Survival of the skilful : an ethnographic study of two groups of young people in residential care

This thesis is a study of the experiences of young people living together in groups. It uses two children's homes in the north east of Scotland as its research sites. The ways in which data were collected were devised in consultation with the young people involved and required the researcher to 'live-in' th units for a year long period. This thesis concentrates on the ways in which the young people structured their resident groups and gained status and position within them. It argues that fixed roles or positions were not in play; rather there was constant change and fluidity. Young people, it is argued, gained position through a complex set of negotiations which required them to consider their skills and abilities as well as the social context in which they were operating. This inter-relationship supports some of the ideas put forward by Pierre Bourdieu and the conceptual analysis developed during the course of this thesis draws upon his work. The thesis as a whole contributes to the debates both within the study and practice of residential child care and broader sociological debates around children and young people. It illustrates the wide range of skills and knowledge used by the young people thus challenging bully/victim stereotypes and beliefs about the solely 'negative' influence of peers. Furthermore this thesis demonstrates the ways in which young people use their social agency to negotiate around 'adult' influences and controls

Living alone but eating together: exploring lunch clubs as a dining out experience

Dining out is most often associated with pleasure and gratification, principally since it presents opportunities for sociability. However, access to dining out experiences is influenced by multiple factors, including age. Little is known about the dining out habits of older people. In particular, the food practices of those living alone in the community is under-researched compared to those in hospital or residential care. This study explores the perceptions and preferences of ten older people towards domestic and communal meals in South East Scotland. Qualitative data were generated from 5-day food diaries and in-depth interviews with individuals who lived alone and attended a community-based senior citizen's lunch club. Data were coded and thematically analysed using a symbolic interactionist perspective. A number of key themes were identified, including the meaning of mealtimes. It was found that most participants ate the majority of their meals at home alone. Despite this, dining alone was not necessarily experienced as ‘lonely’. Participants reported that dining out at the lunch club was a pleasurable experience given the social interaction and the separation of consumption from food work. Moreover, due to restricted mobility and limited access to transport, the lunch club was viewed by participants as one of the few places that they could go to dine out

Understanding the resident group

Residential care has long been considered the poor cousin of case work (Ward, 1997). The low morale of residential workers and their sense of isolation from child care policy and practice developments have been well documented (Berridge & Brodie, 1998, Murray & Hill, 1991). Over recent times there has been a move to raise the profile of such practitioners and to identify the complex and skilled role that they perform in the lives of the young people in their care. In many ways this has focused on the work undertaken with the individual young person. Both the inspection process (in terms of identifying care plans, work with individuals and families) and the research approach taken have compounded such a perspective. As a result there has been a lack of information about how staff work with young people as a group, living together and sharing day to day experiences. More noticeably, there is a general lack of understanding as to the way in which the group functions and the meanings such groups may have for young people living in residential care

More than just a bracelet : the use of material symbolism to communicate love

There is growing recognition of the place of love in residential care for children (Smith, 2009). This paper is a critical analysis of a range of existing research on residential child care as well as studies of material culture and of care relationships more broadly. It argues that, despite increasing regulation and surveillance, adults and children find ways to show and feel love in the context of residential care. Whilst love may be regarded as something to be avoided or indeed prohibited in an adult/child care setting these deep bonds find expression in the everyday life of the children's home. By looking at love in this embodied way, the 'realness' of material things to assert connection and recognition of love (Layne, 2000) is examined. As Gorenstein (1996, p.8) suggests 'objects…[are] the perfect vehicles for conveying themes that are not commonly accepted in a community'. The paper emphasises the recognition of these symbolic and metaphorical forms of communication in practice

Book review : Insiders Outsiders: Hidden narratives of care experienced social workers by Mary Carter and Siobhan Maclean (eds)

This powerful and moving collection brings together reflective accounts, extended essays, and poetry, written by social workers with care experience. As I write this first sentence, I am struck by how often the phrase ‘powerful and moving’ is used, and, as a result, how diminished its meaning has become. However, this book has genuine power. The accounts presented hit the reader with an unavoidable force. I found it impossible to put down or walk away from. Power features heavily throughout the book; the misuse of power by adults over children, moments of powerlessness as children and as practitioners, the reclaiming of power through education and action, the power of relationships with people who really care, and how these enrich, alter, and lift up the lives of others

'I see a totally different picture now': an evaluation of knowledge exchange in childcare practice

This article draws on a critical evaluation of a knowledge exchange (KE) project, Food for Thought, devised to promote and develop awareness of the use of food within children's residential and foster care services. From the 22 qualitative interviews conducted, reflections on the differing forms of knowledge incorporated into the design of the project and its outputs are discussed and the limitations of current thinking on 'knowledge exchange' are explored. Finally, links are made to how this reflective approach to practice operationalized and enlivened local and national food and care policies

'You don't have to be watched to make your toast': surveillance and food practices within residential care for young people

This paper explores forms of surveillance within residential care homes for young people. It is argued that surveillance is a crucial aspect of care and this can be experienced as both negative and positive by children and staff. In particular the research was concerned with how forms of control and monitoring are conducted in relation to food and food practices. Relations of power and resistance within the context of a care home are routinely played out and through food. The paper illustrates the ways in which children variously resist and accept regulation and control in relation to food. It also considers the manner in which staff try to implement an ambience and ethos within the care home that is not overtly institutional yet allows them to provide care for the children. In order to achieve this, often contested conceptions of 'family' and 'home' are drawn upon and operationalised through food related practices and interactions. Three residential care homes for children in central Scotland were studied using a mix of interviewing and ethnographic techniques

"Arjen" skotlantilainen ja suomalainen lastensuojelutyö talouskurin aikana: ammattilaisen näkökulma

This article examines the accounts given by child protection practitioners of how the current economic climate has impacted on their practice. We build our discussion on empirical findings emerging from a small but rigorous qualitative research project conducted by one of the authors. This original study examined Scottish and Finnish social workers’ perceptions of their abilities to engage effectively with children and families in what many have described as an ‘age of austerity’. It set out to explore challenges encountered in daily practice through a cross-national comparative thematic analysis. The paper illuminates practitioners’ shared reality of frontline practice in Scottish and Finnish contexts. Despite differing socio-political environments, participating practitioners found austerity measures to impact negatively on both their professional resources and on the communities they work with. Significantly, practitioners regarded themselves as the key resource, taking individual responsibility to ensure families received a quality service. For many, austerity had resulted in greater empathy for families and awareness of the wider economic and structural impact on their lives. The increased centrality of social justice was pivotal to everyday practice

Everyday Care: What Helps Adults Help Children in Residential Childcare?

Over the last decade, there has been an increasing trend towards the use of ‘therapeutic models’ in residential childcare settings in the U.K. and elsewhere. While some have argued that these developments have been driven, at least in part, by free market funding environments and organisational survival needs, others have suggested that many of these models, despite some of their theoretical and conceptual differences, offer a useful approach. Drawing on findings from an ethnographic research project in a residential setting in Scotland, we argue that the underlying processes of implementing and embedding a therapeutic model can create conditions that are conducive to the provision of high-quality, effective, relationship-based practice, which has real benefits for children in their everyday worlds. Moreover, we argue that the model itself is somewhat beside the point. If residential organisations can facilitate safe, ongoing opportunities for staff to (a) think deeply about themselves and others (children and staff), (b) practice ways of being and doing, and (c) be seen and valued, then this can contribute to a practice culture and context in which they feel able to create genuine, caring relationships with children. We argue that it is within these everyday, genuine, caring relationships that children can recover from difficult experiences such as neglect and abuse. In this way, the ‘therapeutic’ focus should be primarily directed at the adults to enable children to get on with being children

"It's not as easy as saying, 'just get them to eat more veggies'": Exploring healthy eating in residential care in Australia

Young people living in residential out-of-home care (henceforth OoHC) are at increased risk of becoming overweight or obese. Currently, recognition of the everyday mechanisms that might be contributing to excess weight for children and young people in this setting is limited. The aim of this study was to better understand the barriers and complexities involved in the provision of a ‘healthy’ food environment in residential OoHC. Heightening awareness of these factors and how they might compromise a young person's physical health, will inform the development, refinement and evaluation of more sensitive and tailored weight-related interventions for this population. The paper presents a nuanced picture of the complexity of everyday food routines in residential care, and illustrates the ways in which food is ‘done’ in care; how food can be both symbolic of care but also used to exercise control; the way in which food can be used to create a ‘family-like’ environment; and the impact of traumatic experiences in childhood on subsequent behaviours and overall functioning in relation to food. It is argued that a health agenda designed for a mainstream population ignores the very complex relationship that children in residential OoHC may have with food. It is recommended that future intervention approaches account for personal food biographies, trauma and children's social backgrounds and how these are implicated in everyday practices and interactions around food