ABSTRACT
Services for people with learning disabilities have grown and developed during the twentieth century. Journals are full of examples of ‘good practice’. Professionals and their organisations take pride in highlighting their centres of excellence for the benefit of those service providers who have not made the same progress with their own service developments. Centres of excellence offer their ideas so that less developed services can pick up useful tips. Traditionally, services were designed by professionals who decided what the client needed; these have developed into businesses which continually strive to seek new growth and to support professionals in need of an income. As stated by McKnight (1981), the business of modern society is service, and social service in modern society is business. Services now boast of more, and better educated, staff. There is a wide variety of service provision and experience available to assist people with learning disabilities. Professionals in the area include teachers, residential and community nurses, social workers and psychologists.
