Nicola Farrelly

Foster carers and family contact: foster carers’ views of social work support

Foster carers have an important role to play in maximising the quality of any contact between children and their parents and monitoring its effects on the child. This article explores how a sample of foster carers view family contact and the professional support they receive concerning their role in this activity. It draws on a large-scale survey (N = 1405) of English foster carers conducted in 2011 as part of the Social Work Practices evaluation. Data provided by those carers who had had difficulties relating to contact (N = 405) were further analysed thematically. Foster carers with disabilities and those experiencing difficulties in contact arrangements were less satisfied with support from the child’s social worker than other foster carers. Foster carers valued social workers who considered the interests of all parties affected by contact plans and decisions. The practice implications of the findings are discussed.

Independent Children’s Social Work Practice Pilots: Evaluating Practitioners’ Job Control and Burnout

Objectives: To investigate whether a new model that delegates some out-of-home care services from the public to the private and not-for-profit sectors in England enhances practitioners’ job control and stress levels. Methods: A 3-year longitudinal matched-control evaluation examined changes in Karasek demand-control model and Maslach burnout levels of 2,050 staff working in five social work practice (SWP) pilots, their host local authorities and comparable sites. Results: Mixed-effect models indicated no significant difference in main outcomes among SWP staff when compared to staff in host and comparison local authorities. There were notable differences in relation to job insecurity and social support. Conclusion: The minimal effects observed may relate to the diverse nature of SWPs with no specific work model predominating.

“What matters to someone who matters to me”: using media campaigns with young people to prevent interpersonal violence and abuse

While media campaigns are increasingly advocated as a strategy for preventing interpersonal violence and abuse, there is little evidence available regarding their effectiveness.

Support for Children’s Protagonism

With notable exceptions, there is a lack of critique in existing approaches to children’s rights based research. Where children’s rights research is also co-research with children, a critical approach requires that children are enabled to challenge assumptions about, and definitions of, rights, as well as to lead the process and to try to bring about change. This paper argues that creative methods and structured intergenerational dialogue can support critical children rights research “from below”. We illustrate this approach using research by disabled children and young people, who reflected on their own experiences and the provisions of three international conventions ( uncrc, uncrpdand icescr). Effectively engaging with existing international conventions meant matching children’s claims to rights in their everyday contexts with existing rights provisions. This framework was then used to analyse qualitative research with other disabled children and their families. The young co-researchers are now using the findings in their protagonism for social change.With notable exceptions, there is a lack of critique in existing approaches to children’s rights based research. Where children’s rights research is also co-research with children, a critical approach requires that children are enabled to challenge assumptions about, and definitions of, rights, as well as to lead the process and to try to bring about change. This paper argues that creative methods and structured intergenerational dialogue can support critical children rights research ‘from below’. We illustrate this approach using research by disabled children and young people, who reflected on their own experiences and the provisions of three international Conventions (UNCRC, UNCRPD and ICESCR). Effectively engaging with existing international Conventions meant matching children’s claims to rights in their everyday contexts with existing rights provisions. This framework was then used to analyse qualitative research with other disabled children and their families. The young co-researchers are now using the findings in their protagonism for social change.

Intergenerational support for children’s protagonism: methodological moves towards critical children rights research framed from below

With notable exceptions, there is a lack of critique in existing approaches to children’s rights based research. Where children’s rights research is also co-research with children, a critical approach requires that children are enabled to challenge assumptions about, and definitions of, rights, as well as to lead the process and to try to bring about change. This paper argues that creative methods and structured intergenerational dialogue can support critical children rights research “from below”. We illustrate this approach using research by disabled children and young people, who reflected on their own experiences and the provisions of three international conventions ( uncrc, uncrpdand icescr). Effectively engaging with existing international conventions meant matching children’s claims to rights in their everyday contexts with existing rights provisions. This framework was then used to analyse qualitative research with other disabled children and their families. The young co-researchers are now using the findings in their protagonism for social change.With notable exceptions, there is a lack of critique in existing approaches to children’s rights based research. Where children’s rights research is also co-research with children, a critical approach requires that children are enabled to challenge assumptions about, and definitions of, rights, as well as to lead the process and to try to bring about change. This paper argues that creative methods and structured intergenerational dialogue can support critical children rights research ‘from below’. We illustrate this approach using research by disabled children and young people, who reflected on their own experiences and the provisions of three international Conventions (UNCRC, UNCRPD and ICESCR). Effectively engaging with existing international Conventions meant matching children’s claims to rights in their everyday contexts with existing rights provisions. This framework was then used to analyse qualitative research with other disabled children and their families. The young co-researchers are now using the findings in their protagonism for social change.

Support for children’sprotagonism: methodological movestowards critical children rights researchframed from below.

With notable exceptions, there is a lack of critique in existing approaches to children’s rights based research. Where children’s rights research is also co-research with children, a critical approach requires that children are enabled to challenge assumptions about, and definitions of, rights, as well as to lead the process and to try to bring about change. This paper argues that creative methods and structured intergenerational dialogue can support critical children rights research “from below”. We illustrate this approach using research by disabled children and young people, who reflected on their own experiences and the provisions of three international conventions ( uncrc, uncrpdand icescr). Effectively engaging with existing international conventions meant matching children’s claims to rights in their everyday contexts with existing rights provisions. This framework was then used to analyse qualitative research with other disabled children and their families. The young co-researchers are now using the findings in their protagonism for social change.With notable exceptions, there is a lack of critique in existing approaches to children’s rights based research. Where children’s rights research is also co-research with children, a critical approach requires that children are enabled to challenge assumptions about, and definitions of, rights, as well as to lead the process and to try to bring about change. This paper argues that creative methods and structured intergenerational dialogue can support critical children rights research ‘from below’. We illustrate this approach using research by disabled children and young people, who reflected on their own experiences and the provisions of three international Conventions (UNCRC, UNCRPD and ICESCR). Effectively engaging with existing international Conventions meant matching children’s claims to rights in their everyday contexts with existing rights provisions. This framework was then used to analyse qualitative research with other disabled children and their families. The young co-researchers are now using the findings in their protagonism for social change.