This study looked at how people who work with children with disability (such as therapists and other service providers) understand and use family‑centred service in their everyday work. Family‑centred service means working with families to support the entire family, not just treating the child, and supporting parents to feel confident and capable in making decisions for their family. The researchers interviewed 22 Australian service providers to learn how they understand family‑centred service, how they learn to do it, and what helps or gets in the way of using it well in practice.

The study found that most service providers agreed on the idea of family‑centred service, but they did not always use it in the same way in practice. Providers described family‑centred work as a journey that changes over time and looks different for each family. Some focused more on leading families, while others worked to let families guide or lead decisions. Learning to work in family‑centred ways was seen as an ongoing process that happens through experience, support from colleagues, and reflection, rather than just university training. The study also showed that time pressure, workplace systems, funding rules, and providers’ own confidence and beliefs strongly affect how family‑centred their work can be. Importantly, the findings highlight that families should not be seen as a barrier to good practice. When services support reflection, flexibility, teamwork, and shared decision‑making, service providers are better able to work in ways that help support and empower families.

Citation: Britt, K., O’Connor, B., Babic, R., Knight, S., & Imms, C. (2026). Family-centred service in childhood disability: a qualitative study of service providers perspectives on their approaches to practice. Disability and Rehabilitation, 1–17. https://doi.org/10.1080/09638288.2026.2654113