits-all...so it’s hard to say because there’s not really a one- size-fits-all training technique (participant 12, a Barrister, Line 50-54).

Participant 7 (a Barrister) stated that the training often employs a one-dimensional dynamic that is thought to be less practically meaningful: “we have listened to lectures on dealing with vulnerable complainants mainly, but it is the experience I really learn from” (participant 7, Line 25), and: “the lectures that we attend sometimes are not very helpful I find” (participant 7, Line 39). Therefore, these views indicate that learning through experience rather than training is an important element of developing skills.

101 1b: Importance of further training

Some professionals emphasised the importance of new learning and therefore expressed positive feelings towards further training, i.e., they showed a willingness to learn. Some of the participants stated: “I’m always trying to learn a bit more about how to best deal with people with such vulnerabilities in the court environment”, participant 7, (a Barrister, Line 103-104) and participant 2 (Volunteer Witness Support Worker) states: “I think there’s always a need, especially for us old guys, ha ha, to be reminded of being a student again; painful experience, necessary experience” (Line 192-194).

Participant 6 (another Barrister) and participant 11 (a Solicitor) show a positive outlook towards awareness training, where participant 6 says: “Erma, I think I’d benefit by knowing, my main benefit would be knowing that if a person did have such a difficulty, what that difficulty was” (Line 77-79).

Whereas participant 4 (a Solicitor) stated:

Yeah, it [training] would be good I think because and I think especially other solicitors who um, come into contact with them but with people with learning difficulties, young people, but have had a different upbringing like the normal, you know if, if they’ve never come into contact with anybody with learning difficulties before or have never experienced anybody with mental health problems, to have that would be a positive I think (Line 64-69).

Participant 12 (a Barrister) states the importance of training, by believing that important techniques and strategies can be taught to professionals via training, in order to better interact with YPLDs:

I mean, there are some simple techniques that can help when dealing with YPLDs. For example, the one that I know of when dealing with someone who has Asperger’s

102

or Autism is to give them ten seconds thinking time after they’ve answered a question and that allows them time to process the questions (Line 51-54).

These comments demonstrate the differing opinions on the importance of, and need for training that The Justice System receive.

103 4.6 Theme 2: Experience

Experience was outlined as a prerequisite for how people with learning difficulties receive a professional service within The Justice System. For instance, participants generally expressed that their level of experience would determine the way they would interact with young people, particularly those with learning difficulties and how it would also play a fundamental role in other professionals’ line of work. Some participants regarded experience as being more important to their role in comparison with others.

2a: Effective job performance is facilitated through experience

When professionals undergo training, they usually gain a theoretical and/or a pragmatic understanding of the role. Accordingly, some participants expressed that their working knowledge is predominantly based on their learning from ‘hands on’ experience, which would most likely be the case for the older professionals, as opposed to a more theoretical approach. For instance, participant 12 (a Barrister) states: “I’d say I’ve learnt what I know from my experience” (Line 36-37). This opinion may lead to the suggestion that theory and academia may only take a professional so far in their understanding, but true expertise develops from the application of practice.

104

Participant 7 (a Barrister) explicitly stated his/her thoughts and preference for practical training in saying: “Um, to be frank with you I think that, um, there’s no better training than actually the real experience” (Line 38-39). This view is bolstered by the notion that “skills in chairing conferences, I suppose, are largely honed through experience”, participant 1 (Chairwoman for Child Protection meetings, Line 144-145), and “more of my development of knowledge has been just through interaction and day to day experiences” participant 8 (a Case Managing Practitioner, Line 66-67).

It is for this reason that CJP have varying levels of knowledge and thus, confidence between them when dealing with YPLDs. Participant 11 (a Solicitor) suggests that with time, the professional will learn to be confident in working with learning difficulties, stating: “as you keep doing it you do start to understand what it is and I think that that’s what applies to working with people with learning difficulties” (Line 442-443). This opinion is also similar to participant 1 (Chairwoman for Child Protection meetings). With reference to firmly dealing with clients that have a learning difficulty, she stated: “so I suppose maybe that’s the change that I, I am much more confident now at recognising when we’ve got to stop” (Line 130-131).

2b: Reference to personal (out of work) experiences of people with learning difficulties

Participant 9 (a Youth Crime Officer) shares her personal experience and how it has affected her and her child:

From my own personal experience, I’ve got two boys, eight and six, my eight year old struggled at school, and he’s now on an education plan, now in order to get on that education plan he needs to be classified as special educational needs (Line 142-145).

In this excerpt, participant 9 explains how her own experience has led to her understanding of learning disabilities and that in order for her child to gain educational support he must be

105

labelled as having a learning difficulty. Participant 10 (a Police Officer) explains how her early personal experiences with individuals were influential by stating:

My mother used to work with groups of people with learning difficulties and she then became a teacher, a special needs teacher, so growing up, I’ve always had a lot of contact with people with learning difficulties anyways so I would say I was fairly well educated on it anyway (Line 88-91).

Generally, this study found experience outside of the workplace has been found to nurture perceptions of people with learning difficulties and particularly YPLDs in these instances.

2c: Experience facilitates learning

Knowledge through experience enables the professional to work competently, as it is thought that through their own experience they learn most effectively. Participant 9 (a Youth Crime Officer) sheds light on her inexperience during the early stages of her career:

If I think back to when I first joined the police service as a young woman and with little life experience under my belt, I’d have probably gone in and just gone, ‘oh that person’s, you know, they’re mad, they’re stupid duh duh duh’ and made quite sort of scathing comments just on the basis of knowing them for a very split second (Line 106-110).

Participant 11 (a Solicitor) describes how he previously underestimated the complexity and scope of the work:

And e-even just having a very simple understanding of cognitive functioning is-is-is good, whereas, when I started I didn’t really have an understanding of the issues and how, how in-depth that process can become and what-how complicated the different areas are (Line 136-139).

106

Participant 1 (the Chairwoman) stated: “I would like to think that I see myself on a constant learning curve and if I became complacent about my, the extent of my knowledge or my abilities then erm, it’s probably time to stop” (Line 244-246). This emphasises how the chairwoman believes that learning should be a continuous process throughout her career in order for her to continue to develop. Thus, continuing professional development is a process whereby allied professionals receive relevant and up-to-date training in order to become more competent, knowledgeable and skilled. Participants often reflected upon their experiences to explain how they felt these have facilitated learning.

When asked about issues they might be picking up on, participant 10 (a Police Officer) mentioned how he/she would need to adapt due to the circumstances:

Um, I mean I work in a child abuse unit therefore I deal with children quite regularly. Um, and they may say, well you’re gonna go and speak to a twelve year old so you will always try and pitch your questions at the age you think you’re dealing with, however, you’ll soon find out sometimes that, you know, you’re speaking to a twelve year old and you’re asking them questions that you expect a twelve year old to understand, but clearly they don’t (Line 21-25).

This suggests that, on one hand, there will be cases where learning difficulties are more salient and so the CJP can accommodate them more effectively. On the other hand, some may be less noticeable and so it would be more difficult to discern and therefore put the necessary measures in place (i.e. changing procedures for the comfort of the client). The quote by the police officer suggests that experience has helped to gain a greater understanding of the fact that not everybody of a certain age will be able to understand questions pitched at their age group. Indeed, there may be other issues such as a learning difficulty, which may affect their understanding.

107

I’ve got a lot more experience under my belt now, I’m a lot more open and I’ve had seventeen years of seeing lots of different things and dealing with lots of different people... But with years of experience under my belt, life skills and seeing an awful lot of things, I’m a lot more open. I’m a very passionate person around young people, so all that encompasses young people, particularly so, I’m a lot more open to sitting down and saying well ok, there’s a reason behind this. Nobody does something without a reason or why something’s going on or something like that (Line 108-114).

In addition to learning through career experience, life experience plays an important role that can shape the attitudes of the CJP towards YPLDs. The Youth Crime Officer summarises this view with “But that’s come with life experience and it’s come with, with doing the job for a long, long time” (participant 9, Line 119-120).

The above comments could be seen to suggest that due to the lack of available training in the past, the perceptions of the participants were that they had to learn through experience and that is a valuable part of the process.