Report: Value of advocacy services for parents with learning disabilities

An article examined the costs and outcomes of advocacy provided to parents with learning disabilities at risk of having their children taken into care.

It said that the potential cost savings per case ranged from £720 (impact on children’s social services only) to over £3130 (including savings to other public services), and improvements in quality of life and earnings were estimated to be worth an additional £550.

Noting the limitations of the study, it said that the findings suggested there was scope to improve value for money through introducing advocacy for parents with learning disabilities.