This Side of Heaven by Laura Marney
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Introduction to the story by Alison Stirling
Our original intention was to ask the writer to devise a set of instructions for social workers on how to support people with a learning disability who were leaving home. There was a relevent situation that I was personally aware of, as my sister who has profound learning disabilities had just moved to her own home in the community. This had not been the easiest transition as it took 10 years and was badly managed by the social work department. I knew we were not alone in our experience, that there were countless families out there who were having an equally difficult time. We decided to ask a writer to look at the issue from the parents' perspective - to create something which provided a different model for social work services to deal with families in a more constructive way. Laura Marney was given the brief.
We travelled across country meeting parents through the Princes Carers Trust, Pamis and Artlink. The more parents we met, the more Laura realised that her story had to have more than one voice. The set of instructions changed over time. It became a series of monologues - some sad, some quietly positive - an accurate reflection of the experiences of the people we met. A starting point for discussion that has led to real reflection on what carers need.
About the Author
Laura Marney is the author of four novels: No Wonder I Take a Drink, Nobody Loves a Ginger Baby, Only Strange People go to Church and My Best Friend Has Issues. Her publisher is Black Swan, Transworld. As well as writing for television, Radio 4 and occasional journalism, she is Depute Convenor of the creative writing post graduate MLitt course at Glasgow.
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