Hidden Harm: Safeguarding Family Carers from Carer Harm (SAFE_FCarer)
Funding Organisation & Programme: Irish Research Council/ New Foundations funding scheme
Principal Investigator: (opens in a new window)Dr Sarah Donnelly, Asst. Professor of Social Work, School of Social Policy, Social Work and Social Justice.
Background
This study is being undertaken by Sarah Donnelly and builds on her previous adult safeguarding desk-based and empirical research over the last five years. The global challenge of ageing populations and increasing numbers of people requiring care mean that by 2030, one in five Irish people will be a family caregiver (FCI, 2019). In 2019, FCI surveyed 1,102 family carers exploring health, wellbeing and burden of carer. 90% of respondents were female and almost half (44%) of carers reported that they regularly experienced either physical aggression or verbal/emotional abuse as part of their caring role.This figure shines a light on a hidden aspect of caregiving that is seldom discussed. ‘Carer harm’ is when carers experience violence or become subject to controlling or coercive behaviour, either on an incidental or systematic basis, resulting in physical, psychological and/or sexual harm (Isham et al.2020, p.2).
While the risk of deterioration in carers’ health and wellbeing as a result of caring has been well documented, there is also clear evidence of the significant, long-term negative impact on the health of those carers who experience harm or abuse (FCI,2019). Service users report a very low awareness of HSE Safeguarding and Protection Teams as a place to report harm and difficulties seeking help in family abuse because of fear of repercussions (Sheehan and O’Sullivan, 2021). Practitioners struggle to engage with families’ testimonies about harm in the context of care and illness, and there have been calls for stakeholders to work more proactively with families when care and violence intersect (Isham et al.2020).
Aims and Objectives
This study sets out to carry out secondary data analysis (SDA) of an existing qualitative data set from Family Carers Ireland (FCI) to gain deeper insights into the lived experience of family carers experiencing harm by the person they care for. It will explore the concept of carer harm from the perspective of FCI Carer Support Managers and other relevant professionals including, social workers, public health nurses, Gardaí, NGOs and advocacy groups. Finally, it will develop and co-design information and education resources for Family Carers, FCI Carer Support Workers and other professionals in order to better understand, prevent and respond to carer harm.
What Questions does the research address?
- What are the perceptions and experiences of family carers of carer harm by the person they are caring for?
- How can professionals and service providers better support family carers experiencing carer harm?
Methodological Approach
The project deploys an engaged research approach that focuses on producing knowledge in collaboration with the project partner, family carers and professionals. The research design is mapped out over three work packages combining a multimethod approach that uses secondary data analysis, qualitative exploration and co-design.
Research Design will include:
- In-depth thematic analysis of secondary qualitative data set (WP1: Months 1-3)
- Focus Group x I with FCI Carer Support Managers and Focus Groups x 2 with professionals and service providers in order to explore local practice and generate evidence synthesis (WP2: Month 4-5)
- World Café Co-Design Workshop with Family Carers, FCI Carer Support Workers, professionals, and service providers. Content will be informed by evidence gathered in WP 1 and 2 (WP3: Month 6)
- Development of information resources and Practice Guide (WP3: Months 6-9)
Expected Outcomes
The project has several expected outcomes:
Policy and Practice: Generate new evidence to advance understandings of carer harm and professional responses. The development of information booklets for family carers will help raise awareness of carer harm, empower family carers to protect themselves and to seek help. Translation of evidence into practice providing professionals with practice guidance on how to better support family carers experiencing harm.
Societal: Enhance protection and supports of family carers experiencing harm, thus working towards government goals of better supporting family carers and improving national adult safeguarding processes
Academic: Impact international literature re: family cares experiencing carer harm.
For more information please contact Dr Sarah Donnelly. Email: (opens in a new window)Sarah.Donnelly@ucd.ie