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The perspectives of young children in care about their circumstances and implications for social work practice
Author(s) -
Winter Karen
Publication year - 2010
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/j.1365-2206.2009.00658.x
Subject(s) - feeling , social work , work (physics) , psychology , social care , residential care , sample (material) , developmental psychology , social psychology , nursing , medicine , political science , law , engineering , mechanical engineering , chemistry , chromatography
Recent reviews of research regarding children in care have concluded that there remains little research which specifically focuses on young children. This paper presents the findings of research carried out with a sample of young children in care (aged 4–7 years) regarding their perspectives of their circumstances. The findings reveal that they have deeply held views regarding living with risk; removal from their families; unresolved feelings of guilt and loss; and not being listened to. This paper considers the implications of these findings for social work practice. It concludes by stressing the capacity of young children in care to express their perspectives, and the importance of practitioners seeking these views and incorporating them into assessment and decision‐making processes.