Elaine Farmer

Family reunification with high risk children: Lessons from research

Abstract The article reports on selected findings from a national study of reunification practice in the UK. The sample consisted of 321 children reunified with their families after compulsory removal through the courts. Data were gathered through review of the childrens social work files and in-depth interviews with a small number of parents and social workers. Two markedly different groups of children emerged: the Disaffected adolescents who had been removed for offending and truanting and the younger Protected children removed for abuse, neglect or family breakdown. The most successful reunifications in both groups were first attempts. Second or subsequent placements at home had higher failure rates. For the Disaffected adolescents appropriate special educational provision helped make reunification work. For the Protected children a number of factors were associated with successful outcomes and these are discussed in the article. Given the extent of disruption experienced by the children and their families prior to reunification, social work intervention aimed at maximising continuities for children during separation is seen as crucial.

Making kinship care work

Policy and practice developments need to be based on firm evidence about how well kinship care (that is, placements with relatives or friends) works and the services required to maintain these placements. The research reported by Elaine Farmer was based on case file reviews of 270 children, half in kin placements and half in non-kin foster care, and on interviews with a subsample of 32 kin carers, social workers, children and parents. The study found that while the children were remarkably similar in the two kinds of placement, kin carers, in contrast, were significantly more disadvantaged than stranger foster carers. They also faced more hostility from birth parents during contact. The childrens outcomes in terms of placement quality and disruption in the two settings were also very similar. However, because kin carers persisted with very challenging children and yet received fewer services than stranger foster carers, they were more often under strain. This article compares the characteristics of carers and children in the two kinds of placement and examines the impact of the children on the kin carers and the strains they experienced. It also considers the services received and needed by kin carers and children. The implications for policy and practice are examined.

Mix and match: planning to keep looked after children safe

The risks which children run from other children in substitute care have received little attention. However, if childrens safety in care is to be maximized, then placement planning will need to focus on the risks and vulnerability of both the child to be placed and others already in the setting. It should also ensure that full information is given to the caregivers. In an interview sample of 40 looked after sexually abused and/or abusing young people aged 10 or over, most of the young abusers were placed in foster care and the majority of the sexually abused young people went into childrens homes. However, in fewer than a third of these placements was consideration given to how the young person would fit in with others in that setting. This meant that the potential risks which that child posed to others or vice versa were not addressed. More worrying still, in just under half of the sample, no information about the young persons history of sexual abuse or abusing behaviour was given to the caregivers. This meant that caregivers were unable to plan to provide the level of supervision which might have averted a number of instances of abuse. When the whole histories of the sexually abused young people in the study were examined, it was found that half of them had abused another child at some stage, generally another child in care. This evidence suggests that the experience of sexual abuse should be regarded as an important risk factor in the later development of sexually abusing behavior and that local authorities need to fashion policies which emphasize the prime importance of social workers providing full information about childrens backgrounds when placements are made. Copyright

Placement stability in kinship care

There has been little research in the United Kingdom on placements with family and friends (kinship care), despite a steady rise in the number of children fostered with kin. This paper reports some of the key findings from a recent national study on kinship care in England in the context of research findings from other countries. The study examined the characteristics, progress and outcomes of children placed with family and friends, compared these with a similar group of children placed with unrelated foster carers and considered the factors that contributed to success in kin placements. The paper shows that there are many similarities but also some interesting differences between these research findings and those from other countries. Whilst the disadvantages faced by kin carers are similar to those in the United States and elsewhere, the profile of carers shows some key differences. The children placed with kin carers were found to be remarkably similar to those in unrelated foster care (unlike some findings from the United States), but they were not placed disproportionately with black and minority ethnic carers, in contrast to the situation elsewhere. Contact, childrens safety, carer support and strain are discussed. Childrens wellbeing and progress were found to be very similar in the two kinds of placement, but the placements in kin care lasted longer principally because of planned moves from unrelated foster care. The study concluded that, in England, kin placements make a major contribution to stability for children who cannot live with their parents. This is a real achievement, given the disadvantages faced by kinship carers and the low levels of support and remuneration they receive.

A hidden population: understanding the needs of sexually abused and abusing children in substitute care

Despite high levels of concern among professionals about how best to manage sexually abused children looked after in public care, there has been little research on this subject. Sue Pollock and Elaine Farmer report the findings from a study of a sample of such children which shows that, as a group, they share characteristics that make them significantly more vulnerable to sexual risks and to emotional, educational and behavioural difficulties than their non-sexually abused counterparts in residential and foster care. However, at the point of placement there are rarely markers to alert carers to the multiple deprivations and adversities in their backgrounds and it is therefore likely that this group of children will be denied the specific targeted therapeutic, educational and family support that they need. This study highlights the importance of good record-keeping, thorough assessments of need at the point of placement, effective communication between social workers and caregivers and joint planning between social services, health and education to implement comprehensive packages of care.Background and Research Issues Research Methods and Design The Case File Sample: A Comparison of the Sexually Abused and Abusing Children with the Non-Abused Children The Case File Sample: Comparisons within the Group of Sexually Abused and Abusing Children The Characteristics of the Young People in the Follow-up Sample, their Caregivers and Social Workers Placement Decision and Preparation Sexual Behaviour Inside and Outside Placement The Psycho-Social Problems of the Sexually Abused and Abusing Young People The Context for Safety: Openness about Sexuality and House Rules The Management of Sexual Behaviour within Placements The Management of Sexual Behaviour outside Placements The Impact of the Young People on Each Other: The Processes and Management of Mix Talking About the Abuse The Supports Provided for the Caregivers Day to Day Care in the Placements The Placement and Management Patterns of the Young People The Outcomes for Young People.