Identifying and managing incidents of minor theft within a service for individuals with intellectual disabilities

Accessible summary Our service received complaints about some service users who were taking items from local shops without paying for them. We surveyed families to see how common this problem was and what families had done to try to prevent it happening again. One in three families who responded said a family member had taken something from home or a shop without paying for it; often this happened when changes were occurring in the home. The service has started to work with families, service users and the local community, to ensure that service users are well supported and that people respond consistently to any minor thefts that occur. Abstract Background Models of service delivery for adults with an intellectual disability in Ireland increasingly focus on delivering services within local communities. Preparation for this transition often focuses on practical skills. Our service received complaints about unacceptable behaviour (i.e., shoplifting), by some service users. Although such behaviours are relatively common in the general population, we found little research on this topic related to individuals with intellectual disabilities. Method The Speech and Language Therapy Department surveyed families of individuals attending the service to explore the prevalence of concerns about such behaviours and any actions families had taken. Results Over 34% of families who responded reported at least one incident of stealing. Such behaviours occurred within the home and in the community. Families had attempted a range of strategies to eliminate the behaviour, most often invoking a negative consequence. Conclusion The combination of (a) changed opportunities arising from new service structures and (b) potentially reduced self‐control and/or immature self‐regulation, along with (c) inconsistent responses from the environment, forms a triad of influences that may contribute to the risk of stealing for some individuals with intellectual disability. Strategies adopted by the organisation to address this issue are outlined.