Disabled parents struggle to access services

Disabled parents often encounter problems when trying to access
mainstream services because of a lack of joined-up working between
children and adult social services, according to the National
Family and Parenting Institute.

The institute’s head of research Clem Henricson said many
disabled parents faced barriers in carrying out parts of their
parental role, from feeding their baby to attending school parents’
evenings.

“Adequate and appropriate packages of support are needed, and
while many local authorities are beginning to recognise the
parenting responsibilities of disabled parents, there is still much
to be done,” said Henricson.

She added that the barriers, which included the absence of
parenting responsibilities in community care assessment and
eligibility criteria, could be tackled by flexible and imaginative
thinking on the part of planners and frontline staff.

The NFPI is calling on disabled parents with one or more
children aged under 18 to contact them about what kind of support
they would find helpful in making parenting easier.

Fo more information go to www.e-parents.org