Search results for ‘Subject term:"parents with learning disabilities"’ Sort:
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The Scottish children's hearings tribunals system: a better forum for parents with learning disabilities?
- Authors:
- McGHEE Janice, HUNTER Susan
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Social Welfare and Family Law, 33(3), September 2011, pp.255-266.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
- Place of publication:
- Philadelphia, USA
It is well documented that parents with learning disabilities are over-represented in child care proceedings and are more likely to lose their children to state care. Evidence suggests that the adversarial forum of the court disadvantages these parents and limits their direct participation in the process. This qualitative study investigated whether the children's hearings tribunal system in Scotland could promote greater responsiveness to parental needs and support fuller direct participation in decisions about the welfare of their child. Semi-structured interviews were completed with 7 parents with learning disabilities who had experience of attending children’s hearings. The views of 3 children’s reporters, 4 lawyers and 11 tribunal decision makers were also included. Findings revealed a mixture of views, but the potential for the parental voice to be heard was dependent on the support of advocates. The authors concluded that deficits in legal representation highlighted the importance of structured time and skill in communicating with people with learning difficulties as a requirement for the effectiveness of legal representation for parents.
Give parents a chance
- Author:
- CARSON Gordon
- Journal article citation:
- Community Care, 10.3.11, 2011, pp.22-23.
- Publisher:
- Reed Business Information
Parents with learning disabilities often face difficulties in obtaining the support they need from statutory services. Eligibility criteria means that adult services are often only made available to parents with a lower IQ. This article looks at the potential of using specialist support organisations and Shared Lives schemes to provide support.
Family Fortunes
- Author:
- LINEHAN Tim
- Journal article citation:
- Every Child Journal, 2(1), 2011, pp.32-35.
- Publisher:
- Imaginative Minds
- Place of publication:
- Birmingham
There are 54,000 children in England who live with a parent with a severe mental health problem. These children have a high risk of mental health problems themselves, and their parents’ problem increase their chances of entering the care system either through abuse or neglect, or through the sectioning of the parent. However, when the adult is properly supported, the child can live in a secure environment. This article discusses the Family Action Building Bridges service model. Created in 1999, this service is now operational in twelve areas of England, meeting the needs of families where one or both parents have a severe mental health problem. The service provides professional family support via a family support worker in the home of the service user. The article presents two case studies highlighting the benefits of the service, and details the lessons learnt from its implementation.
The overview report of the serious case review in respect of child K
- Author:
- TAMESIDE SAFEGUARDING CHILDREN BOARD
- Publisher:
- Tameside Safeguarding Children Board
- Publication year:
- 2011
- Pagination:
- 273p.
- Place of publication:
- Hyde
This report provides the findings of a Serious Case Review that was undertaken during 2011 following significant injuries to Child K who was at the time subject to a Child Protection Plan. Child K was born in Tameside in April 2010. Both his parents are believed to have some form of learning difficulty. When he was 2 weeks old, bruises were identified on his leg and he was placed with foster parents. In August 2010, a police investigation concluded that there was no basis for a criminal prosecution and he was returned to his parent’s care subject to a Child Protection Plan. In January 2011 further unexplained injuries were identified during a home visit. Medical examinations subsequently confirmed that Child K had a number of bruises as well as having sustained 5 limb fractures. It was further noted that Child K appeared to have developmental delay. Following a police investigation, both parents have been charged with wounding and neglect. This Serious Case Review establishes the facts and analyses the actions and practice of the agencies which provided services to Child K and his family. It identifies 5 key themes in the management of the case: assessment; effectiveness of planning and intervention; engagement with Child K’s parents; effective multi-agency working; and supervision and reflective practice. These themes form the basis of a number of recommendations intended to improve future practice.
Supporting families with parents with intellectual disability: views and experiences of professionals in the field
- Author:
- STARKE Mikaela
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Policy and Practice in Intellectual Disabilities, 8(3), September 2011, pp.163-171.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
Parents with intellectual disability often disagree with professionals on what support is needed and how it should be provided, with parents often having little say in the matter. This study explored the views and experiences of 19 support professionals from urban areas in Sweden working with parents with intellectual disabilities, via an analysis of focus groups. Findings revealed that participants considered their work with client families as fraught with difficulty. Their accounts differed depending on whether the child was living with the parents or the child had been placed in out-of-home care. In the first case, parental limitations and inability to meet the needs of their children were emphasised, with parents failing to recognise their own high support needs. In the second case, the parental role was seen as important, and it was considered vital to continue to provide proper support to enable the parents' ongoing contact with their child and maintaining their parenting. Professionals doubted the capacity of the parents to care for their children and were uncertain about how to best support them.
Say no to child abuse
- Author:
- CHANGE
- Publisher:
- Change
- Publication year:
- 2011
- Pagination:
- 53p., ill.
- Place of publication:
- Leeds
An easy read booklet developed which describes what child abuse is and what people can do to stop it. Sections cover: controlling your anger, violent partners, bullying, other types of abuse and saying no to abuse. It also provides details about helplines and other useful resources. The booklet has been developed to support parents to understand how to keep their children safe from harm and will also help children to recognise when they are being abused and how to get help. The booklet has been developed with parents with learning disabilities.
Parental cognitive impairment and child maltreatment in Canada
- Authors:
- McCONNELL David, et al
- Journal article citation:
- Child Abuse and Neglect, 35(8), August 2011, pp.621-632.
- Publisher:
- Elsevier
This study investigated the prevalence of parental cognitive impairment in cases of child maltreatment investigation in Canada, and explored the relationship between parental cognitive impairment and maltreatment investigation outcomes including substantiation, case disposition and court application. Data were drawn from 11,562 samples of child maltreatment from the Canadian Incidence Study of Child Abuse and Neglect 2003 core-data. Findings revealed parental cognitive impairment in 10% of cases, and in 27% of cases that resulted in child welfare court application. Neglect was the most common cause of concern. Parental cognitive impairment predicted investigation outcomes. The data suggested that the relationship between parental cognitive impairment and investigation outcomes was partially mediated by perceived parent non-cooperation, mental health issues and low social support. The authors concluded that building systems capacity to support parents with cognitive impairment and promote child wellbeing is therefore essential to containing the human and economic costs of maltreatment. Also, equipping services with the knowledge and skills they need to deliver parent training was vital.
Care proceedings and learning disabled parents: a handbook for family lawyers
- Author:
- BOND Abigail
- Publisher:
- Family Law
- Publication year:
- 2011
- Pagination:
- 302p.
- Place of publication:
- Bristol
This handbook is aimed at all those involved in care proceedings where one or both of the parents is learning disabled. It sets out the relevant governmental policy and guidance in this area and examines the statutory framework relevant to adult learning disability social workers and children’s services social workers. The author analyses the legal and practical arguments and issues likely to arise in learning disability cases and concludes by providing summaries of cases where learning disability was an important feature. The book deals with parental learning difficulty from a number of angles, not just the familiar areas, such as the assessment of capacity and appointment of the Official Solicitor. For example, it provides a comprehensive overview of the duties of Local Authorities to provide services to learning disabled adults, including the provision of support to assist them with their parenting. The author suggests appropriate approaches to acting for adults without capacity, and the parameters within which representatives and litigation friends must operate. Also discussed are the impact of learning disability upon a parent’s ability to engage with their legal team, to work constructively with other professionals and participate fully in court proceedings and assessments, and the capacity of a parent to achieve good enough parenting with appropriate and adequate support.
Parenting training for intellectually disabled parents: a Cochrane systematic review
- Authors:
- COREN Esther, THOMAE Manuela, HUTCHFIELD Jemeela
- Journal article citation:
- Research on Social Work Practice, 21(4), July 2011, pp.432-441.
- Publisher:
- Sage
This article presents a review of the evidence on the effect of parent training to support the parenting of parents with intellectual disabilities. Randomised controlled trials which compared parent training interventions for parents with intellectual disability with usual carer or with a control group were included in the research review. The reviewed examined data for the following outcomes: the attainment of parenting skills specific to the intervention; safe home practices; and the understanding of child health. Of the 1,275 studies returned by the database search, only 3 randomised controlled trials met the required inclusion criteria. However, all three indicated improved parenting skills following parenting training. While evidence is low in quantity, with limited information available to assess possible bias, the authors concluded that it seemed promising. However, there is a need for larger randomised controlled trials of interventions before conclusions can be drawn about the effectiveness of parent training for intellectually disabled parents.
Staying strong: taking self advocacy into the future
- Author:
- NATIONAL FORUM OF PEOPLE WITH LEARNING DIFFICULTIES
- Publisher:
- National Forum of People with Learning Difficulties
- Publication year:
- 2011
- Pagination:
- 40p.
- Place of publication:
- Shoreham-by-Sea
Self advocacy groups are led by people with learning disabilities. They work to ensure that people with learning disabilities are treated fairly. This easy read guide aims to help self advocacy groups adapt and change their ways of working, and to ensure they have a plan for their future. It is based on a survey of self-advocacy groups from all over England and provides an overview of how groups are run, what they do and advice on how to plan to stay strong as government funding is reduced. The report includes information on five groups including a group of people with complex needs, an Asian women’s group and a parents’ group.