What is a Parent Carer?
A parent carer fulfils the role of both a parent and a carer. They are typically responsible for the care and support of a child or young person with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) while also fulfilling the duties of a parent.
How the network could support your research
We hope The Parent Carer Research Network can become a helpful resource for researchers and parent carers. The network serves two primary purposes:
1. Collecting Research Participation Opportunities: The network collects and organizes research opportunities relevant to parent carers and their families. This includes studies that focus on parent carers and those studying children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND). The network also aims to ensure that parent carer voices are heard in “mainstream” research across various fields of study.
2. Supporting Researchers in Participant Recruitment: Besides curating research opportunities, the network will assist researchers in reaching out to potential participants from the parent carer community.
Researchers benefit from the network by gaining access to a diverse group of parent carers willing to participate in studies, consulting with them to gain valuable insights and expertise, collaborating on research projects to ensure relevance and impact, seeking feedback on research proposals and findings, and disseminating their findings to a broader audience. Ultimately, the Parent Carer Research Network aims to foster collaboration where both parent carers and researchers benefit, enhancing the quality and impact of research in this important area.
Parent carers within the network often possess valuable insights and expertise related to their experiences. Researchers can benefit from consulting with these individuals to gain a deeper understanding of parent carers’ challenges, needs, and preferences.
By working together, researchers can ensure that their studies are more relevant, meaningful, and impactful for the parent carer community.
Once research studies are completed, the network could assist researchers in disseminating their findings to a broader audience of parent carers. This ensures that the research has a greater impact and reaches those who can benefit from it the most.
How much does it cost?
No charge is attached to us for sharing your recruitment materials through the network. The Parent Carer Research Network prioritises the well-being of parent carers and values their time. Therefore, while we aim to share as many studies as possible promptly, we will prioritise studies that offer a financial incentive or remuneration for participants on our platform. We strongly believe in recognising and compensating parent carers for their time and contributions to research.
As a new organisation, we are still finding our footing and exploring ways to sustain our services. We are committed to keeping our platform accessible and supportive for both parent carers and researchers. While we may consider charging for some services in the future, any costs associated with the network will never be prohibitively high. We plan to seek alternative funding streams to support our operations as we grow.
Get in touch to tell us about your study, and we will endeavour to share it with our networks as soon as possible.
Parent Carer Research Network 