Transcript - Queen`s University Belfast

Care Pathways and Outcomes Study
Dr Dominic McSherry
Senior Research Fellow
Institute of Child Care Research
School of Sociology, Social Policy and Social Work
Queen’s University
Belfast
RAFT permanence seminar
Waterfoot Hotel
Derry
17th September 2013
Care Pathways and Outcomes Study
•
Research team: Dominic McSherry, Montserrat Fargas Malet, Kerrylee Weatherall,
and Greg Kelly
•
What is it about? Longitudinal study that examines placement patterns for a
population of children (n=374) under 5 years old and in care in Northern Ireland
on the 31st March 2000. It explores how the children & their parents/carers get on
within different types of placement – Key question, does care placement matter?
•
Location: Institute of Child Care Research, School of Sociology, Social Policy and
Social Work, Queen's University, Belfast
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Funded by: The HSC Development Division of the Public Health Agency
•
Book publisher: British Association for Adoption and Fostering (BAAF)
Phase 3
Care Pathways and Outcomes: The Children’s Perspective (2006-2010)
• Interviewed sub-groups of children and their parents/carers
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77 children: 18 adopted; 19 long-term stable foster care; 13 long-term
stable kinship care; 15 on Residence Order; and 12 with birth parents
• Profile of children interviewed:
Adopted
Foster Care Kinship
Care
Av. age
enter
placement
1yr 8 mts
4 yrs
Av. time in
placement
10yrs 1mt
8yrs 5mts
3 yrs 5 mts
Residence
Order
1 yr 5 mts
8yrs 11 mts 10yrs 3 mts
Birth
Parents
4 yrs 6 mts
8 yrs 3 mts
Findings
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Placement stability
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Attachment
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Self-esteem and happiness
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Behaviour
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Education
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Parental/carer stress
•
Social services involvement
Placement Stability
Children’s attachments to their parents/carers
IPPA-R results
Children’s self-esteem and happiness
Piers-Harris self-concept scale
Children’s health and behaviour
•
Who had behavioural difficulties according to SDQ?
Children’s health and behaviour (contd.)
•
•
Which children had serious health problems according to parents/carers:
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1/11 in kinship care (9%)
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5/15 in foster care (33%)
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6/15 on Residence Order (40%)
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5/12 with birth parents (42%)
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11/18 Adopted (61%)
Children had a range of conditions, BUT these most prevalent in the adoption
group, e.g. 8 diagnoses of FAS in total (n=77), with 5 of these in the adopted
group.
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The majority believed that child’s behaviour had stayed the same or improved.
•
Many parents/carers highlighted the strengths of children and positive behaviours.
Children’s education
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The majority of children had poor scores in the BPVS
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The majority of children adopted by previous foster carers and nearly half of those
in foster care were receiving some additional supports at school. Most children
•
living with birth parents were not receiving supports, despite needing it most.
78
% low scores
The majority of parents/carers believed children were coping very well/ “alright”
50
50
at school (considering their limitations), a few identified problems (e.g. bullying
39
and behavioural problems).
•
36
25
A few children appeared to do very well at school and had passed the Eleven Plus
test – but low expectations from teachers and social services.
Parent/carer stress
PSI/SF results
Social Service Involvement
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Birth parents were the most critical of the support provided by social services (feeling
marginalised, undermined and distrusted by social services).
•
Some adoptive parents advocated for a continued role of social services; while others in
addition to some RO carers felt a sense of ‘abandonment’ by social services postadoption/post-Residence Order.
•
A few kinship carers experienced a sense of disregard and lack of support, and felt less
valued/supported by social services precisely because they were relatives.
•
Some Residence Order carers were happy that social services were no longer there,
leading ‘normal’ family lives; others advocated a continued role for social services, in
terms of the provision of financial support.
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Most kinship carers were happy with the support being provided by social services.
Summary
•
Placements characterised by stability, not much evidence of instability, BUT mostly
entering teenage years – What happens next is critical
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All long-term placements have the potential to nurture positive outcomes for
children in terms of their attachment to parents/carers and self-concept
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Highlights the importance of speaking to children
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Children perspective, most securely attached and happy
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Parental/carer perspective, higher level of problem behaviours and clinical stress
for foster carers and birth parents
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Significant health problems most prevalent in adoption
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In educational terms, those with greatest need, i.e. children living with birth
parents, received least amount of support
Care Pathways and Outcomes Study
Thank You!
McSherry, D., Fargas Malet, M. and Weatherall, K. (2013). Comparing long-
term placements for young children in care: The care pathways and
outcomes study – Northern Ireland. London: British Association for
Adoption and Fostering (BAAF).