This week the National Development Team (NDT) was relaunched as an independent agency. Discusses what existing services are available for people with learning difficulties and identifies the role that the NDT will have in establishing policy to support people with learning difficulties.
This week the National Development Team (NDT) was relaunched as an independent agency. Discusses what existing services are available for people with learning difficulties and identifies the role that the NDT will have in establishing policy to support people with learning difficulties.
Subject terms:
learning disabilities, policy, social care provision, advocacy;
Advances in Mental Health and Intellectual Disabilities, 4(2), June 2010, pp.38-43.
Publisher:
Emerald
According to international conventions and UK government policy, parents with intellectual disability have a right to have children and should have access to support to help them bring them up successfully. The kinds of support parents with intellectual disability should receive are described in detail in the Good Practice Guidance on Working with Parents with a Learning Disability. In practice, however, parents with intellectual disability continue to have problems with accessing the support they need to ensure they are able to demonstrate they are good enough parents to hold on to their children and are disproportionately at risk of having their children taken from them. This article reviews the challenges that parents face in holding on to their children and the support they need, both from professionals and the wider extended family where appropriate. The importance of having access to independent advocacy, especially in child protection or court proceedings, is highlighted; such advocacy is not widely available, despite recent policy commitments in this area.
According to international conventions and UK government policy, parents with intellectual disability have a right to have children and should have access to support to help them bring them up successfully. The kinds of support parents with intellectual disability should receive are described in detail in the Good Practice Guidance on Working with Parents with a Learning Disability. In practice, however, parents with intellectual disability continue to have problems with accessing the support they need to ensure they are able to demonstrate they are good enough parents to hold on to their children and are disproportionately at risk of having their children taken from them. This article reviews the challenges that parents face in holding on to their children and the support they need, both from professionals and the wider extended family where appropriate. The importance of having access to independent advocacy, especially in child protection or court proceedings, is highlighted; such advocacy is not widely available, despite recent policy commitments in this area.
Subject terms:
learning disabilities, parenting, parents, parents with learning disabilities, relatives, advocacy, child protection, family support, grandparents;
This review sets out to investigate the nature and extent of evidence relating to independent advocacy for disabled people at risk of losing choice and control in four specific situations: during transition to adulthood; when the children of disabled parents are subject to safeguarding procedures; when entry to residential care is a possibility; when disabled people are victims or alleged perpetrators of anti-social behaviour. In doing so, it describes and evaluates evidence about the need, costs and benefits associated with independent advocacy. The final section summarises the state of the evidence base currently available and the gaps therein, and suggests what additional research is needed to further our knowledge in this field.
This review sets out to investigate the nature and extent of evidence relating to independent advocacy for disabled people at risk of losing choice and control in four specific situations: during transition to adulthood; when the children of disabled parents are subject to safeguarding procedures; when entry to residential care is a possibility; when disabled people are victims or alleged perpetrators of anti-social behaviour. In doing so, it describes and evaluates evidence about the need, costs and benefits associated with independent advocacy. The final section summarises the state of the evidence base currently available and the gaps therein, and suggests what additional research is needed to further our knowledge in this field.
Subject terms:
learning disabilities, mental health problems, mentally disordered offenders, offenders, parents with learning disabilities, residential care, sensory impairments, service transitions, advocacy, anti-social behaviour, child protection, crime victims, disabilities;
This is the executive summary of a review which sets out to investigate the nature and extent of evidence relating to independent advocacy for disabled people at risk of losing choice and control in four specific situations: during transition to adulthood; when the children of disabled parents are subject to safeguarding procedures; when entry to residential care is a possibility; when disabled people are victims or alleged perpetrators of anti-social behaviour. In doing so, it describes and evaluates evidence about the need, costs and benefits associated with independent advocacy. The final section summarises the state of the evidence base currently available and the gaps therein, and suggests what additional research is needed to further our knowledge in this field.
This is the executive summary of a review which sets out to investigate the nature and extent of evidence relating to independent advocacy for disabled people at risk of losing choice and control in four specific situations: during transition to adulthood; when the children of disabled parents are subject to safeguarding procedures; when entry to residential care is a possibility; when disabled people are victims or alleged perpetrators of anti-social behaviour. In doing so, it describes and evaluates evidence about the need, costs and benefits associated with independent advocacy. The final section summarises the state of the evidence base currently available and the gaps therein, and suggests what additional research is needed to further our knowledge in this field.
Subject terms:
learning disabilities, mental health problems, mentally disordered offenders, offenders, parents with learning disabilities, residential care, sensory impairments, service transitions, advocacy, anti-social behaviour, child protection, crime victims, disabilities;
Focuses on advocacy and empowerment for people with learning difficulties. Includes chapters on: innovations in advocacy and empowerment; changing systems; self advocacy; the development of the international self advocacy movement; the impact of accessible information on people with learning difficulties; involving people with learning difficulties in the work of a public policy research institute; participation and empowerment through continuing education; empowerment through oral history and personal stories; setting up and running a health advocacy group for women; self advocacy by black people with learning difficulties; empowerment for older people; involving people with profound and multiple disabilities in person centred planning; involving people with learning difficulties in staff selection and recruitment; direct payments; partnerships in policy making; crime and the law; and helping people with learning difficulties to shape services.
Focuses on advocacy and empowerment for people with learning difficulties. Includes chapters on: innovations in advocacy and empowerment; changing systems; self advocacy; the development of the international self advocacy movement; the impact of accessible information on people with learning difficulties; involving people with learning difficulties in the work of a public policy research institute; participation and empowerment through continuing education; empowerment through oral history and personal stories; setting up and running a health advocacy group for women; self advocacy by black people with learning difficulties; empowerment for older people; involving people with profound and multiple disabilities in person centred planning; involving people with learning difficulties in staff selection and recruitment; direct payments; partnerships in policy making; crime and the law; and helping people with learning difficulties to shape services.
Subject terms:
law, learning disabilities, recruitment, rights, self-advocacy, severe learning disabilities, social policy, social care provision, user participation, user views, advocacy, crime, direct payments, education, empowerment, further education;