Policy to Practice. A critical analysis of the Valuing People strategy

Dreenagh Lyle is a visiting lecturer and independent consultant. She has written numerous articles over the years on issues related to caring for someone with PIMD. She has been actively involved at a local and national level on various partnership boards, forums and committees for many years, in a constant effort to speak up for those without a voice. She embarked on a late academic career in order to explore the 'lack of fit' she observed between the philosophical underpinnings of UK government policy and the lived experience of people with PIMD and their (in)formal carers. Her findings further confirmed deficiencies in the volume and nature of appropriately skilled staff and the availability of specialist therapeutic and respite services. Whilst her daughter has always lived at home with her, Dreenagh took over full management of her care some years ago and is currently writing a lay handbook based on this experience. She is keen to share her insight to families, students, support workers, commissioners and clinicians. As an academic and an informal family carer she has a breadth and depth of understanding of this often margenalized group of individuals.