Pub Date : 2023-12-01DOI: 10.1177/03085759231211611
Stacey Rose O’ Sullivan-Hayes, Yvonne Melia, Faiza Nazir
Almost half of Special Guardians are grandparents, typically single grandmothers, who are required to facilitate and maintain relationships between parents and children if deemed in the child’s best interests. Current literature suggests that Special Guardians navigate complex family situations, support children with developmental trauma histories and receive scant support. Only limited research has examined the lived experiences of Special Guardians, especially using qualitative methods. Further exploration into such experiences may allow for better understanding and more specialised support for Special Guardians and the children they care for. The current research involved semi-structured interviews with six grandparent Special Guardians. Using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) five themes were constructed that highlighted some of the social, emotional, relational and financial difficulties they experienced from taking on the role. Compared to foster or adoptive carers, Special Guardians felt undervalued and abandoned by services. After a Special Guardianship Order (SGO) has been awarded, to encourage positive relationships Special Guardians may benefit from trauma training, peer and therapeutic support, as well as more whole family support. Plain Language Summary This study aimed to develop further insights into the experiences of grandparents taking on the role of Special Guardianship and the subsequent impact on relationships within the family. Interviews with six grandmothers were used to create space for grandparent Special Guardians to share and reflect on their experiences. Using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA), interviews identified five key themes that appeared particularly meaningful or common across those who took part. The findings suggest that grandparent Special Guardians are navigating a complex role in the absence of support around them. This can lead to or increase difficulties in relationships with their own children and can affect relationships and dynamics in the wider family. Many grandparent Special Guardians had experienced social, emotional, relational and financial difficulties since taking on the role, supporting their grandchildren alongside managing these difficulties, often alone. This can increase the likelihood of negative outcomes for themselves, their children, their grandchildren and the wider family. While grandparent Special Guardians are responsible for caring for their grandchildren under a Special Guardianship Order (SGO), local authorities (LAs) have a shared responsibility to provide families with relevant support. The findings suggest that LAs are largely failing in their duty to do so. Support with facilitating contact, trauma and attachment training, support around the family unit and respite opportunities could lead to more positive outcomes for such families and their wider relationships.
{"title":"A heavy weight, yet empowering: Grandparent Special Guardians’ lived experiences of the role and family dynamics - An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA)","authors":"Stacey Rose O’ Sullivan-Hayes, Yvonne Melia, Faiza Nazir","doi":"10.1177/03085759231211611","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/03085759231211611","url":null,"abstract":"Almost half of Special Guardians are grandparents, typically single grandmothers, who are required to facilitate and maintain relationships between parents and children if deemed in the child’s best interests. Current literature suggests that Special Guardians navigate complex family situations, support children with developmental trauma histories and receive scant support. Only limited research has examined the lived experiences of Special Guardians, especially using qualitative methods. Further exploration into such experiences may allow for better understanding and more specialised support for Special Guardians and the children they care for. The current research involved semi-structured interviews with six grandparent Special Guardians. Using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) five themes were constructed that highlighted some of the social, emotional, relational and financial difficulties they experienced from taking on the role. Compared to foster or adoptive carers, Special Guardians felt undervalued and abandoned by services. After a Special Guardianship Order (SGO) has been awarded, to encourage positive relationships Special Guardians may benefit from trauma training, peer and therapeutic support, as well as more whole family support. Plain Language Summary This study aimed to develop further insights into the experiences of grandparents taking on the role of Special Guardianship and the subsequent impact on relationships within the family. Interviews with six grandmothers were used to create space for grandparent Special Guardians to share and reflect on their experiences. Using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA), interviews identified five key themes that appeared particularly meaningful or common across those who took part. The findings suggest that grandparent Special Guardians are navigating a complex role in the absence of support around them. This can lead to or increase difficulties in relationships with their own children and can affect relationships and dynamics in the wider family. Many grandparent Special Guardians had experienced social, emotional, relational and financial difficulties since taking on the role, supporting their grandchildren alongside managing these difficulties, often alone. This can increase the likelihood of negative outcomes for themselves, their children, their grandchildren and the wider family. While grandparent Special Guardians are responsible for caring for their grandchildren under a Special Guardianship Order (SGO), local authorities (LAs) have a shared responsibility to provide families with relevant support. The findings suggest that LAs are largely failing in their duty to do so. Support with facilitating contact, trauma and attachment training, support around the family unit and respite opportunities could lead to more positive outcomes for such families and their wider relationships.","PeriodicalId":92743,"journal":{"name":"Adoption & fostering","volume":" 11","pages":"434 - 452"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"138615445","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-12-01DOI: 10.1177/03085759231217673
Dennis Golm
The December 2023 issue of Adoption & Fostering includes an article from the English and Romanian Adoptees (ERA) study established by the late Professor Sir Michael Rutter (Rutter, 1998). The prospective longitudinal study follows a cohort of adoptees into young adulthood who experienced severe deprivation in Romanian institutions during their early life. The study published here explores the voices of a subgroup of the original participants who have become parents (Edwards, Kennedy et al., 2023). Their reaching parenthood makes us acutely aware of the passage of time. It is hard to believe that it has been over 30 years since the devastating pictures of children living under inhumane conditions in Romanian institutions were broadcast across the globe. The living conditions were filthy without sufficient food, interpersonal care or cognitive stimulation (Sonuga-Barke et al., 2017)
《收养与养育》杂志2023年12月号刊登了一篇来自已故教授Michael Rutter爵士(Rutter, 1998)建立的英国和罗马尼亚被收养者(ERA)研究的文章。这项前瞻性纵向研究跟踪了一组被收养者，他们在罗马尼亚的机构中经历了早期生活中的严重剥夺。这里发表的研究探讨了原始参与者中已为人父母的一组人的声音(Edwards, Kennedy et al.， 2023)。他们为人父母的日子让我们敏锐地意识到时间的流逝。令人难以置信的是，30多年前，罗马尼亚儿童在非人道条件下生活的悲惨画面被传遍全球。生活条件肮脏，没有足够的食物，人际关怀或认知刺激(Sonuga-Barke et al.， 2017)。
{"title":"Deinstitutionalisation: A global effort to improve developmental outcomes for children","authors":"Dennis Golm","doi":"10.1177/03085759231217673","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/03085759231217673","url":null,"abstract":"The December 2023 issue of Adoption & Fostering includes an article from the English and Romanian Adoptees (ERA) study established by the late Professor Sir Michael Rutter (Rutter, 1998). The prospective longitudinal study follows a cohort of adoptees into young adulthood who experienced severe deprivation in Romanian institutions during their early life. The study published here explores the voices of a subgroup of the original participants who have become parents (Edwards, Kennedy et al., 2023). Their reaching parenthood makes us acutely aware of the passage of time. It is hard to believe that it has been over 30 years since the devastating pictures of children living under inhumane conditions in Romanian institutions were broadcast across the globe. The living conditions were filthy without sufficient food, interpersonal care or cognitive stimulation (Sonuga-Barke et al., 2017)","PeriodicalId":92743,"journal":{"name":"Adoption & fostering","volume":"50 6","pages":"375 - 378"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"138626478","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-12-01DOI: 10.1177/03085759231212499
Mandi MacDonald, Kathryn Gillespie
Continuous caring relationships are crucial to the wellbeing of children living in out-of-home care, with the family environment of long-term foster care usually the preferred placement for achieving relational permanence. Some children, however, experience a cycle of instability with the impact of placement disruption exacerbating emotional and behavioural difficulties and thereby undermining subsequent foster relationships. This paper reports on a service evaluation of a residential facility specialising in short-term placements for children who have experienced disruption, with the aim of interrupting the cycle of placement instability. Overview of 34 children’s placement trajectories show that most were enabled to re-enter foster care and of those who are now aged over 18 years (n = 29), over half (n = 16) remained in family placements until adulthood. For four children, detailed individualised assessment indicated residential care as the most appropriate option for avoiding future disruption. The paper gives cause for optimism that relationships in the residential setting have the potential to build emotional resilience and capacity for connection. There is paucity of information on how residential staff achieve these relationships in practice. Focus groups and interviews with ten staff and managers illuminate relational practices in the residential setting that are simultaneously family-like and trauma-informed. Plain Language Summary Long-term caring relationships in stable placements are important to the wellbeing of children who are not living with their parents. However, some children experience repeated instability and disruption when successive foster care placements end prematurely, sometimes under difficult circumstances. This can be a very upsetting experience and may have a serious impact on children. Emotions and behaviours that they struggle with can worsen, which may make things harder for them with their next foster family, leading to a cycle of instability, with fewer opportunities for continuous long-term caring relationships. This paper looks at an approach used by a residential facility, Children’s House, where children who have experienced many foster placement endings can temporarily live. The goal is to stop the cycle of premature placement endings and to offer an experience of stability. The paper notes the journeys of 34 children who spent a period living at this specialist residential unit. Many (29 children) are now aged over 18 years, and over half of these (16 children) were able to stay in family placements until reaching adulthood. For four children, assessments recommended that residential care was the best option for avoiding future disruption in their lives. The findings of this paper suggest that relationships with staff in residential settings may offer children opportunities for genuine connection, as well as building emotional resilience. There is limited information available on how staff develop caring
{"title":"Interrupting a cycle of placement instability with short-term residential care: Trauma-informed family-like relational practice in one specialist unit","authors":"Mandi MacDonald, Kathryn Gillespie","doi":"10.1177/03085759231212499","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/03085759231212499","url":null,"abstract":"Continuous caring relationships are crucial to the wellbeing of children living in out-of-home care, with the family environment of long-term foster care usually the preferred placement for achieving relational permanence. Some children, however, experience a cycle of instability with the impact of placement disruption exacerbating emotional and behavioural difficulties and thereby undermining subsequent foster relationships. This paper reports on a service evaluation of a residential facility specialising in short-term placements for children who have experienced disruption, with the aim of interrupting the cycle of placement instability. Overview of 34 children’s placement trajectories show that most were enabled to re-enter foster care and of those who are now aged over 18 years (n = 29), over half (n = 16) remained in family placements until adulthood. For four children, detailed individualised assessment indicated residential care as the most appropriate option for avoiding future disruption. The paper gives cause for optimism that relationships in the residential setting have the potential to build emotional resilience and capacity for connection. There is paucity of information on how residential staff achieve these relationships in practice. Focus groups and interviews with ten staff and managers illuminate relational practices in the residential setting that are simultaneously family-like and trauma-informed. Plain Language Summary Long-term caring relationships in stable placements are important to the wellbeing of children who are not living with their parents. However, some children experience repeated instability and disruption when successive foster care placements end prematurely, sometimes under difficult circumstances. This can be a very upsetting experience and may have a serious impact on children. Emotions and behaviours that they struggle with can worsen, which may make things harder for them with their next foster family, leading to a cycle of instability, with fewer opportunities for continuous long-term caring relationships. This paper looks at an approach used by a residential facility, Children’s House, where children who have experienced many foster placement endings can temporarily live. The goal is to stop the cycle of premature placement endings and to offer an experience of stability. The paper notes the journeys of 34 children who spent a period living at this specialist residential unit. Many (29 children) are now aged over 18 years, and over half of these (16 children) were able to stay in family placements until reaching adulthood. For four children, assessments recommended that residential care was the best option for avoiding future disruption in their lives. The findings of this paper suggest that relationships with staff in residential settings may offer children opportunities for genuine connection, as well as building emotional resilience. There is limited information available on how staff develop caring ","PeriodicalId":92743,"journal":{"name":"Adoption & fostering","volume":" 7","pages":"379 - 399"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"138619724","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-12-01DOI: 10.1177/03085759231212500
Christopher Edwards, Mark Kennedy, Nicky Knights, Hanna Kovshoff, J. Kreppner, Barbara Maughan, E. Sonuga-Barke
It has been reported that adult adoptees with histories of maltreatment face particular challenges when they become parents. Here we explore this issue using a qualitative analysis of the views of 14 adoptee mothers, who suffered severe institutional deprivation in the Romanian orphanages of the late 1980s before being adopted into the UK, and their adoptive parents. Following a thematic analysis, we report several perceived benefits of becoming a parent, as well as co-occurring difficulties and challenges. Benefits included a sense of accomplishment and fulfilment, feeling more motivated personally and professionally and the positive experience of having a relationship with a biological relative. Challenges related, in particular, to some adoptee parents’ abilities to appraise risk relating to their children and to difficulties in organising day-to-day activities. Practical and emotional support from adoptive grandparents was very often crucial for adoptee parents’ success and wellbeing. Implications for research and practice are discussed, emphasising that deprivation-related difficulties expand into adulthood and for some can impact their ability to parent. Plain Language Summary Care-experienced individuals are at an increased risk of having their own children taken into care. The reasons for this are currently not clear, but questions have been raised about the importance of early adversity versus a continuation of adversity, unfortunately commonly experienced by care leavers. The English and Romanian Adoptees (ERA) study has followed the progress of individuals who were adopted into high functioning homes following a period of early deprivation. Last assessed in young adulthood, 20% have become parents and in the current study, these parents, and their adoptive (grand)parents, were interviewed. Most parents reported no areas of difficulty and for them, becoming a parent had been a globally positive experience, which included a closer sense of connectivity, a sense of fulfilment and a greater sense of motivation. However, significant difficulties in providing childcare were experienced by around a fifth of the group, often resulting in care proceedings. Areas of difficulties appeared to revolve around appraising and responding to risk. Consequently, the adoptive grandparents were an important source of day-to-day support. Implications for practice and future research are discussed.
{"title":"When people adopted from severely depriving institutions become parents: The experiences of young adult mothers from the ERA study and their adoptive parents","authors":"Christopher Edwards, Mark Kennedy, Nicky Knights, Hanna Kovshoff, J. Kreppner, Barbara Maughan, E. Sonuga-Barke","doi":"10.1177/03085759231212500","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/03085759231212500","url":null,"abstract":"It has been reported that adult adoptees with histories of maltreatment face particular challenges when they become parents. Here we explore this issue using a qualitative analysis of the views of 14 adoptee mothers, who suffered severe institutional deprivation in the Romanian orphanages of the late 1980s before being adopted into the UK, and their adoptive parents. Following a thematic analysis, we report several perceived benefits of becoming a parent, as well as co-occurring difficulties and challenges. Benefits included a sense of accomplishment and fulfilment, feeling more motivated personally and professionally and the positive experience of having a relationship with a biological relative. Challenges related, in particular, to some adoptee parents’ abilities to appraise risk relating to their children and to difficulties in organising day-to-day activities. Practical and emotional support from adoptive grandparents was very often crucial for adoptee parents’ success and wellbeing. Implications for research and practice are discussed, emphasising that deprivation-related difficulties expand into adulthood and for some can impact their ability to parent. Plain Language Summary Care-experienced individuals are at an increased risk of having their own children taken into care. The reasons for this are currently not clear, but questions have been raised about the importance of early adversity versus a continuation of adversity, unfortunately commonly experienced by care leavers. The English and Romanian Adoptees (ERA) study has followed the progress of individuals who were adopted into high functioning homes following a period of early deprivation. Last assessed in young adulthood, 20% have become parents and in the current study, these parents, and their adoptive (grand)parents, were interviewed. Most parents reported no areas of difficulty and for them, becoming a parent had been a globally positive experience, which included a closer sense of connectivity, a sense of fulfilment and a greater sense of motivation. However, significant difficulties in providing childcare were experienced by around a fifth of the group, often resulting in care proceedings. Areas of difficulties appeared to revolve around appraising and responding to risk. Consequently, the adoptive grandparents were an important source of day-to-day support. Implications for practice and future research are discussed.","PeriodicalId":92743,"journal":{"name":"Adoption & fostering","volume":" 43","pages":"415 - 433"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"138615865","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-11-28DOI: 10.1177/03085759231207397
A. Lau-Zhu, L. Vella
Care-experienced youth are more likely than their peers to present with earlier, more severe and more chronic mental health difficulties. This case study presents the development of a Compassion-Focused Therapy (CFT) group for young people who do not live with their birth families due to an early history of abuse and neglect, delivered by psychologists in a social care service. Eight adolescent girls (aged 12–16), who lived in foster, adoptive or kinship care, attended eight face-to-face weekly sessions of a ‘Building Your Self-Confidence’ group. Most of them attended all sessions, found the group ‘enjoyable’ and ‘interesting’, and reported finding it helpful to improve their self-confidence at least to some extent (‘a little’ or ‘yes’). On standardised measures, half of the caregivers reported improvements in their child’s mental health but none of the adolescents did themselves. These initial data pave the way to further optimise the application of group CFT for care-experienced youth and inform psychological treatment innovation in youth more generally. Plain Language Summary Young people who grow up with significant trauma such as abuse and neglect, are often taken into the care of the local authority at some point in their lives when they cannot remain at home. These young people tend to experience high levels of mental health difficulties such as depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress. Innovative approaches to improve mental health in this population are therefore crucial. In this paper, we describe a therapy group called ‘Building Your Self-Confidence’, based on a therapy model called Compassion-Focused Therapy (CFT). This group was attended by eight adolescent girls aged between 12 and 16 who lived in foster, adoptive or kinship care. There were eight weekly face-to-face sessions in total, delivered by psychologists within a social care service in the UK. We found that most of the adolescents attended all the sessions and commented that they found the group ‘enjoyable’ and ‘interesting’, and that their self-confidence was somehow improved. On questionnaires measuring mental health difficulties, half of the caregivers reported that their adolescents’ mental health improved. However, adolescents themselves did not report improvements in mental health in these questionnaires. Overall, this therapeutic group is promising but needs to be refined so that its benefits can be maximised.
{"title":"A Compassion-Focused Therapy group for young people who live in foster, adoptive or kinship care: Initial development, reflections, and ways forward","authors":"A. Lau-Zhu, L. Vella","doi":"10.1177/03085759231207397","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/03085759231207397","url":null,"abstract":"Care-experienced youth are more likely than their peers to present with earlier, more severe and more chronic mental health difficulties. This case study presents the development of a Compassion-Focused Therapy (CFT) group for young people who do not live with their birth families due to an early history of abuse and neglect, delivered by psychologists in a social care service. Eight adolescent girls (aged 12–16), who lived in foster, adoptive or kinship care, attended eight face-to-face weekly sessions of a ‘Building Your Self-Confidence’ group. Most of them attended all sessions, found the group ‘enjoyable’ and ‘interesting’, and reported finding it helpful to improve their self-confidence at least to some extent (‘a little’ or ‘yes’). On standardised measures, half of the caregivers reported improvements in their child’s mental health but none of the adolescents did themselves. These initial data pave the way to further optimise the application of group CFT for care-experienced youth and inform psychological treatment innovation in youth more generally. Plain Language Summary Young people who grow up with significant trauma such as abuse and neglect, are often taken into the care of the local authority at some point in their lives when they cannot remain at home. These young people tend to experience high levels of mental health difficulties such as depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress. Innovative approaches to improve mental health in this population are therefore crucial. In this paper, we describe a therapy group called ‘Building Your Self-Confidence’, based on a therapy model called Compassion-Focused Therapy (CFT). This group was attended by eight adolescent girls aged between 12 and 16 who lived in foster, adoptive or kinship care. There were eight weekly face-to-face sessions in total, delivered by psychologists within a social care service in the UK. We found that most of the adolescents attended all the sessions and commented that they found the group ‘enjoyable’ and ‘interesting’, and that their self-confidence was somehow improved. On questionnaires measuring mental health difficulties, half of the caregivers reported that their adolescents’ mental health improved. However, adolescents themselves did not report improvements in mental health in these questionnaires. Overall, this therapeutic group is promising but needs to be refined so that its benefits can be maximised.","PeriodicalId":92743,"journal":{"name":"Adoption & fostering","volume":"12 1","pages":"400 - 414"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-11-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139224272","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
This article reports on an evaluation of the Fostering Wellbeing programme, a set of five themed masterclasses delivered in two local authorities to a group of multi-disciplinary professionals in the team around the foster child. The programme also included the development of the role of the foster carer Pioneer. The evaluation found benefits of the multi-disciplinary training, but attendance and commitment from some professionals were limited. The programme demonstrated some traction in bringing the foster carer into the team around the child and strengthening their ability to advocate for the child. The Pioneer role showed promise but was yet to be fully embedded. Plain Language Summary This article reports on an evaluation of the Fostering Wellbeing programme. The programme involved foster carers being trained along with other professionals working with the child in care. It also involved the development of a Pioneer foster carer role. The training with other professionals aimed to bring the foster carer into the team as a valued member. The Pioneer role aimed to help other professionals to understand the foster carer role. The evaluation found benefits of the training, but attendance by some professionals was limited. The programme demonstrated some success in bringing the foster carer into the team around the child, strengthening their ability to ensure the child’s voice is heard. The Pioneer role showed promise but has yet to be fully developed.
{"title":"Fostering wellbeing: Placing foster carers centre stage","authors":"Alyson Rees, Nina Maxwell, Jillian Powell, Cindy Corliss, Asma Khan, Chloe O’Donnell","doi":"10.1177/03085759231208460","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/03085759231208460","url":null,"abstract":"This article reports on an evaluation of the Fostering Wellbeing programme, a set of five themed masterclasses delivered in two local authorities to a group of multi-disciplinary professionals in the team around the foster child. The programme also included the development of the role of the foster carer Pioneer. The evaluation found benefits of the multi-disciplinary training, but attendance and commitment from some professionals were limited. The programme demonstrated some traction in bringing the foster carer into the team around the child and strengthening their ability to advocate for the child. The Pioneer role showed promise but was yet to be fully embedded. Plain Language Summary This article reports on an evaluation of the Fostering Wellbeing programme. The programme involved foster carers being trained along with other professionals working with the child in care. It also involved the development of a Pioneer foster carer role. The training with other professionals aimed to bring the foster carer into the team as a valued member. The Pioneer role aimed to help other professionals to understand the foster carer role. The evaluation found benefits of the training, but attendance by some professionals was limited. The programme demonstrated some success in bringing the foster carer into the team around the child, strengthening their ability to ensure the child’s voice is heard. The Pioneer role showed promise but has yet to be fully developed.","PeriodicalId":92743,"journal":{"name":"Adoption & fostering","volume":"58 1","pages":"453 - 470"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-11-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139225657","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-11-28DOI: 10.1177/03085759231211703
Layla Beckett, Michelle Bond
{"title":"Ascertaining risk of fetal alcohol spectrum disorder at initial health assessments for children in care","authors":"Layla Beckett, Michelle Bond","doi":"10.1177/03085759231211703","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/03085759231211703","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":92743,"journal":{"name":"Adoption & fostering","volume":"23 1","pages":"481 - 488"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-11-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139226567","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-10-01Epub Date: 2023-10-19DOI: 10.1177/03085759231203019
Lorna Stabler, Emily Cunningham, Dawn Mannay, Maria Boffey, Aimee Cummings, Brittany Davies, Charlotte Wooders, Rachael Vaughan, Rhiannon Evans
This paper draws on a qualitative interview-based study that explored online mental health and wellbeing interventions and services for care-experienced young people. The study involved young people (n = 4), foster carers (n = 8), kinship carers (n = 2) and social care professionals (n = 9) in Wales, UK. The paper reflects on the complexities of online communication in the space of 'the home'. It documents the ways in which care-experienced young people's living arrangements can restrict access to services and complicate confidentiality within portals to the virtual world, creating an environment where young people and their carers 'wouldn't want to talk about anything too personal'. Drawing on data generated in a study focused on services and interventions to support the mental health and wellbeing of care-experienced children and young people, the paper considers privacy, confidentiality and surveillance in the home and reflects on how associated relational practices impact on care-experienced young people. While the data discussed in this paper was generated during the Covid-19 pandemic, its findings have implications for how care-experienced young people and their carers can be supported to engage with the digital world in the future.
{"title":"'I probably wouldn't want to talk about anything too personal': A qualitative exploration of how issues of privacy, confidentiality and surveillance in the home impact on access and engagement with online services and spaces for care-experienced young people.","authors":"Lorna Stabler, Emily Cunningham, Dawn Mannay, Maria Boffey, Aimee Cummings, Brittany Davies, Charlotte Wooders, Rachael Vaughan, Rhiannon Evans","doi":"10.1177/03085759231203019","DOIUrl":"10.1177/03085759231203019","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This paper draws on a qualitative interview-based study that explored online mental health and wellbeing interventions and services for care-experienced young people. The study involved young people (<i>n</i> = 4), foster carers (<i>n</i> = 8), kinship carers (<i>n</i> = 2) and social care professionals (<i>n</i> = 9) in Wales, UK. The paper reflects on the complexities of online communication in the space of 'the home'. It documents the ways in which care-experienced young people's living arrangements can restrict access to services and complicate confidentiality within portals to the virtual world, creating an environment where young people and their carers 'wouldn't want to talk about anything too personal'. Drawing on data generated in a study focused on services and interventions to support the mental health and wellbeing of care-experienced children and young people, the paper considers privacy, confidentiality and surveillance in the home and reflects on how associated relational practices impact on care-experienced young people. While the data discussed in this paper was generated during the Covid-19 pandemic, its findings have implications for how care-experienced young people and their carers can be supported to engage with the digital world in the future.</p>","PeriodicalId":92743,"journal":{"name":"Adoption & fostering","volume":"47 3","pages":"277-294"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10590277/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"49694968","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-10-01DOI: 10.1177/03085759231195936
Viviene E Cree, Robert MacKenzie
This article is not a research paper in the conventional sense. Instead, it is a reflexive account of the building of a relationship which would not have happened without the existence of digital technologies and might not have happened but for the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. It was through reading a digitised resource (an online PhD thesis) in the first UK ‘lockdown’ that Bob, now a semi-retired academic in the field of adult and organisational learning, began to reappraise his upbringing in a children’s home in Scotland. Meanwhile, it was in getting to know Bob (through emails and Zoom meetings) and by accessing Bob’s retrospectively digitised case record that Viv, the author of the PhD thesis and now a semi-retired social work academic, was stimulated to revisit her early research from a fresh perspective. We argue that our real-life example, serendipitous and unique as it undoubtedly is, demonstrates the democratising potential of the digital transformation that is currently being played out in child and family social work. Furthermore, it seems likely that digital technologies will continue to bring new and unexpected opportunities for forming such relationships in the future.
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Pub Date : 2023-10-01DOI: 10.1177/03085759231204060
Cindy Corliss
This article explores how looked after children and young people experience social media and cyberbullying. Thirty-one young people, aged 13 to 20 from Wales, were recruited primarily via social media. They participated in semi-structured interviews sharing examples from their daily online lives, the types of social media they used and their experiences with cyberbullying. They also provided their opinions on social media and that of the adults in their lives. The analysis showed insights into their online lives but also highlighted the challenges of using social media to recruit interview participants. The findings of this study show that young people with care experience have similar rates of cyberbullying and social media usage as their peers, but questions remain. It is recommended that more research is needed in this area and that adults who engage with vulnerable populations, such as looked after children, should have access to training on social media and how to recognise cyberbullying.
{"title":"Selfies, Snapchat and keeping safe: Impressions of social media and cyberbullying from looked after children and young people with care experience in Wales","authors":"Cindy Corliss","doi":"10.1177/03085759231204060","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/03085759231204060","url":null,"abstract":"This article explores how looked after children and young people experience social media and cyberbullying. Thirty-one young people, aged 13 to 20 from Wales, were recruited primarily via social media. They participated in semi-structured interviews sharing examples from their daily online lives, the types of social media they used and their experiences with cyberbullying. They also provided their opinions on social media and that of the adults in their lives. The analysis showed insights into their online lives but also highlighted the challenges of using social media to recruit interview participants. The findings of this study show that young people with care experience have similar rates of cyberbullying and social media usage as their peers, but questions remain. It is recommended that more research is needed in this area and that adults who engage with vulnerable populations, such as looked after children, should have access to training on social media and how to recognise cyberbullying.","PeriodicalId":92743,"journal":{"name":"Adoption & fostering","volume":"27 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"135963510","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
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