The complex role of social care services in supporting the development of sustainable identities: Insights from the experiences of British South Asian women with intellectual disabilities.
When social care staff honor culture and choice, British South Asian women with ID gain stronger identities and more independence.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Malik et al. (2017) talked with British South Asian women who have mild or moderate intellectual disability.
The women shared how social care services helped or hurt their sense of self and independence.
Researchers used long interviews so each woman could tell her own story in her own words.
What they found
Good social workers and day programs acted like mirrors that showed the women they mattered.
When staff listened and let them choose daily activities, the women felt more confident and less alone.
Even though they faced triple disadvantage—being women, having a disability, and being ethnic minorities—they still built strong identities when services were flexible and respectful.
How this fits with other research
Older UK numbers said South Asian adults with ID get fewer services than white peers (W et al., 2002).
This new study flips the picture: it shows what happens when services actually work well for these women.
McGeown et al. (2013) heard families complain about late, confusing transition plans; Jawaid’s women echo the need for clearer help, but now as grown adults shaping their own lives.
Lambrechts et al. (2009) found South Asian children used respite and mental-health care less; the 2017 stories suggest adult social care can close that gap if it respects culture and gender.
Why it matters
You can check if your South Asian clients get the same quality of support as everyone else.
Ask them what activities make them feel proud, then weave those choices into the care plan.
Small moves—like using an interpreter or celebrating a religious holiday—can turn a routine service into an identity-building moment.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Carers and service users with intellectual disabilities from minority ethnic groups have typically been reported to be dissatisfied with the social care services they receive. However, service users themselves have rarely been asked directly about their experiences of social care. This paper aims to understand the meaning of social care services in the lives of South Asian women with intellectual disabilities, in the United Kingdom. METHOD AND PROCEDURE: 10 British South Asian women with mild-moderate intellectual disabilities were interviewed about their experiences of social care services. The transcripts were analysed using interpretative phenomenological analysis. RESULTS: The analysis produced three super-ordinate themes, which focus on how services facilitate the development of complex identities, how the participants explored their sense of being 'stuck' between cultures as they negotiated their journeys towards independence, and the triple disadvantage which they experienced as a consequence of the intersection between gender, ethnicity and disability. The participants were broadly satisfied with the role which services played in these domains, and appeared to find them valuable and helpful. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that the participants successfully managed complex identity issues, such as acculturation processes, with the support of services. It may be helpful to give more explicit consideration to the positive role which good services can play in supporting people with intellectual disabilities in the development of their identities and goals, alongside the more traditionally 'concrete' objectives of such social care. Engagement with families in 'positive risk-taking' is likely to be an important component of success.
Research in developmental disabilities, 2017 · doi:10.1016/j.ridd.2017.02.005