Managing people with intellectual disabilities (ID) withproblem behaviours in the community presents a challenge to ID services. Community models as alternatives to hospital care exist. Problems behaviourscan have an impact on quality of life putting community placements at risk. Mental illness is a known aetiological factor predisposing to problembehaviours. Varied service strategies have been developed to manage challengingbehaviour. We present data on a community-based service that manageschallenging behaviour through an objective, multi-disciplinary approach.

To evaluate the multi-disciplinary challengingbehaviour service over a three-year period.

A casenote survey of adults with ID admitted to the Assessment and Intervention Team, a challenging behaviour service operating inthe London Borough of Haringey.

Over the three-year period the 65 adults weremanaged by AIT. 44 were male and 21 were female. The age range was 21 – 64years of age. The level of ID was Mild ID 61%, Moderate 39%. Diagnoses includedpsychotic disorder (25%); mood disorder (20%); developmental disorder (40%);dementia (10%); challenging behaviour (45%). Six people (11%) were admitted tohospital during their time with AIT. The length of care under AIT ranged fromfour to fourteen months.

AIT managed effectively people with IDliving in the community who presented with complex problems putting theirplacement at risk. The most common reasons for the behaviours included mentalillness and ‘challenging behaviour’. People with developmental disorders were abig proportion. Community alternatives are effective with positive benefits tothe person.