Supporting the Complex Social Lives of New Parents

One of the many challenges of becoming a parent is the shift in one’s social life. As HCI researchers have begun to investigate the intersection of sociotechnical system design and parenthood, they have also sought to understand how parents’ social lives can be best supported. We build on these strands of research through a qualitative study with new parents regarding the role of digital technologies in their social lives as they transition to parenthood. We demonstrate how sociotechnical systems are entangled in the ways new parents manage their relationships, build (or resist building) new friendships and ad hoc support systems, and navigate the vulnerabilities of parenthood. We discuss how systems designed for new parents can better support the vulnerabilities they internalize, the diverse friendships they desire, and the logistical challenges they experience. We conclude with recommendations for future design and research in this area

A qualitative study of parents' experiences using family support services: applying the concept of surface and depth

UK policy and practice endorses family support for child well-being. Achieving such support requires multi-agency approaches, that consider all aspects of parents’ and children’s lives and which offer practical, social and emotional help. The potential for services to make a positive impact on parents and their families will depend in part on the level and nature of engagement. In this paper a case is made for the application of the two-part ‘surface and depth’ concept for understanding how practitioners engage with families and how they might improve the chances of supporting sustainable differences for parents and families. To illustrate, qualitative data from a review of family centre support provided by a north of England local authority, are presented. The review was commissioned to explore why families often need to re-engage with intensive support services. Data are drawn from interviews with parents (n=18, recruited following a survey of all those registered with the service during April – May 2009) and discussions with family centre support workers (n=4) and following thematic analysis three dominant themes emerged: ‘resources available’, ‘staff approach’ and ‘real life’, were appraised in light of the ‘surface and depth’ concept. Much of the work with parents effectively dealt with pressing needs. This felt gratifying for both parent and worker and supported immediate service engagement. However, each noted that the more complex issues in parents’ lives went unchallenged and thus the sustainability of progress in terms of parenting practice was questionable. A ‘strengths focused’ approach by staff, that understood needs in the context of parents’ ‘real life’ circumstances was important to parent engagement. Thus, longer term benefits from family support requires practitioners to work with parents to problem solve immediate issues whilst also digging deeper to acknowledge and seek to resolve the more complex challenges parents face in their real lives

Parents with learning disabilities - the lived experience - a study for equal say, Glasgow

In order to more clearly identify the key issues with regard to parents with learning disabilities, Equal Say commissioned the Glasgow School of Social Work to undertake a small pilot study which aimed to: identify the likely demand for advocacy services to support parents with a learning disability living in the community, illustrate the lived experiences of parents with a learning disability and to highlight examples of good practice in terms of what works in supporting parents with a learning disability. A short survey questionnaire was sent to 94 relevant social work, health and voluntary sector organisations within Glasgow City. Five parents from within the Equal Say service who had the capacity to give informed consent were selected at random and interviewed to discuss a range of issues in relation to their parenting. Their experiences of being a parent were also discussed as were the range of support services and mechanisms in place to assist them with this role

Supporting disabled children and their families in Scotland: A review of policy and research

The Joseph Rowntree Foundation has been supporting research about disabled children and their families for a number of years. An earlier Foundations covering the messages from these projects has already been published (1). This Foundations places the messages from that work into the Scottish context. It gives an overview of current policies affecting disabled children and their families in Scotland and draws on research carried out north of the border

Evaluation of Families Working Together: Final Report on behalf of Lincolnshire County Council

The University of Lincoln was commissioned by Lincolnshire County Council to provide an external evaluation of Families Working Together (FWT), a community budget pilot for supporting families with complex needs. This report outlines the data collected within the course of the research and the findings of the researchers

Silent voices : supporting children and young people affected by parental alcohol misuse

Main table of contents: • Summary of Key Messages and Recommendations • Section One: Background • Section Two: Methodology • Section Three: Consultation with children and young people • Section Four: Review Findings • Research Question One: What is known about the experiences of children and families where there is parental alcohol misuse and to what extent is this informed by the views of children and young people themselves? • Research Question Two: What are the key wider issues associated with PAM (e.g. unemployment, domestic abuse, mental health) and how do they relate to risk/protective factors for children and families? • Research Question Three: What is known about protective factors and processes in this population and how they can minimise risk/negative outcomes? • Research Question Four: What is known about services, and their delivery, and the impact/benefit of such services for children (and families) where there is PAM and to what extent is this informed by the views of children and young people themselves? • Research Question Five: What is the current policy context for children and families where there is PAM and how might it be improved? • Research Question Six: Thinking about questions 1 to 5 above, what are the gaps in our knowledge about children affected by PAM and services for these children

“My children are my world” : Raising the voices of birth mothers with substantial experience of counselling following the loss of their children to adoption or foster care

There is very little published literature on ‘what works’ in terms of support for birth mothers following the loss of their children to compulsory adoption or foster care. The aim of this article is to raise the voices of a group of birth mothers, a historically stigmatised, powerless and neglected group, with substantial experience of counselling following the loss of a child. A user of services and expert by experience was recruited to join the research team and was consulted at all stages of the research process. Five birth mothers were interviewed regarding their experiences of involvement with a counselling service for birth relatives post-child removal. These interviews were systematically analysed using an IPA methodology through the lens of the research question: What are the experiences of birth mothers who engage in person-centred counselling following the loss of a child or children to compulsory adoption or foster care? Three master themes were constructed from the data: ‘From feeling alone, judged and let down … to feeling part of a special relationship’, ‘The healing process’ and ‘My children are my world’. The clinical invitations extended by these findings are discussed.Peer reviewedFinal Accepted Versio