Institutionalising PARENT CARER BLAME
‘TRAUMATISING’, ‘DEVASTATING’; ‘LIKE THE POLICE TURNING UP AT YOUR DOOR AND SAYING WE’VE GOT A WARRANT TO SEARCH YOUR HOUSE’
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espite disabled children and their families being one of the most severely disadvantaged groups in the UK, these are just some of the many comments made by parents and carers who felt that the process of seeking support for a disabled child was humiliating. A major research report recently published by children’s charity Cerebra and the School of Law, Leeds University found that most English Children’s Services Authorities operate a ‘one size fits all’ approach to families – regardless of whether it is a parent carer seeking support for a disabled child or a family where
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the evidence suggests there to be neglect or abuse. The effect of this approach is to create an institutional culture of ‘parent carer blame’. The research considered the experiences of disabled children and their families of the process by which their needs for care and support are assessed. The research was led by Professor Luke Clements and Dr Ana Laura Aiello with the assistance of 48 student volunteers and involved the analysis of the assessment protocols of 143 English children’s services authorities and a survey of 92 English parent carer-led support organisations.
The findings revealed that the national guidance (Department for Education Working Together to Safeguard Children, 2018) that directs the process by which disabled children are assessed in England is not fit for purpose and arguably unlawful. Its focus is on safeguarding children from parental neglect and abuse. None of the local protocols contained a clear explanation that a different approach should be taken concerning the assessment of the needs of disabled children where the referral was not accompanied by evidence of neglect or abuse. 80 per
