Parents' views on the impact of austerity on the social lives of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities

Introduction: UK austerity policies of the last decade have resulted in
cuts and changes to services for people with IDD, potentially leading to
deficiencies in their social lives. This aspect of a wider study is to provide
empirical evidence regarding the experiences of parents of people with
IDD.
Methods: Utilising a qualitative design, nine parents across three
geographical areas were qualitatively interviewed in depth about how they
felt their own and their son/daughter’s social lives had been affected by
cuts in services.
Results: Findings suggest that the nature of relationships with some
providers and funders has changed from collaborative to combative.
Parents reported feeling too exhausted to support their own or their son/
daughter’s social network. Parents reported not being able to fund their
son/daughter’s social network activities.
Implications: Empirical evidence of the experiences of parents of
people with IDD who experience cuts or loss to services can provide
policy-makers with a better understanding of the importance of social
networks to the lives of people with IDD, thereby influencing future
policy and practice