mmilner said:
Great posts above. I'm actually going for an interview today for a support worker role for people with learning difficulties. I think caving or just walking in the countryside would help them. I know I feel less stressed when up the Peak than at home. (Though it's warmer at home at this time of year!) Will be interesting to see how it goes...
My first job after leaving the army was a support worker for people with learning difficulties, I loved that job! Did it for quite a few years and had great job satisfaction, I tried to involve them in as many 'normal' activities that 'normal' people did and they loved me for it.
Sadly the one particular chap I was a key worker for passed away, although I had left the care industry years previously, his mother looked me up to invite me to his funeral saying in the short time I had spent in his life, I had made a significant improvement to his quality of life by ignoring his obvious disabilities and giving him a chance to do things he wouldn't normally be able to do.
Further to this, last year I took my and my sisters family on an 'adventure holiday', as usual I took the kids over to Runscar & Thistle to be met by a large group of blind children who had been taken through the caves
My thoughts are, if a person is capable enough and the appropriate risk assessments have been made in line with current care standards then why not?