Background: Active Support is a staff practice that aims to increase engagement of people with intellectual disabilities. This study seeks to: (1) identify the outcomes of staff using Active Support and how these are measured; (2) identify how the views of people with intellectual disabilities have been included in Active Support research.

Method: A scoping review was conducted of peer-reviewed articles about Active Support published between 2009 and 2023.

Results: Sixteen articles were identified. Outcomes included engagement, the quality of staff support, choice and challenging behaviour. Structured observations were the most frequently used measurement method. Only two studies explored people with intellectual disabilities' perspectives about Active Support.

Conclusions: Consistent use of similar measures is a strength of Active Support research. Including perspectives of people with intellectual disabilities may provide insight into dimensions of support not been measured and assist in further developing these measures and Active Support practice.

Background: Support from staff plays an important role in quality of life for people with intellectual disability. This study focuses on service users’ views of Active Support as good support and whether Active Support increases the quality of everyday support in group homes.

Method: Nine service users were interviewed at baseline and at follow-up one year after staff received Active Support training. Thematic analyses were used to develop themes.

Results: Three main themes were created: (1) Home is more than just a place, it is a feeling; (2) Good care is caring with accessible communication; and (3) Time is precious. Participants were more satisfied with most of the support at follow-up, particularly choice-making, control in everyday life, relationships, and emotional support.

Conclusions: Active Support corresponds well with service users’ perceptions of good support. Infuture studies of Active Support service users’ voices should be a part of the follow-up.

Background: Frontline Practice Leadership, closely associated with the staff practice of Active Support, is a form of leadership that aims to enhance the quality of support in group homes for people with intellectual disabilities. This study examines the longitudinal two-year effect of Frontline Practice Leadership training in four Swedish group homes.

Method: A combination of observations in group homes and interviews with three managers. The 49 observations involved 28 support workers and three first-line managers.

Results: Practice leaders improved their skills to coach and supervise the staff in everyday support after the training. Repeated observations with feedback sessions were considered crucial to increasing the quality of support.

Conclusions: Findings suggest that Frontline Practice Leadership is important for Active Support implementation in a Swedish context.

Background: People with intellectual disabilities experience worse living conditions and health than the general population. To enhance the quality of life for those living in group homes, skilled staff support is needed. This study aimed to implement the staff practice Active Support in four Swedish group homes for people with intellectual disabilities and evaluate its effectiveness in a Swedish setting.

Methods: Changes in the quality of staff support were examined through 53 structured observations in four group homes before, during and two years after staff received Active Support training. Questionnaires were used twice to examine the adaptive behaviour and variety of support needs in service users.

Results: The quality of support improved after the training in all four group homes. The most substantial increase was found after one year, results which remained or even increased in year two. The service users had a range of adaptive behaviour levels, and small improvements were found during the second measurement period, but did not reach statistical significance.

Conclusion: Active Support improve the quality of support to people with intellectual disabilities in group homes in a long-term perspective and seems to benefit people with a range of adaptive behaviours. Therefore, continued implementation of Active Support in Sweden holds promise for improving the quality of life of people with intellectual disabilities.