Relationships and recognition: strengthening quality in working relationships between young people with cognitive disability and paid support workers

This research used a disability inclusive research design and photo-rich participatory methods to explore paid support relationships between 42 pairs of young people and their support workers; extended by a survey with both groups. Drawing on recognition theory (Honneth, 1995; 2004) and social geography (Hall 2010, 2012), the study explored people’s experiences of being valued, respected and cared about in their work together. Our study considered what was happening when people felt this way, and when they did not, as well as experiences of misrecognition.

Feeling valued, respected and cared about are different but connected aspects of recognition. They are important for support relationships because experiences of interpersonal recognition and misrecognition potentially impact on young people’s identity – their self-confidence, self-respect and self-esteem – and, to some extent, they also impact similarly on their support workers.

These experiences, in turn, are critical to achieving the goals of current disability policy and practice about promoting choice and control, building quality in support, and workforce development. For these reasons, organisations may benefit from considering the potential significance of the paid support relationship between young people and workers to foster conditions for mutual recognition.