Resetting Services to Disabled Children

We're excited to share our most recent publication reporting findings from our interviews with health, education and social care professionals working with disabled children about their experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic. https://doi.org/10.1111/dmcn.16126

These recommendations are the culmination of an iterative programme of research aiming to do better for families with disabled children during emergencies than we did during the peaks of COVID-19.

First we conducted a mapping review which systematically analyses emerging evidence from research on changes that were made to services for disabled children and young people during the COVID-19 pandemic. This will inform decisions on service recovery and service delivery in future emergencies.

Then we undertook two parallel quantitative studies, one with health, school and social care staff and one with families.  There was strong consultation and involvement of families and professionals throughout the research. 

Congratulations to Hannah Merrick for managing the research and Lindsay Pennington for leadership, and Jeremy Parr, Amanda Allard for support and all the research team.