Outcomes for parents with LD involved in Child Protection

Procedures

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

% of children

Home Kinship Non-family

Type of placement

No disabilities

Learning disability

Mental health

Drug/alcohol

Mental health/drug/illness

Underlying principles of service delivery

Presumption of incompetence

versus

a constructional approach

which includes the concept of

distributed competence

What is a Doula?

• Doula (pronounced “doola”) is a Greek word meaning ‘woman servant or caregiver’ (Campero et al, 1998)

• It now refers to an experienced woman who offers emotional and practical support to a woman (or couple) before, during and after childbirth

A Doula…

• Works flexible hours to suit the family

• Offers practical and emotional support

• Empowers a family to take care of itself by helping around the house and offering encouragement and suggestions

• Are experienced in childbirth but do not support the mother in a clinical role

• All Doula UK doulas have taken an approved course

AIMS of CanDo

To provide family centred support to pregnant women with learning disabilities and their families during the antenatal phase, the birth and the neonatal phase. To link women with appropriate statutory services, to identify gaps in services, to provide consultation and training to professionals unfamiliar in working with parents with LD.

What has been achieved in T&W since April 2012.......

Recruited and trained more local Doulas, an independent midwife and liaison workers

Advertised the service offered in T&W by email shot

Created brand including web site: www.candosupport.org.uk and leaflets

What has been achieved since April 2012 ........• Successful partnership with Home-Start

• Trained Home-Start volunteers

• Organised and facilitated regular individual and group support meetings for doulas, midwives and liaison workers

• Completed research of the project in partnership with University of Birmingham (researcher Alison McGarry)

• Research paper accepted for publication in international research journal (JARID)

What has been achieved since April 2012........• Designed and implemented referral and

assessment forms and a local pathway• Implemented telephone supervision for doulas

with outside expert in addition to peer support group meetings and supervision by BK and RC

• Research on solicitors’ and social workers’ experiences of working with parents with LD

• Research on early attachment between parents and babies

Current roles of those undertaking the project work 2 Volunteer consultants/ coordinators (unpaid) – RC and

BK 5 Doulas (self employed – invoice CanDo as per

contract) 1 independent midwife (self-employed – invoice CanDo

as per contract) 2 Liaison workers (self employed – invoice CanDo as

per contract) 1 clinical supervisor (self employed – invoice CanDo as

per contract)

Client work sofar•Nine women and four men (ten families) have received or are currently receiving Doula support and two received independent midwifery support during pregnancy, birth and the post-natal period.

•Five families have been referred to Home-Start

•Three families have lost custody of their child

Future developments.......

Recruit and train more doulas and independent midwives

Continue supervision and training Research on midwives’ experiences of

working with parents with LD Provide a service for parents who have lost

custody

Summary and reflections on the research

• Findings indicate that Doula support is effective and service users’ experiences are positive

• Clinicians have commented on the real difference that Doulas make

• Importance of providing training, supervision and support as being involved in care proceedings can be bewildering and stressful

BENEFITS

1/ keeping families together and…

2/ avoiding costs:

In Loco ParentisA Demos report commissioned by Barnardo’s –2010

looked after children cost £23k ( stable care journey) to £56k (unstable care journey)

BENEFITS

For one child, the stable care journey cost £352,053 over a 14-year period, while the unstable care journey cost £393,579 over a 7-year period.

COSTS

CanDo support from pregnancy until neonatal period: £2000

Home Start support from neonatal period until school age: £1250x4 (years) £5000

Total cost of support until school age per family

£7000

Telford and Wrekin

Telford and Wrekin