New report explores ways to better support parents with a learning disability

The National Children’s Bureau has published a new briefing emphasising how adult services can improve support for parents with a learning disability.

The publication, Supporting parents with a learning disability – the role of Adult Services, aims to strengthen practice, clarify legal responsibilities, and improve outcomes for parents and children. Key findings from the project indicated that services should shift towards relationship-based practice that empowers parents rather than having professionals take over parenting responsibilities.

Parents with learning disabilities’ parenting capacity is affected by a complex range of factors, including the support they receive, others’ attitudes (such as the negative effects of stigma and discrimination), their family history and characteristics, whether they experience any ‘life crises’, and their personal history and circumstances.

Child protection system and parents with a learning disability

Research also shows that parents with learning disabilities are disproportionately represented in the child protection system and more likely to have their children removed.

The number of parents with a learning disability involved with children’s services was previously estimated at around 12.5% of cases, with children being removed from 50% of these families. A recent study published suggests that in 34% (67) of 200 recently concluded care proceedings regarding babies across four local authorities in England, there was reliable, mostly expert, evidence that at least one parent had learning disabilities or learning difficulties.

This briefing aims to help leaders, commissioners, and frontline practitioners across adult and children’s services understand how these services can collaborate to support parents with learning disabilities and their children. It will also be relevant to local authority legal teams.

Key elements include:

• Accessible communication: Providing information in “Easy Read” or using supportive technology for reminders.
• Care Act conversations: Shifting language from “assessment” to “conversations” to reduce the fear and stigma parents associate with being evaluated.
• Advocacy: Ensuring parents have access to independent advocacy as early as possible.
• Joint working protocols: Developing clear pathways between adult and children’s services to ensure support is provided before care proceedings are initiated.

Key messages from the report

The briefing also found that general adult social workers do not always feel equipped to work with parents with learning disabilities and expressed a need for training in working with children’s services and with parents. Social workers requested training on parents’ lived experiences, including the social inequalities they face and the impact of their involvement in the child protection system.

They also identified training needs around relevant law and policy, making reasonable adjustments for parents, and working in a multi-agency way in this complex area of practice.

One recommendation was that local authorities be encouraged to investigate the actual number of parents with learning disabilities in their areas to inform commissioning, as many managers currently underestimate these figures.

The briefing will feature in an upcoming national webinar on 30 April, where researchers will share messages from the briefing, including findings from NIHR-funded studies examining how Adult Services and Children’s Services can work together more effectively to meet parents’ needs.

Alison Bloomer

Alison Bloomer is Editor of Learning Disability Today.

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