Service provision for people with an intellectual disability and dementia in Scotland: adherence to good practice guidelines

Background: Good practice guidelines aim to promote equity in service provision and quality in order to improve the outcomes, experiences and quality of life of service users.Specific Aims: to evaluate the extent to which the practices of NHS services for people with an intellectual disability and dementia in Scotland were consistent with a range of quality indicators that covered screening, assessment, and intervention.Method: Participants were staff from 10 intellectual disability services in Scotland who completed an online survey. They rated the extent to which their service met quality indicators adapted from the British Psychological Society, Division of Clinical Psychology & Royal College of Psychiatrists (2015) Good Practice Standards Self-Assessment Checklist.Findings: The areas that were most commonly ‘fully met’ related to assessment and diagnosis, those that were most commonly ‘not/only partially met’ related to areas such as flexible funding, service development and monitoring and location of out of area placements.Discussion: The results suggest there is some disparity in the extent to which the participating services have practices which are consistent with all of the quality indicators. The limitations and implications for nurses are discussed.