Sue English describes how an assessment tool is improving the support given to parents with learning disabilities

In the past, many parents with learning disabilities had their offspring taken into care. Thankfully, we now see increasing numbers of parents caring for their children in their own homes. This is possible because of changes in attitudes among families and in society in general, and because of the range and depth of support available to parents with learning disabilities. Each parent with a learning disability is as unique as any other individual. Parents have diverse ranges of ability, and contrasting degrees of need. This article will describe an assessment tool that has been designed to assess these abilities and identify needs for support.