Outcomes for looked after children

Data on 242 children looked after by six local authorities between 1st April 1996 and 31st March 1997, and who were still in care or accommodation 12-24 months later revealed that the largest group in this long stay sample were babies admitted before their first birthday. An in-depth study was conducted to explore the life pathways and decision-making process for these very young children

Balancing looked after children's protective, provisional and participatory rights in research, policy and practice

In England around 68,000 children are currently looked after by the state. Sixty two per cent of this population are admitted to care or accommodation in response to abuse and neglect. As the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child acknowledges, the state has a unique responsibility for these children and is expected to ensure their safety, wellbeing and development. Underpinned by a rights-based framework the publications in the thesis make an original contribution to social work research, policy and practice, in respect of looked after children nationally and internationally. Three cohering theoretical strands - the new sociology of childhood, attachment theory and focal theory, and different methodological lenses, (from participatory research with young people to cross-national analysis of administrative data), are employed to advance understanding of the balance of protective, provisional and participatory rights ( 3 Ps ) for these children and young people. The work focuses upon their life pathways at two key stages in the lifespan: early infancy and adolescence into adulthood. Consistent with the theoretical underpinnings of the research, the methodological approach employed in two of the four core studies sought to promote children s active participation in the research process, and to give them a voice . The participatory peer methodology adopted moved beyond involving care experienced young people in interviewing their peers, to training and engaging them in several major aspects of the research cycle, including analysis of the data and the design and write up of the findings, to produce accessible peer research reports for young people. At the national level the work undertaken demonstrates how a needs-based discourse, and orientation towards considering looked after children as objects of concern, can mean that young children s protective rights may be prioritised in policy and practice, at the expense of their provisional and participatory rights. Children s participation rights are also constrained due to assumptions about the (in)capacities of younger children to express their wishes and feelings. In this context parents rights tend to be prioritised at the expense of the rights of the child. Whereas parents rights may take precedence when children are young, in adolescence the rights of parents are more peripheral. Cross-national comparisons reveal variations in how young people s provisional, participatory and protective rights are balanced as young people negotiate the transition from care to adulthood in western societies, as well as different drivers for reform. Empirical research on recent policy developments in England also illuminates the tensions and dilemmas professionals can face as they attempt to protect and provide for young people, whilst recognising their evolving capabilities and their right to autonomy and active participation in decision making processes. Finally, the studies highlight that young people with the most complex care histories may be denied the right to decide for themselves if they want to remain in foster or residential care into early adulthood

Placement stability: a review of the literature

This literature review was commissioned by the Department for Education and Skills to provide a summary of current knowledge on patterns of placement stability for children looked after by local authorities. It offers an appraisal of research that has been undertaken in England since 1989. The timeframe focuses attention on studies undertaken following the implementation of the Children Act 1989, with the exception of Child Care Now: A survey of placement patterns (Rowe et al., 1989) which has also been included on the basis that it describes movement in and out of care and within the system for a large sample of looked after children 1

The impact of more flexible assessment practices in response to the Munro review of child protection: emerging findings from the trials

The Munro Review of Child Protection recommended reducing statutory guidance on safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children in order to promote local autonomy and increase the scope for practitioners to exercise their professional judgement. Proposed measures included removing the distinction between initial and core (in-depth) assessments and associated (fixed statutory) timescales for their completion. Between March and September 2011 the Secretary of State for Education issued formal directions to eight local authorities (Westminster, Knowsley, Cumbria, Hackney, Kensington and Chelsea, Hammersmith and Fulham, Wandsworth and Islington) to test more flexible assessment practices. The Childhood Wellbeing Research Centre (CWRC) was commissioned by the Department for Education (DfE) to undertake a piece of rapid response work between April and July 2012 to independently evaluate the effect that the flexibilities granted to the trial authorities have had on practice and service responses to safeguard children from harm. A mixed methodology was adopted to investigate the effectiveness of conflating the initial and core assessments into one assessment and the possible effect of the local determination of timescales for assessments and when the initial child protection conference should be held following a strategy discussion

Undertaking serious case reviews using the Social Care Institute for Excellence (SCIE) learning together systems model: lessons from the pilots

Undertaking serious case reviews using the Social Care Institute for Excellence (SCIE) learning together systems model: lessons from the pilot

Evaluation of the effectiveness of the new local safeguarding children boards (LSCBS)

Introduction Local Safeguarding Children Boards (LSCBs) were implemented in April 2006 to replace Area Child Protection Committees (ACPCs). The Boards have a statutory responsibility to co-ordinate and ensure the effectiveness of the work of partner bodies to safeguard and promote the welfare of children. LSCB functions include: the development of policies and procedures for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children; communicating and raising awareness; participating in planning and commissioning children’s services; collecting and analysing information about child deaths; undertaking serious case reviews and monitoring and evaluating the effectiveness of what is done. The Centre for Research in Social Policy (CRSP), in partnership with the Centre for Children and Family Research (CCFR) (both based at Loughborough University) are undertaking an evaluation to explore the structures and processes adopted by LSCBs to fulfil their core functions. The study will also examine whether these new structures and processes have overcome identified weaknesses of Area Child Protection Committees (ACPCs) and promoted co-operation between services responsible for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children

The transition to adulthood for young people leaving public care: international comparisons and perspectives.

Background A growing body of international research findings had revealed the poor outcomes for looked after children, in comparison to children who had not been in care, especially in relation to their education, health and wellbeing. These findings had also shown the high risk of social exclusion of young people making the transition from care to adulthood. They were far more likely than young people who had not been in care to have poorer educational qualifications, be younger parents, be homeless, and have higher levels of unemployment, offending behaviour and mental health problems. In 2003 a seminar held in Brussels brought together, for the first time, researchers from Europe, the Middle East, Canada and the United States, to begin to explore in depth the issues underpinning these research findings

Supporting children and families : an evaluation of the Derbyshire NCH Children’s Support Service

Parental separation and divorce affects many children and their families. The Derbyshire NCH Children’s Support Service aims to reduce the negative impacts of family conflict on children, by offering them up to six sessions with a support worker. This evaluation was conducted to examine service user and stakeholder perceptions of the role, value and purpose of the service and to identify strengths and weaknesses in what is provided

Peer research methodology: an effective method for obtaining young people’s perspectives on transitions from care to adulthood?

Peer research has the potential to empower young people to participate in research by minimising power imbalances between researchers and participants; this may reduce bias and promote improved understanding to inform policy and practice. However, these benefits are not automatic; the relative inexperience of peer researchers adds layers of complexity to the research process. Moreover, the validity of findings from research adopting less traditional methods may be questioned and policy makers may be cautious about accepting this evidence, thus limiting its contribution and impact. This paper explores the advancement of participatory peer researcher methodology in research with children in and leaving care and ethical, practical and data quality issues that arose in two studies exploring young people’s transitions from care to adulthood. It concludes that the peer research methodology can yield rich data but that adequate resources and effective research management are crucial. The authors also caution against a reductionist approach that privileges peer research methodology above other methods of inquiry in the study of transitions from care to adulthood

Local safeguarding children board chairs' perspectives on responding to recommendations outlined in the Munro Review of Child Protection: findings from a national survey

In February 2012 an online survey was distributed to all 148 local safeguarding children boards (LSCBs) in England to explore the following issues: the potential implications of increasing local autonomy and reducing prescription by central government interagency working relationships to support effective safeguarding practice prevention and early help strengthening accountabilities and creating a learning system This working paper provides an overview of the findings from the survey and offers an insight into the activities that LSCBs, children’s services and partner agencies have been engaged in as they have sought to respond to the ambitions outlined in the Munro Review