Parents with a learning disability Good Practice Guide
Spreading ideas changing attitudes
Our partners Barod is doing this work with two partners.
Spreading ideas changing attitudes
What we did • talked to parents • talked to professionals
• read other people’s research and reports
We have looked for examples of good practice.
Spreading ideas changing attitudes
What we learnt from listening We found the same problems in Wales as the last time there was a report. Some things have got worse: • projects finished • there is less money for advocacy and selfadvocacy support
Spreading ideas changing attitudes
We are looking at support at all stages • Knowing about sex • Choosing to become a parent • Pregnancy & labour: support at home • Babies and pre-schoolers • The school years • When children’s social services are involved Spreading ideas changing attitudes
Support when social service get involved • The Pioneers course - Islington and Northumbria • Going to parent and baby groups for everyone • Shared Lives placements (not just foster placements or mother and baby units)
Spreading ideas changing attitudes
Support when social service get involved • The Suffolk accord – where they give people the right support, then work out who pays for it • Have a key worker and family advocate –but it was a project and has stopped – Carmarthenshire • Teach parents skills in their own home - Scotland
Spreading ideas changing attitudes
Support on the child protection register • One to one training to address child protection concerns – and you get an OCN qualification – Building Bridges • Support to work out why child protection got involved - Medway Project • Volunteer parents or grandparents – Coventry Grapevine
Spreading ideas changing attitudes
Support going to court • Legal friends
Spreading ideas changing attitudes
Support losing your child • Counselling and support groups
Spreading ideas changing attitudes
General good practice • • • • •
Enough money to be a good parent. Easy information. Tell people their rights. Suffolk accord. Having someone you can trust and someone you can talk to who isn’t from social services. • Having someone for the family, not just for one of you. • Someone to fight for you. • Parents need to teach professionals Spreading ideas changing attitudes
This is about human rights And the stories haven’t changed
Spreading ideas changing attitudes