The article describes a pilot study about a model for research on social conditions for institutional encounters between parents/custodians and professionals within habilitation services in Sweden. The main aim in using the model is to involve both parts in the institutional meeting in the research through critical analysis of how parent-professional collaboration is constructed within this frame. The model builds on sequences of interviews and observations of the encounters. The model could easy be applied in other institutional settings, where conversations are in use for planning interventions. The article discusses the social conditions for institutional encounters and parent collaboration and individual plans as tools in the processes.