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Factors Inhibiting Relational-Based Practice in Residential Child Care

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“The failure of the care system to replicate or compensate for the stable relationships that most children have with their parents is one of its most serious and long-standing deficiencies”

(House of Commons, 2009).  

Previous and current literature highlights relationships in residential child care as imperative to good practice. However the idea of promoting and continuing relationships with young people still causes much confusion, resistance and debate. There are a number of factors that have led to current risk averse practice that hinder the development and continuation of relationships within residential child care.

I have selected some literature that offers:

  • insights into the decline of relational based practice
  • themes that frontline staff felt were barriers to building and sustaining relationships with young people.

 

PRACTICE Kathleen Quinn

The effects of regulation and over procedural responses to past recommendations from inquiries and reports pushed relational practice to the side lines. The introduction of ‘new public management’ (managerialism) by the government created a shift within the social care sector; a move towards a technical-rational approach that incorporates evidence based practice, outcomes and tick boxes to ensure procedures are followed. Assessments and regulations began to take precedence over individuals and relationships in social care. Gabrielle Meagher & Nigel Parton (2004) discuss the impact of  managerialism in their paper Modernising Social Work and the Ethics of Care.

2-Risk K.Quinn

Social care practitioners I interviewed discussed the risks that are posed to themselves working within residential child care. Judyth Sachs (2003) states that ‘those who work with children have become risky subjects within a child protection discourse’ . Staff reflected on policies and procedures in the organisation that highlight the need for professionalism and distance between staff and young people. Frontline practitioners discussed previous anxieties in developing relationships due to concerns about allegations and their own safety. This has led to what Professor Jan Howarth (2000) termed as staff ‘attempting to care with gloves on’.

3-Assessment K Quinn

Concerns arise about developing relationships with young people when paper work is deemed more important.  Day trips to the beach or riding bicycles requires risk assessments and risk management plans to be drawn up, signed by staff and counter signed by management. Non compliance with rules duly noted in the case of riding a bike coupled with culpability of any accident that may occur. The risk assessment once completed becomes a back covering exercise’, ‘which is indicative of a blame culture within organisations’ (Go Outdoors, 2010).  Instead of an element of fun, excitement and relationship building taking precedence; ticking boxes, and ascertaining independence and responsibility of the young person in their choice to ride a bicycle over-rules.

Constraints - Kathleen Quinn

“It is essential that we provide the necessary warmth, affection and comfort for children’s healthy development if we are not further to damage emotionally children and young people who have usually had a raw deal from life” (Kent Report, 1997).

Further constraints include defensive practice. No touch policies and cultures exist where staff are advised that touch is unprofessional and can lead to allegations. Safety of staff and a fundamental mind set of not raising suspicion leads to a gesture of ‘comfort’ that is calculated and offered with a door open or in view of others. Questions arise about appropriate affection in practice. Side cuddles and fear of special relationships if a worker spends too much ‘quality time’ with a certain child. Instead of a diverse group of adults with varying personalities having the ability to form attachments with a variety of young people being utilised in a positive way; the natural evolution of personal relationships and affection that should occur becomes sterile. Relationships, comfort, safety, affection, growth and development for young people cannot evolve with emotionally distant individuals in an emotionally distant environment.

Time - Kathleen Quinn

Social care practitioners feel that there are a number of factors affecting a young person’s ability to form trusting and lasting relationships in residential child care. These include multiple placement moves, lack of reliable and stable role models in a young person’s life and limited time for reparative experiences to occur. Dorothy Whitaker, Lesley Archer & Leslie Hicks (1998) describe reparative experiences, that ‘repair the consequences of earlier damage, and help a child or young person to discard behaviours or attitudes or feelings which, to him or her, are disadvantageous’. This reparative work can only occur over a period of time and involves caring adults providing opportunities for the young person to alter their internal feelings that will change their behaviour. ‘Reparative work cannot be taken over by someone else, for it is embedded in personal relationships which take some time to develop’ (Whitaker, Archer and Hicks, 1998). As human beings we are all works in progress, progress takes time, time provides opportunities for change and change enables growth and development. Therefore time for relationships to grow and continue are vital for such experiences, opportunities and changes in young people to occur.

16-Independent - K.Quinn

Staff who were interviewed felt that promoting independence and self-reliance was a primary focus for young people leaving care and not the continuation of support or relationships.  There is a policy aptly named Sweet 16? (2008) that is in place to encourage young people to remain in care until eighteen. The report signifies a message that encourages a system that supports young people until they are ready for a step towards independence, manages a staged route into independence, and continues to support them even after that’ (SCCYP, 2008). The Staying Put Scotland guidance (Scottish Government, 2013) echoed the message of readiness for young people to move on and continued support and relationships with adults. In reality however many young people feel pressured to leave care at sixteen as this is seen as a culture of care leavers, their expectation and beginning of adulthood. Relationships and continued support are not always permitted by organisations after a young person moves on. Although support for young people in care has been raised to 26 years of age for many leaving care quickly becomes the end of care and the end of relationships between young people and staff.

Culture - Kathleen Quinn

Staff that took part in my research identified that there is beginning to be a shift in culture within their organisation with the introduction of social pedagogy and a new focus on relationships. However attitudes continue to undermine attempts to provide a more relational based approach. The ethos of the manager and team became a particular focus for staff, some were encouraged to develop relationships through activities, story-telling, shared interests, provide affection and create a warm environment. Other staff were encouraged to develop structure, routines, boundaries and ensure an emotional distance between themselves and young people. These views are shared across the social care sector, the components of effective relationships continue to be a source of contention. Discipline and sanctions are advocated by some and a relational approach, seeking a balance of warmth and control are advocated by others. There has to be a shift in residential child care culture as Judy Furnivall (2011) stated ‘Providing attachment-informed care in residential settings requires a policy and culture shift which recognises and values the healing potential of special relationships’.

Exit - Kathleen Quinn

All young people who took part in my research shared that they would like their relationship with staff to continue once they had moved on. Young people expressed an anxiety about that relationship having to come to an end once they exit* the organisation. This was a view held by staff who equally placed great importance on the relationship they had with a young person. Although both parties felt it would be beneficial for their relationship to continue this was not permitted due to organisational policies. Young people are welcome to visit the organisation however young people felt that continuing a relationship with staff was more important that visiting a unit that was no longer their home. Young people spoke about how many disrupted placements they had experienced and the expectation that young people will move on and build new relationships. Young people felt there was little regard for their choice to continue relationships with those staff who had become an important part of their lives.

It was noted by Demos (2010) that maintaining links with supportive staff and carers is vital for positive outcomes for young people and an important source of on going support,Stability and the maintenance of attachments with adults are vital factors in a positive care experience. Leaving care can represent an abrupt ending of a stable placement and break in attachments, which can impact negatively on care leavers’ resilience, self-esteem and sense of security’.

 

Is your organisation doing all that they can to be a confident parent and continuing the care and support that young people require into adulthood?

 

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*I would like to highlight that the word exit is used throughout literature and within practice to describe young people leaving care. Language such as exit and disengagement between young people, staff and services was challenged by the young people I looked after and accompanied to the JAM event held by IRISS last January. Young people felt that such managerial language, professional distance and risk averse practice should be replaced with the language of love and care.

One young person who took part in my research asked, “Why does there have to be an exit or ending? It’s like you [organisation] are saying your not coming back, like a final See Ya. Why don’t we talk about new beginnings and the next step in growing up in and after care and why can’t I have my relationships with Steve and Shirley [staff] in my future? She then stated, “I don’t think I would be looking forward to my future if it wasn’t for them”.

7 thoughts on “Factors Inhibiting Relational-Based Practice in Residential Child Care”

  1. This is an amazing piece of research and is to be welcomed in the campaign to have the right of young people to continue with their relationships that they have developed over many years in care. I do not have a lot of experience of working with young adults as they leave care, but from those I have engaged with, their messages seem be very similar to the findings contained within this report that is, that quite often they view the ‘Care System’ as the “Don’t Care System”. Well done Relations Matter, they certainly do.

    1. Thank You Joe for your comment and I am glad my research was of interest to you. I look forward to sharing my finding in the coming months. Iriss has given me the opportunity to meet like minded professionals who are passionate about relational based practice and promoting the cultural and procedural changes needed to happen within organisations for relationships to matter throughout all young people’s in care and after care journey’s.

  2. Thanks for your comment Joe. This piece of research has been conducted by Kathleen Quinn who is one of the memebers of the Relationships Matter Collective. She may be publishing her findings soon.

  3. We have always practiced ‘continued relationships’ with our children when they move on from our home (Keilhill Children Services).
    We are still in contact with someone who left us 12 yrs ago, she spoke to us only last week!
    We have continually had to listen to children/young adults say to us things such as ‘so and so thinks it is unusual that you should keep in touch with me’ or ‘I have been told that now I have left I need to make relationships with new people’ or ‘ so and so said it is not appropriate to carry on seeing you guys’. Such comments have left our children/ young people feeling confused and isolated. They think they are doing something wrong or that we might get into trouble. We have also had social workers (both long standing and new) question our motives and suggesting that we are ‘indulging’ the child/young person by staying in their lives.
    The whole idea of helping children recover and become confident and positive adults cannot be achieved without enduring and affectionate relationships being formed to support their journey into adulthood. It is morally wrong of us to help children recover and trust then abandon them both physically and emotionally because they have become 16 (17,18).

    1. Thank You for you comment Sylvia, There needs to be a significant shift in culture, policies and practice in order for relationships to be at the center of the care system. I hope with the excellent work by Iriss and the relationships matter collective that continued relationships become a natural progression between young people and staff and social care organisation’s realise the need to support continued care and connections instead of care being ‘cut off’ when young people move on.

  4. I am delighted to see this piece of research highlighting such forward thinking views. I would agree, slowly attitudes are beginning to change and research helps to highlight the needs and wishes of young people who would otherwise go unheard. Residential practitioners are skilled professionals who understand and genuinely care about the young people they look after. If they chose to foster children they would be trusted to have vulnerable children living in their house, introducing and welcoming them to be part of their family and maintaining contact or supporting them long after they move on. Yet in comparison, within some organisations and Local Authoritires there is still a lack of trust associated with residential workers due to allegations historical abuse well publisised over the years and inquiry reports into failings or poor outcomes for young people in care. Indeed it is still considered inappropriate to meet up with care leavers for a bite to eat and a catch up without people questioning workers motives or doubting their professional judgment.

    Research and literature that helps others to understand what practitioners do well, how we help young people within group care and what the job involves will help to promote a more positive image of residential care and learning from each other’s practice will help to develop interventions and ideas for the future. Lessons have been learned from the past and it’s time to show what we have learned and how this has influenced developments and improved practice in recent years

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