Relationships and Recognition: Support Relationships between Young People with Cognitive Disability and Support Workers

Relationships and Recognition: Support Relationships between Young People with Cognitive Disability and Support Workers

(ARC Linkage Project LP150100013)

This project sought to better understand the working relationships between young people with cognitive disability and their paid support workers. Using recognition theory, it focused on exploring what helps young people and support workers to feel cared for, respected and valued in their relationships with each other. It is also investigating what happens when they don’t feel this sense of recognition.

Research Design

The project had three key phases:

1: Review of policies about working relationship

2: Research with young people and their support workers about their experience of working together. Using photo-research methods and pictorial mapping, young people and their support workers have worked in pairs to relay their thoughts and experiences.

3. An online survey with young people and support workers to extend Phase 2 findings. Young people with disability are embedded in every stage of the project, working as community researchers, advising the project through a Young People’s Advisory Group, and through the methods of the research.

Research team Investigators:

A/Prof Sally Robinson (CCYP, SCU), Prof Anne Graham (CCYP, SCU), Dr Kate Neale (CCYP, SCU), Jaimsie Speeding (CCYP, SCU), Prof Karen Fisher (SPRC, UNSW), Prof Kelley Johnson (SPRC, UNSW), Sandra Gendera (SPRC, UNSW), Dr Ed Hall (University of Dundee). Research Partners: Gordon Duff (National Disability Services), NSW Family and Community Services, Suzanna Poredos (Northcott), Alex Varley (Northcott).

Academic Publications

Robinson, S., Hall, E., Fisher, K. R., Graham, A., Johnson, K., & Neale, K. (2021). Using the ‘inbetween’ to build quality in support relationships with people with cognitive disability: the significance of liminal spaces and time. Social & Cultural Geography, 1-20.


Fisher, K.R., Robinson, S., Neale, K., Graham, A., Davy, L., Johnson, K., & Hall, E. (2020). 
Impact of Organisational Practices on the Relationships between Young People with Disabilities and Paid Social Support Workers. Journal of Social Work. doi:1468017320954351.


Robinson, S., Graham, A., Fisher, K.R., Neale, K., Davy, L. & Johnson, K. (2020). Understanding 
paid support relationships: possibilities for mutual recognition between young people with disability and their support workers. Disability & Society. https://doi.org/10.1080/09687599.2020.1794797.


Robinson, S., Blaxland, M. Fisher, K.R., Johnson, K., Kuang, C., Graham, A., and Neale, K. (2020). 
Recognition in relationships between young people with cognitive disabilities and support workers, Children and Youth Services Review https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2020.105177 


Fisher, K., Gendera, S., Graham, A., Johnson, K., Robinson, S. and Neale, K. (2019) Disability and support relationships: What role does policy play? Australian Journal of Public Administration 78(1) 37-55 

Non-academic Publications

Hepburn, J., Despott, N., Davy, L., Fisher, K.R., Robinson, S., Speeding, J, Poredos, S., Neale, K., West, R., Laragy, C., (2018). Working Together Better: A Guide to Building a Stronger Working Relationship. Training Workbook, Inclusion Designlab: Melbourne.  

Neale, K., Robinson, S., Speeding, J., & Poredos, S. (2017) Relationships and Recognition: photos about working together. Lismore. Southern Cross University.