| Background to the study |
| In recent years, inquiries into the 'pindown' affair in Staffordshire and the sexual abuse of children in residential care have raised major questions about the care of young people in residential establishments. In Scotland, residential care came under scrutiny in The Scottish Office Review of Residential Child Care, and there has been a continuing debate about its effectiveness and impact on the lives of the young people who experience it. |
| The study |
| The study aimed to provide a detailed description of the way in which residential care is used for children and young people in care, the outcomes of residential placements and the impact of policies and provision on practice. |
| Two hundred and one children in local authority care were followed over a 12 month period and information was gathered on the aims and outcomes of placements by interviews with the children's social workers. In order to gain a broader picture of the outcomes and effectiveness of placements, a sub-sample of 30 children and young people was selected and interviews were conducted with children, their families and a range of professionals involved in their care. |
| Entering and leaving care |
| While the number of children in care in Scotland at any one point n time has decreased, the number of admissions to care each year has increased over recent years. Social Work Department policies stress the importance of community support for children and young people and the prevention of reception into care; early rehabilitation to their family if children are received into care; and the importance of substitute family care. Policies also stress the integrated use of residential care in order to provide short-term care and/or 'treatment interventions for children'. These have led to a high rate of emergency admissions and rapid movement of children in and out of care. Time for planning is therefore limited. The researchers consider that it is important to balance the stress on prevention and rehabilitation with an emphasis on planned admission to care and considered return to the child's home. |
| The use of residential care |
| Over haIf the children and young people experienced at least one residential placement In the 12 months of the study. Four-fifths of the placements for adolescents were in residential care and two-thirds of the young people who experienced residential placements were in care because of offending or behavioural problems. The research found that residential establishments are dealing with the most disturbed and troublesome young people. Most residential placements had the primary aim of 'education'; 'assessment'; 'treatment'; 'preparation for independence' or short-term 'holding'. Foster placements, on the other hand, mostly had the aim of 'care and upbringing'; 'preparation for long term placement'; short-term 'child protection' or 'respite'. This emphasises the complementary nature of residential and foster care. It is therefore crucial that residential care is not seen as a residual service, but as an equally valuable form of provision. |
| Outcomes of residential care |
| Three-fifths of residential placements were considered to have achieved their aims and a quarter to have partially achieved them. Overall, residential placements were considered by social workers to be less successful than foster placements in achieving their aims. However, some aims are easier to attain than others and when the nature of the aims of placements was taken into account, there was little difference in the 'success' rate of foster and residential placements. Over two-thirds of placements achieved their intended outcome in terms of the child or young person returning home or moving to another placement, and, again, there was virtually no difference between residential and foster placements. |
| Residential care as a 'Positive Choice" |
| The researchers found that the message of residential care as a 'positive choice' is now part of the language of residential work. However, children and young people are being placed inappropriately in residential care because of the lack of foster carers and alternative community provision. |
| The researchers identified a number of themes for the development of residential care including, using local units flexibly to offer both residential care and a range of outreach services. The need for more specialised provision where residential units could cater for the needs of severely disturbed and emotionally damaged children was also highlighted. |
| Positive developments aimed at breaking down the barriers between residential workers and field social workers are described, such as residential outreach work and bringing together field social workers, adolescent resource workers and residential workers together under local level management. |
| Towards the future? |
| Children and young people in care suffer a number of educational disadvantages. Recent years have seen a number of initiatives - for example, youth strategies - which aim to improve co-operation between social work, education and other agencies. While examples of good practice in relation to social work and education joint working were identified, there were marked variations within local authorities. Placing children in residential schools is expensive and Education and Social Work Departments were not always clear about who should pay for this form of provision. Children's Panel members and Reporters expressed concern about this and about their ability to access a range of residential resources. The researchers consider that it is important that the commitment to education and social work strategies should not be based solely on individuals' goodwill and enthusiasm and the issue of joint financing of community-based and residential provision for children and young people should be addressed. |
| In the light of local government reorganisation, the new local authorities will need to address the issues raised by the uneven distribution of resources. The smaller authorities will need to look at ways of sustaining the provision of specialist services. The new social work authorities will need to take forward the integration of residential child care services if they are to provide a wholly comprehensive range of child care provision. |
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| Andrew Kendrick |
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| 'Residential Care in the Integration of Child Care Services' the research report summarised in this Research Findings, may be purchased (priced £5.00 per copy). |
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