SCIE Resource guide 9: Working together to support disabled parents

Template of a local, joint-working protocol - Starting points

• Principles of good practice
• Coverage, definitions and vocabulary
• Legislative framework and relevant national policies
• The relationship between the joint-working protocol and existing protocols, procedures and practice guidance

Principles of good practice

To reach agreements on, for example, information sharing, eligibility criteria and service provision, agencies will need to start by identifying the good practice principles that the protocol should be based on. These are likely to be related to the outcomes desired by each agency and by parents themselves. We suggest the following principles of good practice:

• Local authorities and all other agencies working or in contact with children have a responsibility to safeguard and promote children’s welfare.
• Children’s needs are usually best met by supporting their parents to look after them.
• Professionals should respect and support the private and family lives of parents who have additional support needs associated with physical and/or sensory impairment, learning disabilities, mental health problems, long-term illness, and/or drug and alcohol problems.
• Support needs should be addressed by enabling parents to access universal and community services wherever possible, as appropriate.
• Additional support needs should be met by the timely provision of specialist assessments and services.
• Agency responses should be needs-led, aim to support family and private life and prevent unnecessary problems from arising.
• Agency responses should address the needs of parents and children in the context of the whole family, and not as individuals in isolation from one another.
• Inappropriate tasks and responsibilities undertaken by a child or young person which adversely impact their emotional, physical, educational or social development should be prevented by providing adequate and appropriate support to the parent(s) and their family.
• Diversity should be valued and fully considered in agency responses.

The principles and features of good practice can be used as a starting point for reaching agreement across the agencies, professions and services involved in writing a joint local protocol.

Supporting parents is key to achieving the five outcomes laid out in Every child matters, while support to disabled adults in their parenting role is a crucial part of achieving the outcomes for adults’ social care laid down in Our health, our care, our say.

Coverage, definitions and vocabulary

Another key starting point in developing a joint protocol is to agree what the protocol will cover. The case has been made earlier for a universal protocol, that is, a protocol which covers all groups of parents with additional support needs, with supplementary agreements concerning specific groups. Nevertheless, it will be necessary to assess whether this arrangement is suited to the specific local circumstances of the agencies concerned. There will also need to be discussion of which agencies are to be directly involved as partners in the protocol. Possible participants include:

• children’s services, including children’s centres, early years’ services and social care services
• education and learning services, including extended schools, educational psychology and education welfare services
• social care services for adults with:
  • physical and/or sensory impairments
  • learning disabilities
  • mental health support needs
  • drug and/or alcohol related problems
• health services
  • midwifery and health visiting services
  • community mental health professionals
  • services for people with long term health conditions
  • learning disability nurses
  • equipment services
• housing services
  • Supporting People services
  • housing allocation and homelessness services
  • housing adaptations and improvements
• probation service.

Discussions on coverage will also enable agencies to reach agreed definitions and a shared vocabulary.

Legislative framework and relevant national policies

The national policy framework and the responsibilities and entitlements set out in legislation and guidance provide the context for the development of local protocols. One important benefit of jointly agreeing protocols across different agencies is an increased understanding of each agency’s role and responsibilities. A detailed account of the policy and legislative framework is included in this resource guide.

In summary, the policy and legislative framework establishes that:

• Children’s welfare should be safeguarded and promoted.
• Children’s needs are usually best met by supporting their parents to look after them.
• Everyone has the right to respect for family and private life.
• Local authorities and all other agencies in contact with children have a responsibility to take account of safeguarding and promoting children’s welfare in the course of their work with children and families. Local authorities have a specific responsibility when a child is the subject of court proceedings to ensure the welfare of the child is paramount and a general duty to safeguard and promote the welfare of children in need in their area. (4)
• Disabled parents, and those who appear to be in need of community care services, have the right to an assessment of their needs for support in their daily lives. Such assessments should include any assistance required with parenting roles and tasks; and they are entitled to assessed needs being met if they meet local eligibility thresholds.
• When determining eligibility for adults’ services the agency should take into account any risks in the short and long term to the ability of the parent to carry out family roles and responsibilities. The decision should also take into account the consequences of not meeting needs which do not currently meet eligibility thresholds.
• Adults’ and children’s services - across health, education and social care - should work together to improve outcomes for children and their families.
• Disabled parents are entitled to equal access to services, including parenting support and information services.
• All public bodies have a duty to actively promote equality of opportunity for disabled people.
• The NHS and local authorities have a duty to promote the health and well-being of their local populations.

The relationship between the joint-working protocol and existing protocols, procedures and practice guidance

Relevant local protocols, procedures and practice guidance can be listed in this first section of the protocol. It is also helpful if specific local protocols and procedures are referred to at appropriate points under the processes and functions mentioned below. Among the most important to be included will be:

• information-sharing and consent protocols
• child protection protocols
• protocols concerning completion of the Common assessment framework and of the Framework for the assessment of children in need and their families
• lead professional/key worker/care-coordination protocols
• young carers’ protocols.

Next: Processes, functions and responsibilities.