Building Circles of Support for people with Intellectual Disabilities
Building Circles of Support for people with Intellectual Disabilities, a knowledge translation award project funded by the Health Research Board (HRB), aims to demonstrate examples of good practice in Circles of Support through case studies of positive lived experiences of participants with intellectual disabilities and the people in their Circles of Support.
The overall aim of the project is to use research information to develop resources to enhance the Circles of Support for adults with intellectual disabilities that can be used in person-centred planning processes.
For 15 years, IDS-TILDA has investigated what influences social inclusion and community participation for older adults with intellectual disabilities and the findings strongly supports individualised Circles of Support as necessary to enhance inclusion and participation.
A Circles of Support model describes how people receive support from different types of relationships – through Circles of Intimacy, Friendship, Participation, and Exchange.
Accessible resources including a downloadable booklet and videos were created based on the lived experiences of individuals with intellectual disabilities, their families, and wider Circles of Support.
We have collaborated closely with Stewarts Care in Dublin to develop these resources and have received support from partners, including the HSE, the National Federation of Voluntary Service Providers, and Temple University in the United States.
We hope that others can learn from the wonderful examples of supportive relationships demonstrated by our participants in these videos.
Meet the Team
- Professor Mary McCarronPrincipal Investigator
- Dr Darren McCauslandProject Lead
- Ms Iara Faria SynnottResearch Assistant
Prof Mary McCarron, Professor of Ageing and Intellectual Disability, Trinity College Dublin. Director of the Trinity Centre for Ageing and Intellectual Disability (TCAID), Trinity College Dublin
Dr Darren McCausland, Senior Research Fellow, Lead for Social and Community Research, Trinity Centre for Ageing and Intellectual Disability (TCAID), Trinity College Dublin
Ms Iara Faria Synnott Research Assistant, Trinity Centre for Ageing and Intellectual Disability (TCAID), Trinity College Dublin
Event- Video Screening with our PPI Panel and Participants!
Event- Video Screening with our PPI Panel and Participants!
Videos
- Introduction
- Project Guide
- Circle of Intimacy
- Circle of Friendship
- Circle of Participation
- Circle of Exchange
- Overarching Themes
- Strategies for Building and Maintaining COS
- Acknowledgments
Download our Booklet - Let's make it happen!
Building Circles of Support for people with Intellectual Disabilities, Accessible Multimedia Resources Launch
Building Circles of Support for people with Intellectual Disabilities, Accessible Multimedia Resources Launch
This HRB-funded Knowledge Translation project showcased positive examples of support for individuals from their Circles of Support and the strategies they have used to build and maintain those relationships. The project team presented their project's accessible multimedia resources, including a downloadable booklet and videos featuring the lived experiences of six individuals with intellectual disabilities on Thursday, 7th December 2023. We hope that others can learn from the wonderful examples of supportive relationships demonstrated by our participants in these videos. We collaborated closely with Stewarts Care in Dublin to develop these resources and have received support from partners, including the HSE, the Federation of Voluntary Service Providers, and Temple University in the United States.
