Estándares generales sobre independencia judicial

The research was designed to involve children and young people with disabilities and their parents or carers, siblings and other family members. Participant flyers and information were sent to local children’s centres, specialist and mainstream schools, and community groups and activity providers. However, each of the families who agreed to take part in the research elected not to include their children in the research.

This decision was challenged by the researcher who discussed with parents the inclusive nature of the research, as well as the creative and inclusive mapping tools designed to capture data from children and young people who may use different communication methods, or may not want to voice their opinions in a workshop setting, and the importance of the voice of children and young people with disabilities. The feedback from parents was that they felt they (the parents) would not be able to fully engage in the research themselves if their children were part of the process as their focus would be on their children’s participation in the process rather than engaging in the process as a parent. Some parents also discussed how their children had taken part in previous research that had not lived up to their children’s expectations, which had caused disappointment and frustration. Although some parents expressed an interest in their children participating, they were unavailable at the time of the research. As a result, no children and young people with disabilities participated in this research. This prevented the collection of data from the perspective of children and young

people. Children’s views sometimes contradict those of adults, and without the voice of children and young people, we may not fully understand their views and experiences so that efforts to address their needs can be appropriately targeted. On the other hand, the absence of children and young people alongside their parents and carers facilitated a communicative space where parents were freer to talk about their experiences. The position of the researcher was that participation is a choice, and therefore if families and children and young people made the decision not to participate, or decided to only participate as parents, that decision should be respected. The lack of children and young people with disabilities in the research challenged the inclusive intentions of the research to give children a voice. Ensuring that their voice was heard through their families and activity providers was important, and the research was designed to encourage storytelling, which facilitated their voices through the sharing of their experiences, albeit through the perspective of a parent of staff member.

This changed the research approach and design; it meant that the data would be limited to triangulation between just two groups, rather than three; parents and activity providers. Despite this major change to the methodology, the methods remained broadly the same because the research was designed to be participant-led and accessible by all ages and abilities. The absence of children and young people with disabilities as participants did not impact the ability to answer the research questions; however, it did change how the research questions were answered. The lack of children participants also shifted the central focus of the research away from children

and young people and onto activity providers. This affected the outcome of the research by limiting the context of the findings to the parent and activity provider perspectives.

After electing not to include their children, the first group consisted of parents of children and young people with disabilities (n=7). The second group of activity providers (n=14) consisted of coaches, volunteers, programme managers, and play workers from across five different local organisations. There were 21 participants in the research. Participants were seven parents and carers of five children and young people with disabilities aged seven to 15 years with Autism, Asperger’s and Learning Difficulties; and 14 activity providers, from across five organisations one of which was a provider that delivered activities targeted at children and young people with disabilities, one of which was a provider of activities designed for children and young people with disabilities but open and inclusive to all children and young people, and three of which were at different stages of transitioning from mainstream to inclusion by making their activities more accessible for children and young people with disabilities. Table 3 lists parent and carer participant information, and Table 4 lists activity provider participant information. Working with a range of participants helped to inform and review the research design, frame the research findings within a local engagement strategy, and helped to strengthen relationships and build trust with participants.

Table 3: parent and carer participant information

Gender Age Ethnicity Group CYPD (n=) Age and gender of child

Disability

Female 40-49

years White British Parents / Carers 1 11 (M) Autism / Complex Needs Male 40-49

years White British Parents / Carers 1 (duplicate) 11 (M) Autism / Complex Needs Female 40-49 years White British Parents / Carers 1 12 (M) Autism / LD Male 40-49

years White British Parents / Carers 1 (duplicate) 12 (M) Autism / LD Female 40-49

years White British Parents / Carers 2 11 (M) 15 (M) Autism Female 40-49

years White British Parents / Carers 1 7 (F) PMLD Female 40-49

Table 4: activity provider participant information

Gender Age Ethnicity Group Role in

organisation Type of organisation

Female 16-18

years White British Activity Providers Volunteer Targeted activity provider Female 40-49

years White British Activity Providers Volunteer Targeted activity provider Female 18-25 years White British Activity Providers

Volunteer Targeted activity provider

Female 26-39

years White British Activity Providers Play worker Targeted activity provider Female 26-39

years White British Activity Providers Play worker Targeted activity provider Female 26-39

years White British Activity Providers Play worker Targeted activity provider Female 40-49

years White British Activity Providers Program Manager Targeted activity provider Male 18-25 years Black British- Ghanaian Activity Providers

Coach Transitioning activity provider

Female 26-39

years White British Activity Providers Play Worker Open Access provider Female 26-39 years White British Activity Providers

Program Manager Transitioning activity provider

Male 18-25

years White British Activity Providers Coach Transitioning activity provider Female 18-25

years White British Activity Providers Play Worker Targeted activity provider Female 26-39

years Black British Activity Providers Program Manager Transitioning activity provider Male 26-39 years White British Activity Providers

Volunteer Open Access provider