SCIE Resource guide 9: Working together to support disabled parents

Useful reading

This is a short list of references which are particularly useful. A full list of research and other literature relating to supporting disabled parents and those with additional support needs can be found in SCIE’s Knowledge review 11: Supporting disabled parents and parents with additional support needs.

In addition, the reader is referred to the legislation, guidance and policy documents included in the policy and legislative frameworks section of this resource guide.

• Adfam (2005) We count too: Good practice guide and quality standards for work with family members affected by someone else’s drug use, London: Adfam.
• Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (2003) Hidden harm: Responding to the needs of children of problem drug users, London: Home Office.
• Aldgate, J. and Statham, J. (2001) The Children Act now: Messages from research, London: The Stationery Office.
• Aldridge, J. and Becker, S. (2003) Children who care for parents with mental illness: the perspectives of young carers, parents and professionals, Bristol: The Policy Press.
• Aldridge, J. and Wates, M. (2005) 'Young carers and disabled parents: Moving the debate on’, in Newman, T and Wates, M. (eds) Disabled parents and their children: Building a better future - A discussion document, Ilford: Barnardo’s.
• Booth, T. and Booth, W. (2003) Self-advocacy and supported learning for mothers with learning difficulties.
• Booth, T and Booth, W. (2004) Parents with learning disabilities, child protection and the courts.
• Broad, B. (2005) Kinship care: CareKnowledge briefing 14, CareKnowledge.
• Broad, B. and Skinner, A. (2005) Relative benefits: Placing children in kinship care - good practice guide, British Association for Adoption and Fostering.
• Cleaver, H., Unell, I. and Aldgate, J. (1999) Children’s needs - parenting capacity: The impact of parental mental illness, problem alcohol and drug use, and domestic violence on children’s development, London: The Stationery Office.
• Commission for Social Care Inspection (2006) Supporting parents, safeguarding children: Meeting the needs of parents with children on the child protection register, London: Commission for Social Care Inspection.
• Department of Health (2002) Protocol on advice and advocacy for parents (Child protection).
• Department for Education and Skills (2005) Government response to hidden harm, the report of an inquiry by the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs, London: Department for Education and Skills.
• Falkov, A. (ed.) (1998) Crossing bridges: Training resources for working with mentally ill parents and their children, London: Department of Health.
• Ghate, D. and Hazel, N. (2004) Parenting in poor environments: Stress, support and coping, London: Policy Research Bureau.
• Goodinge, S. (2000) A jigsaw of services: SSI inspection of services to support disabled adults in their parenting role, London: Department of Health.
• Hamer, M. (2005) Preventing breakdown: A manual for those working with families and the individuals within them, Lyme Regis: Russell Housing Publishing.
• H.M Treasury and Department for Education and Skills (2005) Support for parents: The best start for children, London: HM Treasury.
• Jones, A., Jeyasingham, D. and Rajasooriya, S. (2002) The strengths and needs of black families in which young people have caring responsibilities, Bristol: The Policy Press.
• Kearney, P., Levin, E., Rosen, G. and Sainsbury, M. (2003) Families that have alcohol and mental health problems: A template for partnership working, London: Social Care Institute for Excellence.
• McGaw, S. and Newman, T. (2005) What works for parents with learning disabilities, Ilford: Barnardo’s.
• Moran, P., Ghate, D. and van de Merwe, A. (2004) What works in parenting support? A review of the international evidence, London: Department for Education and Skills.
• Morgan, P. and Goff, A. (2004) Learning curves: The assessment of parents with a learning disability - A manual for practitioners, Norfolk Area Child Protection Committee.
• Morris, J. (2004) Disabled parents and schools: Barriers to parental involvement in children’s education, York: Joseph Rowntree Foundation.
• Morris, J. (2004) The right support: report of a two year task force on disabled parents, York: Joseph Rowntree Foundation.
• Morris, J. (2004) They said what!? Some common myths about disabled parents and community care legislation, York: Joseph Rowntree Foundation.
• National Treatment Agency for Substance Misuse (2002) Models of care for the treatment of drug misusers, London: National Treatment Agency for Substance Misuse.
• Newman, T. (2004) What works in building resilience? Ilford: Barnardo’s.
• Newman, T. and Wates, M. (eds) (2005) Disabled parents and their children: Building a better future - A discussion document, Ilford: Barnardo’s. A summary can be seen at:
• Olsen, R. and Tyers, H. (2004) Think Parent: Supporting disabled adults as parents, London: National Family and Parenting Institute.
• Olsen, R. and Wates, M. (2003) Disabled Parents: Examining Research Assumptions, Research in Practice.
• Orford, J. and Velleman, R. (2003) Alcohol and Families - Alcohol Concern Research Forum Papers, London: Alcohol Concern.
• Preston, G. (2005) Family values: disabled parents, extra costs and the benefit system, London: Child Poverty Action Group
• Preston, G. (2006) 'Living with disability; a message from disabled parents’ Chapter four in, A route out of poverty: Disabled people work and welfare reform, London: Child Poverty Action Group.
• Preston-Shoot, M. (2005) 'Supporting disabled parents: mapping the legal rules’, in Newman, T. and Wates, M. (eds) Disabled parents and their children: Building a better future - A discussion document, Ilford: Barnardo’s.
• Quinton, D. (2004) Supporting parents: Messages from research, London: Department of Health/Department for Education and Skills.
• Social Care Institute for Excellence (2005) SCIE research briefing 14: Helping parents with learning disabilities in their role as parents.
• Social Care Institute for Excellence (2005) SCIE research briefing 13: Helping parents with a physical or sensory impairment in their role as parents.
• Social Care Institute for Excellence (2005) SCIE research briefing 6: Parenting capacity and substance misuse.
• Social Care Institute for Excellence (2005) SCIE research briefing 11: The health and well-being of young carers.
• Social Care Institute for Excellence (2006) Knowledge review 11: Supporting disabled parents and parents with additional support needs.
• Stickland, H. and Olsen, R. (2005) 'Children with disabled parents’, in Preston, G. (ed.) At greatest risk: The children most likely to be poor, London: Child Poverty Action Group.
• Tarleton, B, Ward, L. and Howarth, J. (2006) Finding the right support: A review of issues and positive practice to support parents with learning difficulties and their children, London: The Baring Foundation.
• Tunnard, J. (2002) Parental problem drinking and its impact on children, Dartington: Research in Practice.
• Tunnard, J. (2002) Parental drug misuse: A review of impact and intervention studies, Dartington: Research in Practice.
• Tunnard, J. (2000) Parental mental health problems: Messages from research, policy and practice, Dartington: Research in Practice.
• Wates, M and Jade, R (1999) Bigger than the sky: Disabled women on parenting, London, The Women’s Press.
• Wates, M. (2002) Supporting disabled adults in their parenting role, York: Joseph Rowntree Foundation.
• Wates, M. (2003) It shouldn’t be down to luck: Results of a Disabled Parents Network consultation with disabled parents on access to information and services to support parenting, Oxford: Disabled Parents Network Handbook Project.
• Wates, M. (2005) Disabled parents’ information briefings, Disabled Parents Network.