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Prior studies have shown that individuals with disabilities, especially those with communication disabilities, are at higher risk for being exposed to domestic violence. The Swedish National Board of Health and Welfare recommend the municipal social services to use Augmentative Alternative Communication (AAC) as a means to facilitate communication with such individuals. Further, it is recommended that the social services use a standardized instrument called FREDA-risk assessment to ask clients about domestic violence. However, little is known about the use of those instruments among LSS administrators who handle service and support for individuals with disabilities, who may also have communication disabilities. The aim of this study was to investigate the use of FREDA- risk assessment and AAC among LSS administrators, and to explore whether the use of AAC affects the use of FREDA-risk assessment. In order to do so, a digital survey was conducted, in which 366 respondents spread over 144 municipalities participated. The results show that both instruments are not use at their full potential and that the use of AAC could facilitate the use of FREDA- risk assessment. Implications for social work practice and further research are discussed.

Persons with moderate to more severe intellectual disabilities have a legal right to exercise self-determination, and a right to receive individually tailored support to enable them to live independently. However, these rights are not always realised in practice. Taking the difficulties that the functional impairments imply as a starting point, the aim of this thesis is to critically review and accrue increased knowledge about what conditions for self-determination persons with moderate to more severe intellectual disabilities are given within the context of support services offered, according to the Swedish Disability Act. The study is a multiple case study, based on analyses of so-called implementation plans and notes from observations and interviews (with staff), all gathered within the same six units:three group homes and three daily activity units. By conducting thematic analyses and using concepts from Nordenfeldt’s action theory, as well as theory about positioning, three overarching themes were developed: staff’s supportive methods and approaches, staff’s non-supportive methods and approaches, and staff’s methods and approaches that are both supportive and not when it comes to opportunities for self-determination. For example, staff views on the persons’self-determination as being adequate are interpreted as supportive. As a contrast, the fact that enhanced support is rarely used and, if used, rarely to a degree that promotes the person’s own initiative, is interpreted as non-supportive, and the implementation plans are interpreted as both supportive and non-supportive. Fundamentally, the study shows that the practical possibilities to exercise self determinationare limited for persons with moderate to severe intellectual disabilities by certain aspects of staff methods and approaches, and by the organisation of the units where the support is conducted. Further research is suggested on how to enable practise, staff methods and approaches that, to a higher degree, consider the persons themselves when planning and conducting their support, on the organisational preconditions, the implementation plans included, for complying with the principles and political goals of a person’s self determination and on the impact of staff knowledge, not least when it comes to enhanced support and communication devices. Finally, the character of conducting support and what this means for the methods and approaches, should be investigated further.

The purpose of this study was to determine and describe the ideas, that is, a mental construction of perceived reality and values, which are expressed in the Swedish Disability Act and its Government Bill. By means of text analysis, four concepts of reality and values have been identified: (1) Citizenship and justice, (2) The collective and integration, (3) The individual and autonomy, and (4) Decentralization and power shifts. The study also shows that social rights and social citizenship have been strengthened via legislation for individuals with comprehensive disabilities. It is also demonstrated that there is considerable room in the legislation for conflicts between the two concepts and values of collective/integration and the individual/autonomy. It can also be observed that there is a considerable risk that citizens are not treated in a similar manner as regards the interpretation and application of the Disability Act, which may lead to lack of legal security.

Författaren uppmärksammande under hösten 2016 att personer med funktionsnedsättningars personliga assistanstimmar minskade helt eller delvis. Studien ämnar därför undersöka hur det har skett en diskursiv förskjutning av begreppet personer med funktionsnedsättningar sedan LSS blev lag tills idag. Detta görs genom en diskursanalys av LSS propositionen och domar från varje årtionde, det vill säga 90-tal, 00-tal och 10-tal som förflutit sedan lagen togs i kraft. Resultaten av analysen visar att det skett två diskursiva förskjutningar under de år som LSS har funnits, den första angående de grundläggande behoven redan ett par år efter att LSS hade trätt i kraft. Den andra stod att hitta i regeringsrättens dom från 2009 där de grundläggande behoven drogs till sin spets för att endast gälla krävande och privata behov för personer med funktionsnedsättning.