Safety for LD/ASD children in hospital during/post COVID: family phase
Research type
Research Study
Full title
‘In Safe Hands’ during and post Covid-19: Development of a risk assessment instrument to maximise the safety of children and young people with learning disabilities and/or autism spectrum disorder in hospital and foster trust between parents/carers and staff.
IRAS ID
293468
Contact name
Kate Oulton
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
GOSH/ UCL Institute of Child Health
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 2 months, 1 days
Research summary
In a previous study (the Pay More Attention study, Oulton et al, 2016; IRAS: 178525) hospital staff reported a lack of confidence and capability in meeting the needs of children with learning disabilities (LD) and/or autistic spectrum disorder (ASD) in hospital with a view to providing a safe environment. Parents who had a child with LD participating in the same study reported concerns for their child’s safety in hospital which prevented them leaving the bedside unless it was absolutely necessary. Such concerns have become particularly significant during the Covid-19 pandemic where restrictions on parent visiting are in place and those testing positive for Covid-19 are unable to visit at all.
This study aims to address these issues through developing a risk assessment instrument to facilitate discussions around safety and improve the quality of hospital care for children and young people with LD and/or ASD.
The study is funded by the Burdett Trust and will be conducted in four phases across Great Ormond Street and Alder Hey children’s hospitals within a period of 18 months. Children and young people with LD/ASD and parents of children with LD/ASD will participate in 2-3 of these phases through a) taking part in a focus group/interview to define the concept of 'safety', b) taking part in a consensus workshop and/or expert panel to determine which items should be included in the risk assessment tool, c) administering the tool to pilot and test its feasibility. A team of stakeholders will be included in all aspects of the research and participants will receive a lay summary of the findings. Hospital staff who work with children/young people with LD/ASD will also take part in the study but approval for their involvement has been sought separately.
REC name
South Central - Hampshire A Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
21/SC/0229
Date of REC Opinion
31 Aug 2021
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion