Welfare Reform on the Web (June 2002): Services for the Disabled - UK

INFORMATION THAT INFORMS RATHER THAN ALIENATES FAMILIES WITH DISABLED CHILDREN: DEVELOPING A MODEL OF GOOD PRACTICE

W. Mitchell and P. Sloper

Health and Social Care in the Community, vol. 10, 2002, p. 74-81

Concludes that any model of good information practice should be three-dimensional. Families should ideally receive succinct directories or summaries of local services and support alongside more informative and in-depth booklets. At the same time they should be supported by locally based key workers or "facilitators".

SUPPORTING DISABLED ADULTS IN THEIR PARENTING ROLE

M. Wates

York: York Publishing Services, 2002

Reports results of a survey of the policies in place for providing social services to parents with physical disabilities and/or learning difficulties. The policies expressed supportive intentions towards disabled parents, but it was unclear how assessment of children's needs would link with community care provision to address the adult's parenting support needs. Where an adult's personal care needs apart from parenting were low, and children were not in need of protection, in many places parental support needs would not reach thresholds for receiving assessment and/or services. Parenting tasks and roles were seldom specified in eligibility criteria for assessment for community care provision.