Valuing Families

1
Valuing Families

• Working with families when parents have learning
  disabilities
• 
  

2
FWAs direct services

• work with individuals and families, helping to
  build on each individuals strengths to overcome
  obstacles and to provide practical and emotional
  support when they are at their most vulnerable.
• (Annual Report 2005-06)

3
What do we do?

• Work in peoples own homes
• Engage with and build relationships
• Provide models of behaviour
• Prevent crisis
• Contain
• Monitor alert other services if needed
• Befriend
• Value and increase self-esteem
• Involve
• Opportunities to develop

4
Valuing People a new strategy for learning
disability (HMSO 2001)

• People with learning disabilities can be good
  parents and provide their children with a good
  start in life, but may require considerable help
  to do so.

5
Valuing People a new strategy for learning
disability (HMSO 2001)

• in some circumstances a parent with learning
  disabilities will not be able to meet their
  childs needs.
• However, we believe this should not be the
  result of agencies not arranging for timely and
  appropriate support.

6
Barriers for parents

• Stigma
• Fear (disability/losing children)
• Uncertainty complexity
• Feeling on trial about parenting abilities
• Support for parenting skills and/or capacity
• Impossibility of parenting without family and
  social networks
• Access reuniting with children
• Recovery impeded by anxiety

7
Valuing Families

• Supports families when parents have learning
  disabilities
• We work with
• Parents
• Children
• Other family members
• School
• Other agencies

8
We work with families

• In their homes
• In their localities
• Where they are
• Where they need us (at meetings, at the doctors,
  in the park, at the school gates, in court)

9
Entrimonh jifomt Mcusny hsin hshstg Social
Services 8 Dhfkjd Road Town   Mr and Mrs
Freer Address   Dear Mr and Mrs Freer   Fu
Kelly Freer 3.3.02   I write thfi trh you hsuin
fjdoin mef a aksldui fdjiun fghd playgroup Mrs
Smith. Dfsgu nsonub hjdky bshjki oshk time. Also
nchim hjskut thsiung strangers snjkdth. Mrs Smith
also hdkld nshkslworried hsjskelcmdh ksnhuj
hjdye hhehglice (nits). Mkajuo losju hinsu
gdhtj whsiuny dhsun coat. Hsjit snhe talk hfjudy
social services shfkjdl gdfbncjek jo
help.   Agshi ndjku njkjhgfdfeio ldskjv ldsk
dhdjo visop jk on Tuseday 1.30 p.m.   Ghusim
jsnjkd lejahty fsji your jsndhu .   Best hwishd
    J. Johnson Social worker
10
Three things parents with learning disabilities
tell us

• I didnt know what they meant  
• communication is often poor and written info is
  inaccessible
• They didnt help, just told me to do better
•   unrealistic expectations of them but no
  practical help
• They were waiting for me to get it wrong
•   feel set up to fail

11
What we do

• Not what but how we do it
• Get alongside and agree how well work
• Befriend and reassure
• Visit often and cheerfully
• Get to know the children

12
Befriend and reassure

• Agree goals
• Agree with the family what well work on together

13
Visit often and visit cheerfully ?

• Family
• A B C
  D E F G H I J K
• Output
• Home visit 25 22 1 1
  54 4 15 31 8 1 9
• Telephone [phone]
  450 14 18 28 12 1 5

14
Get to know the children

• and help them to
• understand their situation
• have more fun
• control the things they can control (belongings,
  school uniform etc)

15
For example - how might this help?
16
Find out about peoples learning styles

• Not too complicated
• Some people learn best if you do it with them
• Some if you show them first
• Some if you tell them how and leave them to it
• But you have to get to know them to find out

17
Break things down into manageable chunks

• Help break down routine tasks into their
  component parts
• Reinforce learning so it sticks
• Give praise and encouragement
• Be firm but kind
• Believe in learning possibilities not just
  disabilities

18
An example

• Joe doesnt like putting his uniform on
• do you lay them out for him or does he have to
  get them himself?
• I get them for him
• have you tried getting him to lay them out on a
  chair after his bath and before he goes to bed?
• his bath??

• NB this information would not have emerged
  without a trusting relationship between parent
  and worker

19
A first bathtime at 6 years old

• Session 1
• The worker and Mrs B
• went to the shops and bought Spiderman bubble
  bath, shampoo, bath toys etc
• bought Joe some character underpants (so he
  could choose which ones to wear when he was
  getting himself dressed reducing conflict and
  increasing his motivation to get ready for
  school)
• talked to Joe about having a bath he was wary
  but interested

20
Splish splash

• Session 2
• the worker made sure Mrs B had a clean towel
  ready
• she showed Mrs B how to run the bath (cold in
  first) and how much bubble bath to put in
• they encouraged Joe to get into the bath with the
  lure of the bath toys
• the worker showed Mrs B how to wash his hair
  without it hurting his eyes
• Joe enjoyed his bath
• the worker made sure Joes pyjamas were ready for
  when he got out and the worker read a bedtime
  story

21
I was having a bath

• Session 3
• the worker got Mrs B to run the bath and to check
  the temperature
• Joe needed no encouragement to get in
• the worker reminded Mrs B how to wash his hair
• they both enjoyed the bath-time

22
Family stability ?

• Fewer arguments and conflict
• Parents not involving children in adult
  decision-making
• Mealtimes, with reasonably healthy meals
• Reasonable levels of cleanliness and hygiene
• Times when the family have fun together
• Better relationships with neighbours
• Better working relationships with the agencies
  involved with a family e.g. school, G.P etc

23
Finally

• Life is more predictable
• there is more order
• there are more times when family members have fun
  with each other

24
EVALUATION
25
Evaluation of services

• Building Bridges model
• Working with families affected by parental mental
  ill health ( learning disabilities where
  appropriate)
• Data collected since 2004
• 6 month pilot
• Adopted recognised evaluation tools

26
Evaluation outcomes and feedback from other
professionals

• "They work with families that most
  other voluntary sector agencies don't - people
  who have complex problems - and they provide the
  kind of service which really helps."
• FWA Building Bridges use the practical, flexible
  and partnership approach which research indicates
  is valued by parents.
• (Building Bridges evaluation interim report June
  2006)

27
Evaluation early outcomes

• 62 decrease in family relationship stress
• 71 increased satisfaction for parents
• 60 children improved self-esteem/reduced
  depression
• At start, over 50 show clinically significant
  stress
• At close 78 show reduction in stress
• (Building Bridges evaluation interim report June
  2006)

28
Evaluation outcomes and feedback

• BB projects exhibit characteristics found by
  research to be key to successful interventions.
• These include
• close attention to getting, keeping and
  engaging parents
• a strong theory base
• more than one method of delivery
• working with both parents and children
• (Building Bridges evaluation interim report June
  2006)

29
Health social care professionals say

• You sigh with relief when they get involved
  because they do what they say theyre going to
  do, and they go at the familys pace.
• BB family support workers give positive messages
  to families - they dont get many of those.
• (Building Bridges evaluation interim report
  June 2006)

30
Valuing Families

• For more information, please contact
• Rose de Paeztron, Head of Strategic Development
• Family Welfare Association
• Email rose.depaeztron_at_fwaprojects.org.uk
• Tel [phone]