title: The complex role of social care services in supporting the development of sustainable identities: Insights from the experiences of British South Asian women with intellectual disabilities.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Carers and service users with intellectual disabilities from minority ethnic groups have typically been reported to be dissatisfied with the social care services they receive. However, service users themselves have rarely been asked directly about their experiences of social care. This paper aims to understand the meaning of social care services in the lives of South Asian women with intellectual disabilities, in the United Kingdom.
  
  
  METHODS
  10 British South Asian women with mild-moderate intellectual disabilities were interviewed about their experiences of social care services. The transcripts were analysed using interpretative phenomenological analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The analysis produced three super-ordinate themes, which focus on how services facilitate the development of complex identities, how the participants explored their sense of being 'stuck' between cultures as they negotiated their journeys towards independence, and the triple disadvantage which they experienced as a consequence of the intersection between gender, ethnicity and disability. The participants were broadly satisfied with the role which services played in these domains, and appeared to find them valuable and helpful.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results suggest that the participants successfully managed complex identity issues, such as acculturation processes, with the support of services. It may be helpful to give more explicit consideration to the positive role which good services can play in supporting people with intellectual disabilities in the development of their identities and goals, alongside the more traditionally 'concrete' objectives of such social care. Engagement with families in 'positive risk-taking' is likely to be an important component of success.
authors.affiliation: School of Psychology, The University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham B15 2TT, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Kulsoom Jawaid
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Malik
authors.affiliation: School of Psychology, The University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham B15 2TT, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Gemma
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Unwin
authors.affiliation: School of Psychology, The University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham B15 2TT, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Larkin
authors.affiliation: School of Psychology, The University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham B15 2TT, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Biza Stenfert
authors.initials: BS
authors.lastname: Kroese
authors.affiliation: School of Psychology, The University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham B15 2TT, United Kingdom. Electronic address: j.l.rose@bham.ac.uk.
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rose
mesh_terms: D000069:Acculturation; D000328:Adult; D001211:Asia, Western / Q000208:ethnology; D001290:Attitude; D005006:Ethnicity / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008607:Intellectual Disability / Q000523:psychology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D008913:Minority Groups / Q000523:psychology; D036301:Qualitative Research; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012933:Social Identification; D012947:Social Work; D006113:United Kingdom; D014930:Women / Q000523:psychology*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Culture; IPA; Intellectual disabilities; Learning disabilities; Qualitative; Social care services; South Asian women