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

Implications for policy and practice 209 It is essential that professionals who work with a specific client group considerthe needs of all family members, particularly the children. A higher priorityshould be given to children in all strategic local authority plans whose primaryfocus is adults. Flexible time–frames when working with children in need and their familiesare essential. Local authorities should take account of the resources requiredto supply both long-term support as well as more focussed time-limitedservices. When services are provided, children’s progress should always beclosely monitored. Improvements in parents’ disorders do not always result inimproved parenting. Families, including the children, require information about the disordersaffecting parents and the services available to them. The information should bewidely available and produced in a range of different formats. Educating the general public on the impact on children and families of parentalmental illness, learning disability, substance misuse and domestic violence shouldencourage communities and extended families to provide more support. Key to the safeguarding and promoting of a child’s welfare is the ability tounderstand the situation from the child’s viewpoint. Practitioners fromstatutory and third-sector agencies who are in regular contact with children andadults who are parents (including those providing services for adults) shouldbe included in inter-agency training. Training should link safeguarding andpromoting the children’s welfare with parental issues, and ensure practitionersin adult services have the skills to communicate with children. Training shouldencompass the development of sensitive ways of working to ensure issues ofrace, culture and disability are addressed.