‘Being the change you wish to see in the world’:

Shared vulnerability in social work with parents with learning disabilities

Donna Yeates

Learning disability: ‘Having a learning disability means that people find it

harder to learn certain life skills. The problems experienced vary from person to person, but may include aspects such as learning new things, communication, managing money, reading, writing, or personal care.  Some people are born with a disability, whereas others may develop one as a result of an accident or illness in childhood.’

(The Foundation for People With Learning Disabilities)

Parents with learning disabilities: People with learning disabilities who are also parents

Definitions

Numbers of parents with learning disabilities are rising- and with the right support, they ‘can often be “good enough” parents’ (Tarleton et al., 2006)

40-60% of parents with learning disabilities have had their children removed from their care (Booth and Booth, 1997)

48% of parents surveyed did not live with their children (Emerson et al., 2005)

The policy / practice gap

Tarleton, Ward and Howarth, 2006:Lack of accessible informationLack of knowledge about learning disabilities &

unrealistic expectationsCost implications of ongoing supportFast pace of child protection workPrejudicial attitudes / social workers’ lack of self-

awareness (Jones, 2013)

Fear of unfair treatment leads to disengagement with services (McGaw and Newman, 2005; Morgan and Goff, 2004; Booth, 2000)

Barriers to parenting for people with learning disabilities

Change and the literature of self-help

Academia and self-help?

A social construct that is fluid and contextual (Hollomotz, 2011)

A label that is ‘potentially damaging to the pursuit of social justice’ and needs to be ‘handled with care’ (Kate Brown, 2011)

Associated with deficiency as well as protection (Fisher, 2012)

Inherent to the human condition (Beckett, 2006) Vulnerability= connection with others = purpose

and meaning (Brené Brown, 2012)

Vulnerability- what does it really mean?

Social workers + social policy = vulnerability?

Impact on social workers of:ManagerialismTargetsConflicting prioritiesBudget cutsHigh caseloadsRisk averse culture

What space is there to resist?

Shared vulnerability

The fear of being human?

Risk averse culture leads to preference for certain, ‘safe’ outcomes

Yet risk and uncertainty are intrinsic to both child protection work and social work generally

Social workers should be able to try out creative solutions (Spray and Jowett, 2012)

Move towards a ‘learning and adapting culture’ (Munro, 2011)

My own insider / outsider status

Social workers are humans too!

Reconceptualising vulnerability, imperfection and humanity, and promoting shared vulnerability

Development of a participatory training proposal with parents with learning disabilities and social workers, emphasising commonalities

Encouraging routes of resistance or ‘quiet challenges’ (White, 2009) to neoliberal constraints and gaps in social work policy and practice

Summing up

…in this “modernisation” of social work scenario, the tensions, dilemmas and contradictions arising from an increased burden of work, the individualisation of users and the remaining, albeit reduced, element of discretion…it remains possible, and indeed it is essential, that spaces are found for radical / critical possibilities. (Rogowski, 2011)(References available upon request)