Parent Pathway

Some of you know that here at Positive Steps we have physio students who join us throughout the year.

Giving them the hands-on experience of working in various settings across the city. Our team works with the students closely to encourage them on their chosen career.

Our ethos is to give our clients freedom to move better and do what they love doing, finding new ways for our clients to thrive and to find ways that this can be done.

We also believe that the client journey matters. We understand the challenges you face as parents/carers when navigating the world of disability, the hurdles you face and the fight at times for your child's basic needs.

We know of the struggles and difficulties you face daily but we also can see the abundance of unconditional love, joy and laughter your children bring to your family and to the people they meet.

Unless a person has walked in your shoes they can never truly understand the levels of emotions you as a family experience.

The parent pathway came about from our desire to show students the lives of our families from your perspective. We wanted them to hear the struggles you face in your own words.

We approached parents to ask if they were willing to share their stories with us, we know it’s a big ask, and we were honoured that they agreed.

The parent pathway presentation was born. The presentation encompasses videos of local parents taking on a variety of topics of the emotions of the diagnostic process, school, respite, living as a single-parent family, attending appointments and their fears for the child’s future.

We also approached siblings to ask how life has affected them growing up. There are various research papers on the effects of siblings and like most research there is always opposing views but to hear stories from local people who have lived their lives with their disabled sibling brings the stories to life. They shared their worries growing up, their concerns for their siblings’ future but ultimately the admiration they shared for their parents and the celebration of goals of their disabled siblings no matter how big or small.

The parent pathway also looks at what you as a family want from a professional entering your home and working with your family. We look at the importance of summarising what has been said to have concise communication and the importance to work with other agencies to always make sure the needs of the person you are there to support is paramount.

We wanted the students to strive to do their best in any situation but also to be aware they may not always succeed in their expected goals but to never try is the saddest part.

We wanted the students to have an opportunity to glimpse into your lives to understand your journey and encounter the many emotions you ride on the rollercoaster of being a parent/carer of a child/young adult with a disability.

We would say the majority of students have gone away with a renewed respect for our families. The insight has been invaluable and we cannot thank the parents enough who have taken the time to share their lives with us.

One of the students on placement wrote a beautiful reflection and we would like to share just a few extracts from that reflection.

“This experience has broadened my understanding of the psychosocial impact of childhood disability on families. It reinforced the importance of recognising parents as experts in their child’s care as they know them better than anybody else, echoing the principles of family-centred practice.”

“Moving forward I will keep this information with me for the future and be mindful of how I approach situations with families, ensuring I communicate with empathy and respect, recognising that every family has a different journey and coping strategies. From this, I will avoid making assumptions, always ensure the parent/carer understands the information given, view them as part of the team and be more proactive in supporting families without judgment.”

“It has shown me how strong and resilient these parents and carers truly are.”

The words a professional may use during any consultation can stay with you for a lifetime whether they be negative or positive.

The hope of the parent pathway is for the students to take away a level of understanding of the rollercoaster of emotions you face on a daily basis, to actively listen without judgement, to have an empathic approach and to have clear, concise communication.

We hope in the future that the students who have attended placement with our practice will use these skills in their chosen career. Who knows, you may come across them once they are qualified.

Louise Hudson – 12/05/2026