This study comprises two studies. The first study focuses on the meaning of feeling safe for people with mild intellectual disabilities or borderline intellectual functioning in a residential setting who display severe challenging behaviour, and on which factors affect their sense of safety. The second study explored how organisations promote feelings of safety among their service users in residential care.

Data for the study were collected in two steps: 1) the collection of qualitative data from ethnographic longitudinal research in Pro through non-participant observations, informal unstructured interviews, and document analysis; and 2) the collection of data with the focus specifically on the theme of safety through semi-structured interviews and focus groups with people involved in Pro. In total, eleven semi-structured interviews, one double interview and six focus groups were held. The interviews were conducted using an interview guide, while several predefined statements were shown to encourage focus group participants to join in the conversation. Data in both steps were thematically analysed.

The participants in the interviews and focus groups included four service users, 42 support staff members from six teams, one team leader, four managers, six psychologists, two managing directors, three board members, and six other professionals (e.g. head of treatment, quality advisor). Participants lived or worked at one of the organisations involved in the project Pro. Pro consists of six Dutch organisations, including three residential service organisations for people with intellectual disabilities, two care administrative offices and the Centre for Consultation and Expertise (CCE). Pro was established in order to prevent a constant stream of transfers between care settings and to enhance the quality of life of 24 people with mild intellectual disabilities or borderline intellectual functioning combined with psychopathology, who exhibited severe CB and of whom many have had a forensic background.