With support from Cordis Bright, FitzRoy and KeyRing have published a white paper to help social care support providers and key partner organisations to think through responses to cuckooing.

Cordis Bright is delighted to have supported FitzRoy and KeyRing with their development work to improve practice in responding to cuckooing of people involved with social care services, and especially people with learning disabilities, autism and mental health needs.

Key findings

Available literature and discussions with professionals revealed a range of challenges in effective responses to cuckooing of people with learning disabilities, autism and/or mental health issues. Some are challenges in the awareness and understanding of cuckooing, like limited understanding of how cuckooing might play out differently for different people, and gaps in evidence on the scale and impact of cuckooing. Others are challenges in the ability of agencies and partnerships to respond effectively, such as limited professional awareness of local support pathways and a focus on reacting to cuckooing once it has happened rather than preventing it.

Discussions with professionals identified eight strategies to improve understanding and practice on cuckooing:

1. Training and awareness raising for professionals.
2. Awareness raising and education for people at risk.
3. Engaging individuals and communities to understand their experiences and co-develop responses.
4. Understanding, codifying and bolstering existing specialist teams and partnerships.
5. Changing organisational processes to support better identification and intervention.
6. Developing, evaluating and rolling out specialist roles and interventions.
7. Tapping into place-based programmes and networks.
8. Recognising and advocating for national-level improvements.

Next steps: a starting point for action

The paper is a starting point to open up wider conversation, encourage shared learning and support stronger partnership working across organisations.

FitzRoy and KeyRing are keen to hear from organisations and professionals who have experience of cuckooing – particularly for people with learning disabilities, autism and mental health issues – and want to help build a more consistent and effective response.

to be involved in the next phase of FitzRoy and KeyRing’s work, please get in touch with diane.mee@fitzroy.org or tracy.hammond@keyring.org.

For more information, please contact Hannah Nickson.

Downloads: [add paper]