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BJSW Advance Access published online on July 19, 2006
British Journal of Social Work, doi:10.1093/bjsw/bcl065
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© The Author 2006. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The British Association of Social Workers. All rights reserved

Article

Understanding Structural and Communication Barriers to Ordinary Family Life for Families with Disabled Children: A Combined Social Work and Social Model of Disability Analysis

Johanna Woodcock 1 * and Claire Tregaskis 2

1 School of Applied Psychosocial Studies, Faculty of Health and Social Work, University of Plymouth, Drake Circus, Plymouth PL4 8AA, UK
2 Research Fellow at the University of Plymouth

* To whom correspondence should be addressed.
Johanna Woodcock, E-mail: J.Woodcock-1{at}plymouth.ac.uk


  Abstract

This research, constituting secondary data analysis of a current Economic and Social Research Council funded programme of research with parents with disabled children in two areas in Northern England, responds to policy and practice prescriptions for family support services to be responsive and inclusive to a diversity of parenting situations (Department for Education and Skills, 2003; Social Services Inspectorate, 2004). An innovative research methodology, involving the collaborative analysis of a social work researcher and disability studies researcher, was used to gain a more holistic understanding of the issues in working with social work populations by investigating the concerns of a normative population. Findings identified a number of barriers to inclusion even for mainstream disabled families, particularly in the area of parent-social worker communication. The paper provides an initial contribution to current social work concerns of the need to improve the theoretical underpinning of ‘specialist social work communication skills’ for different practice settings (Social Care Institute for Excellence, 2004) by identifying communication issues and skills for work with parents of disabled children. Moreover, as secondary analysis of qualitative data is rarely reported, the paper provides a useful commentary on this type of research process.

Keywords: disabled children, disabled parents, communication, social work, social model.
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