Browning House has 57 years’ experience of working with parents of all abilities. During this time we have come to recognise that everybody learns differently, that some parents may be able to gain and retain the information they need from reading a book or a set of instructions, others need to be told verbally how to do something not only once but a number of times and others learn by doing and seeing something being done.

27% per cent of all families admitted to the Unit for residential assessment during 2006-07 had a recognised learning disability, a greater proportion of whom kept their children than those without. Psychological assessments where undertaken prior to admission to the Unit assess a parent’s learning ability and identify the best ways for that parent to learn. At Browning House we ensure that we use this information to provide parents with the best learning medium to allow them to succeed.

We have developed a number of assessment tools and resources of our own to meet the learning needs of the parents who undertake assessment and have close links with ‘Unlocking the Future’, a group of learning disability specialists.

Browning House has staff qualified and experienced in work with parents with learning disabilities; they use a task centered approach when working which is assisted by visual routines — based on the work of Sue Mc Graw, augmented by personal pictorial routines for each family.

Individual programmes of work are undertaken with parents and each is adapted to meet their specific learning needs and ability. Their assessment is carried out with a practical approach, with staff working alongside and assisting them to learn reasonable parenting skills. Our staff team approach ensures that one skill is assimilated before
additional skills are taught, facilitated by a ‘teaching and then review’ method. It is
common practise to request a potential extension to our normal twelve-week assessment as we accept that learning disabled parents may need extra time to assimilate sound child care routines.
Browning House uses a number of other tools and models for assessing parents, these include NCAST (Nursing Child Assessment Satellite Training), The Needs Jigsaw, Prochaska & Diclemente’s Cycle of Change, Framework for Assessment of Children in Need, Every Child Matters etc.

Browning House offers 24-hour supervision and is monitored throughout the night by two of our night staff team. Our audio monitor sweeps the families’ rooms constantly and alerts staff of any potential difficulties.  Our staffing ratio allows for intense client contact throughout the day and evening and there is a policy of regular [hourly or more frequently] checks on the children throughout the night. Where necessary one-to-one supervision of a parent can be provided and/or children can remain in staff care overnight, with staff waking parents to care for their children as required, should placing the child immediately in a parent’s care present a risk.

Browning House actively promotes equal opportunities for all, believing that every person has the right to freedom from any level of discrimination. Our staff provides a supportive advocacy role to parents and work hard to develop relationships based on trust and honesty.