Perceptions of Conflict with Service Providers Among Parents of Young Adults with Complex Support Needs

Parental advocacy is important to ensure that individuals with complex support needs (CSN) receive appropriate support. However, parents and service providers may not always agree, resulting in a risk of negative advocacy experiences and potential conflict. Currently, knowledge about how parents perceive and understand these situations is sparse. In this qualitative study conducted in Norway, eight parents of young adults with CSN who had experienced conflict with their child’s service providers were interviewed about their perceptions of the conflict, its development and consequences. Using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis, five themes were identified, two reflecting perceptions of the development of the conflict, and three reflecting the impact of the conflict during and following its occurrence. Conflict was perceived to develop despite the participants’ efforts to facilitate collaboration, leaving them feeling terrified, distressed, powerless, and alone. These findings highlight the importance of reducing the risk of conflict between parents and service providers, and suggest that developing a shared understanding of an individual’s support needs may be a helpful strategy to facilitate collaboration. Given its importance for individuals with CSN, more research is needed to understand how professionals can make use of parental expertise, including knowledge-based models for relating to parental advocacy.