The Valuing People white paper laid great emphasis on the rights of people with learning disabilities, so it is a strange fact that six years later more than half of parents in this group have their children taken into care.
While the interests of the child should always be paramount, the right to family life should never be neglected. That is why the Department of Health's new guidance urging councils "not to make assumptions" about the parenting skills of people with learning disabilities is so timely. Splitting children's and adults' services may only encourage excessive caution in child protection, when what is needed is adequately resourced parental support. Here, it is vital that the recently divided services find new ways of working together.
Related article
Short-term funding hampers market for parental support
Contact the author Mark Ivory
News round up: Young anxious about debt, crime and unemployment
02 April 2008
Parents to be shown how to protect children online
27 March 2008
News round up: Parents to be shown how to protect children online
27 March 2008
Inspector urges temporary closure of child jail
17 March 2008
LGA issues child protection warning about obese children
Phil Hope succeeds Ivan Lewis as adult social care minister
Cafcass to introduce competence-based pay for practitioners
DH study reveals councils still haven't embraced personalisation
Details of government consultations
02 October 2008
Private Member Bills
25 July 2008
Government Legislation
25 July 2008
