Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: Support in a Community Rehabilitation Company

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is now recognised as having a lifelong impact involving challenges of high impulsivity, low hyperactivity, low attention, poor organisational and poor communicational skills. The social constructivism paradigm from which the research was undertaken encompasses the philosophical gap between medical and social models, the two perspectives can complement each other. Not only is there a gap in the literature in probation practice and disability specifically ADHD, but also the assimilation of the social and medical models into an holistic model creates a structure from which to look at the inclusion of disability in probation practice and beyond. The coproduction of data generated from both the CRC staff and the service users considered in the light of a non-reductive holistic model, opens up the prospect of a new contribution to probation practice. The Transforming Rehabilitation Programme saw the creation of Community Rehabilitation Companies (CRC), who work with low to medium risk service users. This offered a novel backdrop from which to explore how young adults with ADHD are supported whilst carrying out their court orders. A small-scale qualitative research study was conducted in a CRC, to understand what support and perceptions of ADHD was held by CRC staff and service users with ADHD. One-to-one semi- structured interviews were carried out with thirteen CRC staff and six service users aged 18 to 25years. Understanding of ADHD by the CRC staff was generally poor with little insight to how ADHD might impact on probation work, but there was some good practice highlighted. The probation services have been undergoing a reunification process which creates a timely opportunity to proffer recommendations for improved policy to standardised training for probation staff. Early identification of ADHD service users allows for adaption of probation work on a one-to-one basis promoting a positive rehabilitative relationship and adhering to statutory responsibilities for the adjustment of working practices.