Specialised Treatment Units for People With Challenging Behaviours

This paper reviews the debate surrounding the value of specialised treatment facilities for people with seriously challenging behaviours. Distinctions are made between advantages and disadvantages resulting from specialisation, and those resulting from specalised services being unit based. Distinctions are also made between the inherent disadvantages of services and observed but remediable disadvantages arising from inadequate implementation. Results from a survey of specialised units in England and Wales are presented.