This thesis explored children and parents’ experiences of respiratory assistance. A systematic literature review synthesised qualitative studies exploring children and adolescents’ experiences and perceptions of living with respiratory assistance. Most children recognised the important function of respiratory assistance on their physical health. They spoke of positive social experiences and some challenges they had experienced. Children discussed their experiences of healthcare providers and offered suggestions, based on their experiences, for future service provision. The review concludes that children’s perspectives provide a valuable contribution to the growing evidence base, however more in-depth explorations are needed. A second paper presents findings from an empirical study, qualitatively exploring parents’ experiences of caring for a child with a tracheostomy. This study was guided by the principles of interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA), with semi-structured interviews conducted with seven participants. Three super-ordinate themes emerged from the data; all interlinked and signify the complex and emotional trajectory of caring for a child with a tracheostomy. The findings raised questions as to whether parents’ emotional needs are being met and suggest parents could benefit from additional support from healthcare providers. Implications for clinical practice and recommendations for future research, particularly, longitudinal studies exploring parents’ adjustment to tracheostomy care are discussed. The third paper discusses implications for clinical practice that arose from the literature review and empirical paper and emphasises how the thesis explored an understudied area. This thesis concludes with personal reflections on conducting this valuable research.