Children's Needs – Parenting Capacity - Digital Education Resource ...

202 Children’s Needs – Parenting Capacityand information sharing is supported by legislation, statutory and practiceguidance on the misuse of drugs and alcohol, domestic violence and learningdisability, and new multi-agency methods of working. Use of the CommonAssessment Framework (CAF) (Children’s Workforce Development Council2010) and the guide to target youth support (Department for Education andSkills 2007) should promote more effective, earlier identification of children’sadditional needs, including when parents’ problems are affecting the child’swelfare. Those working with children need to be vigilant in observing andacting upon any concerns they may have (Allen 2011). Managers in agenciesworking with children need to ensure statutory guidance on what to do whenconcerned that a child is being abused or neglected (HM Government 2010a)is followed.Mental illness, learning disability, problem alcohol and drug use and domesticviolence affect adults’ parenting capacity and impact on their children invariable ways. Skilled, holistic assessments which focus on the outcomes forchildren, involve children and family members and place equal emphasison the child, family and their environment are essential (Department ofHealth et al. 2000; Department for Education 2010c; Children’s WorkforceDevelopment Council 2010). Assessments should identify not only thechild’s developmental needs but also parents’ acute and chronic difficultieswhich have an impact on their parenting capacity.Most practitioners in children’s social care services are skilled in assessingchildren’s developmental needs but may experience more difficulty in judginghow learning disability, mental illness, substance misuse or domestic violencehave an impact on parenting capacity. To safeguard and promote the welfareof children, assess their needs (including their role as young carers) and fullyunderstand the family’s circumstances, children’s services practitioners shouldseek the expertise of adult services. Collaboration should be given greaterpriority because practitioners in domestic violence units, alcohol and drugservices, mental health and learning disability services will have a betterunderstanding than those working in children’s services of how these issuesimpact on adult family members and family functioning.Collaboration between children’s and adults’ services will allow the expertiseof practitioners in these specialist services to inform assessments, judgementsand plans. Joint working is likely to result in a more proactive and integratedapproach to the delivery of relevant and timely services for both childrenand parents. To ensure joined-up service provision, specific attention shouldbe given to creating robust professional links between children’s and adults’services.