Project: Supported Parenting in Scotland 22-23
In 2020 the Scottish Government made a commitment to thousands of care experienced children and adults to ‘Keep the Promise’. This included “where children are safe in their families and feel loved they must stay – and families must be given support together to nurture that love and overcome the difficulties which get in the way”.
Between 40-60% of parents with a learning disability have their children removed. With the right support and a whole-family approach, parents with learning disabilities can provide loving and stable homes for their children.
Shared Lives enables more parents to realise their right to a family life. In Shared Lives parents maintain parental responsibility for their child. The role of the Shared Lives carer is not to care for the child, but to enable and support the parent. Shared Lives provides ‘supported parenting’, not ‘substituted parenting’.
With funding from the Promise Partnership administered by the Corra Foundation we have worked in partnership with parents with learning disabilities, Shared Lives Schemes, leading academics, The Promise Scotland and health and social care professionals in Scotland to help more families stay together.
“The Shared Lives Parenting Project offers a unique approach to providing whole family support. It ensures that children grow up with their family, protecting vital connections, whilst offering support to help parents overcome difficulties.
The Promise is looking for Scotland to come up with innovative ways to ensure that each and every child have what they need to grow and thrive. The Shared Lives Parenting Project has done just this.”
The Promise, Scotland
