Responsiveness’ and the corporate parent:What does the concept of responsiveness mean to practitioners supporting the corporate parenting role and does responsiveness impact on practitioner interactions with young people?

Abstract

The literature reflects a mixed picture about the experiences of looked after young people, although one consistent theme is the importance of supportive adults. As interactions are key to developing support, this study has explored these with education practitioners and social workers, two strands of the ‘corporate parent’. The notion of responsiveness is explored as it is understood as key to parental interactions in the literature, and guidance suggests the importance of responsive practice. However, there has been little attention paid to it with these professional groups. To address this gap, this study has used a phenomenographic approach to investigate responsiveness, through semi structured interviews with ten practitioners. The study has sought to understand what responsiveness means to practitioners, its role during interactions with looked after young people, and the relevance to practice. Due to the shared nature of the ‘corporate parent’, the study has focused on gaining a collective understanding of responsiveness. The findings offer a new way of thinking about responsiveness, through five categories, which highlight its multifaceted nature. Building relationships, and a consideration of time, are central to how responsiveness is enabled in practice. It is argued that responsive practice takes place when practitioners create meaningful interactions, and by focusing on routine aspects of practice. Moreover, interactions and practitioner responses are identified as having an essential role when supporting looked after young people, and are presented as an important area for attention