Working Together with Parents Network conference 2026: Social care and family justice

Working Together with Parents Network conference 2026: Social care and family justice

Delivered online using Zoom

RIP_General_Time

10:00 - 15:00 Thursday, 19 November 2026

Parents with a learning disability and learning difficulty are disproportionately represented in child protection and care proceedings, with these parents continuing to face barriers in receiving the support they need.

This year’s Working Together with Parents Network conference will explore these barriers and the impact this has on outcomes.  We will explore opportunities for professionals to provide earlier, more coordinated, and more effective support involving parents with a learning disability and learning difficulties aligned with good practice guidance.  

Speakers will share insights from people with lived experience, practice, and research to help inform how we understand and support parents and their children.

Learning outcomes

As a result of attending this conference, participants will be able to:

  • Understand the challenges faced by parents with learning disabilities and learning difficulties involved with social care and family justice services.
  • Recognise the role of advocacy and reasonable adjustments in supporting parents to participate in decision-making.
  • Apply learning from pre-birth work to improve early support for expectant parents with a learning disability and learning difficulty.  
  • Identify practical actions to take away in your own role to improve outcomes for parents and their children.

Who is this event for?

This event is for members of the Working Together with Parents Network and will be beneficial for professionals working with parents with learning disabilities and learning difficulties and their children.

Booking

Complete the registration form to book your place.

Join the Working Together with Parents Network

The Working Together with Parents Network is free to join and is hosted by Research in Practice, a part of the National Children’s Bureau.

It's a UK-wide network, hosted by Research in Practice, that engages with key professional stakeholders from adult and children’s social care, education, health, legal and independent advocacy sectors to work towards a common vision and effective ways of joint working.  

By joining the network, you will be kept up to date with policy, practice and key legal developments.

This event is a conference.

Our conferences are designed to bring participants together from across the Research in Practice Partner network to share knowledge, build connections, and promote learning across an identified topic.

Audience Types

Practitioners

Principal Social Worker (PSW)

Residential / care home workers

Senior leaders

Senior practitioners

Social workers

Workforce development teams

Professional Standards

PQS:KSS - Person-centred practice | Direct work with individuals and families | Assuring good social work practice and development

CQC - Effective

PCF - Rights, justice and economic wellbeing | Diversity and equality

RCOT - Service users | Identify needs