What works in services for families with a disabled child?

Authors:
BERESFORD Bryony, et al
Publisher:
Barnardo's
Publication year:
1996
Pagination:
135p.,bibliog.
Place of publication:
Ilford

Part of Barnardos 'What Works' series, this report discusses what it views as effective practice with families who have disabled children up to the age of sixteen. While much of the evidence reviewed comes from practitioners and academics, the main source of information as to what works best comes from parents, an essential point of information as they are the ones with the hands on experience. It is also necessary to draw attention to the views of children themselves. This report acknowledges that these feature less prominently as they have not been investigated as much as the views of adults in the past.

Extended abstract:

Beresford, Bryony et al.
What works in services for families with a disabled child?

Barnardo's 1996

Summary

Part of Barnardos "What Works" series, this report discusses what it views as effective practice with families who have disabled children up to the age of sixteen. While much of the evidence reviewed comes from practitioners and academics, the main source of information as to what works best comes from parents, an essential point of information as they are the ones with the hands on experience. It is also necessary to draw attention to the views of children themselves. This report acknowledges that these feature less prominently as they have not been investigated as much as the views of adults in the past.

Context

Recent policy changes within health, education and social services have demanded, or provided the opportunity for, a reconsideration of the services provided to disabled children and their families. This has included the mainstreaming of disabled children into children's policy. This move is welcomed but concern has been expressed, by practitioners and researchers, that disabled children and their families may be disadvantaged in a number of ways. Firstly, there may be a lack of knowledge and expertise on the support needs of families with a disabled child. Secondly, social services departments may operate a crisis management style of service provision characterised by resolving immediate problems rather than providing long term support. Finally there is the issue of allocation of resources. There is also potential for a number of positive outcomes. For the first time the views of parents and children has been acknowledged as a vital part of service provision, delivery and evaluation. The requirement of local authorities to draw up Children's Service Plans and the new market structures operating within the health and social services have the possibility of leading to providers rethinking the way they support disabled children and their families, and promoting innovation.

Method

This report draws on research-based evidence though due to lack of material in this area two other main bodies of research are utilised. Firstly, studies which have sought to identify those factors which either help or hinder families in their efforts to cope with the significant additional demands of caring for a disabled child. Secondly, work which has described the needs of disabled children and their families. This report draws predominantly on UK literature though occasionally work from other countries is cited. It takes a whole family approach, exploring the influence of family members on each other and the different roles played by individuals within the family group. Also contained within is an investigation of methods and methodologies of research.

Contents

The introduction describes the children with whom the report is concerned and the range of issues being addressed such as the scope of the report and definitions. The following chapter "Assessing Effectiveness", considers the different research methods that may be used to explore "what works", their respective merits and the degree in which we may have confidence in their findings. The main section of the report "Meeting families' Needs" discusses the strategies that services can use to increase the likelihood that a family with a disabled child will get the kind of support they need the most. The conclusion summarises the main points made in the report. The main report contains examples of good practice. Chapter two of the report emphasises that the report is not a review of good practice.

Conclusion

"Without qualitative studies, we would be hard pressed to understand the social worlds of those with whom we work and without this understanding, we cannot begin to conceptualise interventions which will be acceptable, let alone effective. However, the development of effective services requires other forms of evidence."
 


321 references

Subject terms:
physical disabilities, child development, children, families;
Content type:
research review
ISBN print:
0 902046 34 9

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