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Investing in the relationship: practitioners’ relationships with looked‐after children and care leavers in S ocial W ork P ractices
Author(s) -
Ridley Julie,
Larkins Cath,
Farrelly Nicola,
Hussein Shereen,
Austerberry Helen,
Manthorpe Jill,
Stanley Nicky
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
child and family social work
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.912
H-Index - 57
eISSN - 1365-2206
pISSN - 1356-7500
DOI - 10.1111/cfs.12109
Subject(s) - work (physics) , quality (philosophy) , psychology , social work , control (management) , nursing , medicine , social psychology , developmental psychology , engineering , computer science , political science , philosophy , mechanical engineering , epistemology , law , artificial intelligence
Providing more consistent and continuous relationships for looked‐after children and care leavers is a current preoccupation in social work in light of many criticisms of the quality of such relationships. Recommendations for more direct work have spurred new models of service delivery in children's services aimed at improving individual outcomes. Independent S ocial W ork P ractices ( SWP s), a new organizational model piloted in some areas of England between 2009 and 2012, were established to enable social workers and other practitioners to spend more time in direct work and thus to improve the practitioner/child/young person relationship. This paper uses findings from interviews with 169 children and young people across 11 local authorities and 5 SWP s, undertaken as part of a 3‐year national matched control evaluation of pilot SWP s, to identify key elements of good quality practitioner relationships with children or young people. Focusing on children's and young people's perspectives and experiences, the study demonstrates that more direct work and consistent relationships are valued. The paper deploys Recognition Theory to further understanding of effective practice as defined by children and young people.