Factors affecting the feelings of safety among individuals with mild intellectual disabilities and severe challenging behaviour in residential care: A qualitative study of professional and service users’ perspectives

Background: This study focuses on what feeling safe means for people with mild intellectual disabilities and severe challenging behaviour, and which factors affect their sense of safety.

Method: Thematic analysis was used to analyse data collected during (1) ethnographic longitudinal research and (2) interviews and focus groups among professionals and service users.

Results: Feelings of safety can relate to three main themes: (1) a physical environment that reduces risks and temptations; (2) a reliable, predictable, and supportive environment; and (3) an accepting environment that enables service users to establish a normal life. An analysis of which factors affect service users’ sense of safety identified 20 themes (e.g. team climate) and 34 subthemes (e.g. interactions with other service users).

Conclusions: A range of interconnected factors can affect service users’ feelings of safety. Future research should explore what organisations and external actors (e.g. the police) can do to promote those feelings.