Exploring values: an empirical evaluation

This paper outlines the development of a series of workshops, designed to bring about attitudinal change. This is followed by an empirical evaluation of the workshop's impact on nurses' attitudes toward service users.

Users of mental health and learning disability services have historically been the object of a variety of negative and dissenting attitudes. Within the context of forensic services, this situation is often compounded, as was highlighted during the Ashworth Inquiry.

Much has been achieved in terms of promoting cultural change since the publication of the inquiry's report, and the development of the 'Exploring Values' workshop has provided added impetus.

This study used a quasi-experimental research design, with data being collected 'before and after' the workshop. The findings suggest that the workshops prompted a re-appraisal of cultural attitudes, and a hypothesis that predicted a positive shift in attitudes was supported.

In an attempt to inject a degree of animation into the statistical data, a small sample of workshop participants have also been interviewed, and a selection of brief case studies describe how changes in practice have ensued.

The paper concludes that despite criticisms of the study design, overall the use of workshops proved to be an extremely successful and worthwhile strategy to bring about attitudinal change.