Pillars of Independent Living Focus Groups
About the study
This study is about understanding disabled people’s experiences and views across the 12 pillars of independent living. The study will involve focus group discussions with disabled people from a range of backgrounds, including people with different physical, learning, developmental or mental health conditions, as well as across different ages, genders, ethnicities, geographical locations and employment statuses.
The 12 pillars of independent living are:
- Appropriate and accessible information
- An adequate income
- Appropriate and accessible health and social care provisions
- A fully accessible transport system
- Full access to the environment
- Adequate technical aids and equipment
- Accessible and adapted housing
- Adequate personal assistance
- Inclusive education and training
- Equal opportunities for employment
- Independent advocacy and self-advocacy
- Availability of peer counselling
You can find more information about the 12 pillars on the Action on Disability website: Understanding Independent Living here.
The Office for Equality and Opportunity (OEO), within the Cabinet Office (CO) has asked the National Centre for Social Research (NatCen), an independent research organisation, to carry out this research.
Your participation is:
- Voluntary – you don’t have to take part if you don’t want to.
- Confidential – your identity will not be linked to your answers. Your answers will be combined with other people’s and not shared individually with the CO.
- For research purposes only.
The conversation aims to understand:
- Your lived experiences,
- Your views on the 12 pillars of independent living,
- How you would define the 12 pillars of independent living,
- Things that have helped or made it harder for you to live independently, including in relation to the 12 pillars of independent living.
Who is carrying out the research?
The research is being conducted by NatCen:
- NatCen is Britain’s largest independent social research agency.
- NatCen has over 50 years of experience working with charities and government to understand public views on important issues.
- The research is being completed on behalf of the CO. However, NatCen operates separately from the CO.
- NatCen will conduct the conversations, analyse data collected, and write a report outlining the findings for the CO.
What are the benefits of taking part?
Your answers will help the OEO build government knowledge on disabled people’s lived experience across the pillars, including key enablers and barriers. By taking part, your lived experiences and views can help the OEO understand what independent living means for disabled people, and this helps make sure that the voices of disabled people are included in the disability research and policy work carried out by the CO.
As a thank you for taking part, you will receive a £50 Love2shop digital voucher that can be used in many high street shops. You can find more information about Love2shop here.
What does taking part involve?
Taking part involves attending a 90-minute online focus group with up to 7 other participants (8 in total, in addition to two researchers from NatCen in attendance).
In your focus group there will be people from different backgrounds, and with different experiences and perspectives. We will encourage everyone to share their own views and listen respectfully to others. There are no right or wrong answers. This focus group will be led by a trained NatCen researcher who will ensure everyone has a chance to speak, that discussions remain respectful, and conversations stay on topic. There will be another NatCen researcher present to support when necessary and take notes.
We will ask for your permission to audio-record the discussions so we can accurately capture what is said. All your contributions will be anonymous in the report we write.
Please note that the CO will not know whether you have taken part. Your confidentiality and anonymity will be protected by NatCen. Everyone participating in the focus group will also be expected to respect each other’s confidentiality during and after the focus group.
Why am I being asked to take part?
You have been invited because either our internal NatCen Panel or our partner research recruitment agency, Criteria Fieldwork, has found you to be eligible to participate in the research.
Do I have to take part?
You don’t have to take part if you don’t want to. You can contact NatCen either by phone on 0808 281 0309 or by email at IndependentLivingResearch@natcen.ac.uk if you would prefer not to be contacted about this research again.
Is the study confidential?
Yes, all information provided will be treated in strict confidence under GDPR (2018).
- Personal details are securely held by NatCen and not shared outside the research team.
- Data is used solely for research purposes and not for marketing or other uses.
- Responses are anonymised; the CO cannot identify individuals.
- NatCen will delete personal data within one year of the conversation.
- NatCen processes data under its public task as the lawful basis.
- All data is securely managed and kept confidential.
- Participants will also be advised and expected to respect each other’s confidentiality during and after the focus group.
For more information on how your data will be used, visit the privacy notice:
Contact us:
If you have any questions, please contact us on IndependentLivingResearch@natcen.ac.uk or call us free on 0808 281 0309 If you wish to contact the CO about this study, you can email them on edadcorrespondence@cabinetoffice.gov.uk.
Further Support:
If you've been affected by issues raised in the conversation, here are some helplines that may be useful. Click here.
Privacy notice:
To read more about why and how the personal data (also called personal information) you provide is being used, visit the Natcen privacy notice & CABINET OFFICE’S PRIVACY NOTICE.