The experiences of Black African parents on partnership: Working with education professionals in the English special education needs and disability system

Reforms to special education policy in England have emphasised the importance of parents being involved in decision-making about their child’s education and greater control over their child’s support. This study’s research questions investigated four Black African parents of children with special educational needs and disability (SEND) living in England and their experiences of working in partnership with education professionals to support their children, as well as exploring the barriers to effective partnership between Black African parents and education professionals. A critical approach was taken to understand how issues of power such as race and socio-economic status, combined with the parents own African culture, affected their interactions with education professionals who hold an entirely different contextual disposition. The parents took part in semi-structured interviews which were thematically analysed. Three overarching themes were identified: Communication (which focused on issues such as language, articulation and communication styles ); cultural barriers (which encompassed the cultural differences between the parents and the education professionals) ; and the parent-professional relationship (which was key for the parents to navigate the SEND system). Recommendations for practice such as professionals building more trust with parents, engaging more with cultural competency training and evaluating the accessibility of their current services are discussed.