Parents with learning disabilities: service audit and development

✍ Scribed by Anne E. Woodhouse; Gill Green; Sara Davies

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 2001
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 68 KB
• Volume: 29
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 1354-4187
• DOI: 10.1046/j.1468-3156.2001.00059.x

✦ Synopsis

Summary

Increasing referrals of parents with learning disabilities or with possible learning disabilities to a small clinical psychology department prompted an audit and service review. Numbers of referrals had increased from two in 1995 to 13 in 1997. Only three out of the 32 children of referred parents were not subject to some form of intervention resulting from the 1989 Children Act. Twenty‐three distinct teams of professionals were identified as being involved with the referred families. The clinical psychology department had limited resources, and consequently, developed a service that allowed for the restriction in finance and personnel. The service was developed within a four‐tier model. This included workshops and a consultation service for professionals involved with these families, a parenting assessment service, legal work, and a parents' group that addressed parenting skills and personal development. The present authors believe that this model serves as a useful framework for other small departments, but that a dedicated special parenting service for vulnerable parents remains the ideal.