25 February 2009

Councils fail disabled parents and their children

The Commission for Social Care Inspection (CSCI) has found that disabled parents and their children are not getting the support they need.

A new report by CSCI says that councils in England are offering disabled parents and their children fragmented and inadequate support. The study shows that very few councils find the right balance between supporting disabled parents and supporting children who help look after their disabled parents.

CSCI says that councils need to recognise the combined support needs of the whole family. It has called for more clarity within local authorities over the roles of adults’ and children’s services.

“All councils should ensure that adults' and children's services work closely together so that no child or disabled parent 'falls through the gap' in services,” commented Dame Denise Platt, chair of CSCI.

The study found that only 17% of councils surveyed had collected information about disabled parents and their families.

Mencap’s chief executive, Mark Goldring, welcomed the report and said that attitudes towards disabled parents need to change. “We recognise that not all parents with a learning disability can look after their own children and that the welfare of the child is paramount. However, we believe that if parents with a learning disability are provided with proper support then more would be able to keep their children.”

Download the CSCI report, ‘Supporting Disabled Parents: A family or a fragmented approach?’