Perceptions of the pastoral care worker role and its effectiveness

Abstract

This thesis discusses the pastoral care worker role as defined by Schools Outreach. Schools Outreach is a charitable Christian organisation who recruit, train and manage the provision of pastoral support in selected schools. The research aims to explore perceptions of the role in two junior schools and the extent to which the interventions of the pastoral care workers are successful. The research methods chosen include interviews, questionnaires, dairy entries and observations. The roles of the two pastoral care workers are researched as are the effectiveness of some of the programmes and activities they are involved with. Findings from the research are considered in the light of proposed national developments in multi-agency work. The author believes that issues encountered during this research are fundamental to the involvement of support services in schools