Parents with learning disability: involvement with Social Services

To what extent are parents with a learning disability in Wales involved or over-represented within Children’s Social Care Services?

• There is insufficient information about the number of children of parents with learning disability involved with Children’s Social Care Services  upon which to base an opinion.
• One of the main reasons for this is the absence of a sufficiently clear national definition and guidance for Children’s Social Care Services.

What are the factors driving patterns of involvement of parents with learning disability with Children’s Social Care Services?

• Learning disability is rarely the only concern and reason for parents being referred to Children’s Social Care Services and for children to be taken into care.
• It is difficult to disentangle a main factor in what are usually relatively complex cases. Other commonly presenting factors include parental or family characteristics that can also present risks.
• It is clear that systems that encourage ‘fast-tracking’ of new parents into Children’s Social Care Services place some parents at a disadvantage.

What evidence is there of good practice along a journey of Children’s Services intervention and broader support to parents with learning disability?

• Although there are pockets of good practice, there is still much room for improvement.
• The study findings suggest that more could be done to improve the national understanding of parental experience in this area as well as actual support services across Wales.