N.R.C.C.IN.R.C.C.I

What does it say?What does it say?

N.R.C.C.I

NRCCI to deliver on the government commitment to work with partners to make residential

care the first and best placement of choice for those children whose

needs it serves.

• Purpose to undertake a strategic review of RCC and develop a blueprint for the emerging development.

• 5priority areas and 28 recommendations

• Delivering Culture Change

• Improving Health Outcomes

• Improving Education Outcomes

• Commissioning services

• Investing in our Workforce

Challenging the notion that RCC is placement of last resort

Social Work perception that family placements should be sought particularly for children under 12

Key message from the NRCCI is that residential care needs to be seen as an integral part of the spectrum of care for children and young people and not seen as a last resort.

This starts with culture change. Challenge the stereotypes that have become an obstacle to making to making best choices. Not about favouring RCC rather refusing to limit our vision and basing decisions on what meets needs in most effective way.

STILL THE PLACEMENT OF LAST STILL THE PLACEMENT OF LAST RESORT?RESORT?

The number of children being The number of children being lookedlooked afterafter is at it’s is at it’s highest level on highest level on recordrecord

The number of children being The number of children being looked looked after inafter in residential careresidential care is at it’s is at it’s

lowest level on record lowest level on record

Scottish Government 2011 (1987-2011)Scottish Government 2011 (1987-2011)

CLAS STATISTICS 2011CLAS STATISTICS 2011

yearyear Looked afterLooked after Looked after Looked after in residential in residential carecare

19871987 12,51712,517 27842784

19931993 12,37112,371 21242124

20002000 11,30911,309 15851585

20052005 12,98212,982 15391539

20102010 15,98215,982 14801480

AUDIT SCOTLAND REPORT 2010

Highlighted that councils spend £250 million per annum on looked after children.

Dominant discourse that better Dominant discourse that better outcomes are more likely to be outcomes are more likely to be achieved out with residential care.achieved out with residential care.

Closure of Houses/Units across local Closure of Houses/Units across local authorities.authorities.

CARE COMMISSION REPORT

Making the Grade? Presented the results of the first year

of grading registered services in 2008-2009 and looked at the quality of;

Staffing Care Management & Leadership

Making The Grade?Making The Grade?

Quality Staffing Grade 4 and Quality Staffing Grade 4 and aboveabove

Care Home Care Home 88.3%88.3%

Residential SchoolResidential School 91%91%

Secure CareSecure Care 100%100%

Making The Grade?

Quality of Care Grade 4 and above

Care Home 91%Residential School 94%Secure Care 100%

Making The Grade?Making The Grade?

Quality Management and Quality Management and LeadershipLeadership

Grade 4 and aboveGrade 4 and above

Care HomeCare Home 80%80%

Residential SchoolResidential School 91%91%

Secure CareSecure Care 100%100%

Making The Grade?Making The Grade?

TORCROFT YOUNG PERSONS CENTRE TORCROFT YOUNG PERSONS CENTRE

WEST LOTHIANWEST LOTHIAN

Manifesto for ChangeManifesto for Change

Participation StrategyParticipation Strategy

Peer Negotiation/MediationPeer Negotiation/Mediation

STATUS OF RESIDENTIAL CHILD STATUS OF RESIDENTIAL CHILD CARECARE

Historical Developments & Influences.

Bowlby (Attachment Theory) Goffman ( Institutionalisation) Kilbrandon Permanency Inquiry Reports

•The 1960’s saw the growth and development of the social work profession, legislation following the Kilbrandon (1964) report and Seebohm (1968) reports in Scotland and England proposed the bringing together of the diverse local authority welfare services together within a new social services department thus locating residential child care within the social work profession.

•According to Crimmens and Milligan residential care found itself operating in a much changed and largely hostile professional and organisational environment. (Crimmens and Milligan, 2005 pg 20).

• Alongside the development of the social work profession was the emerging critique that institutional care in all its forms was de-personalising and stigmatising.

•Commentators have argued that the most influential of these critiques was that of Goffman (1961) whose work was based on 1,000 bed secure hospital in the USA in the 1950’s ‘Yet his findings on ‘institutionalisations’ continue to be applied to modern children’s homes, most of which accommodate no more than 5 or 6 young people’

•This anti-institutional bias continued to reinforce that substitute family care was the preferred option for children and young people.

•This notion was further reinforced by the publication of the ‘Children Who Wait’ report (Rowe and Lambert, 1973) which established the concept

of permanency planning.

•Parker also writes about the ‘persistent image of residential child care as being nothing more than a repugnant type of institutional life’ (Parker, 1998 pg 18).

INQUIRIES & REPORTS Pindown Report (Levy and Kahan 1991), which

chronicled routine mistreatment of children and young people in residential care in Staffordshire. This was subsequently followed by lower profile scandals affecting services in Scotland, Wales and other parts of England. As Frost Mills and Stein claimed all of these greatly influenced public perception of residential child care:

‘…to a public, fed on a diet of scandal, children’s homes are places where children are either villains being sexually or physically abused, or villains who are beyond control, involved in prostitution, crime or going missing’ (Frost, Mills and Stein, 1999 pg1).

INQUIRIES & REPORTS

The Skinner (1992), Utting (1991) and Kent (1997) reviews were commission by government following all the scandals surrounding residential child care.

These reports provided tremendous opportunity for the development of the service; the Skinner report ‘Another Kind of Home’ outlined a number of recommendations and principles for the development of the sector. Compare NRCCI

STATUS OF RESIDENTIAL CHILD STATUS OF RESIDENTIAL CHILD CARECARE

WHY IS THE QUALIFICATION BAR SO WHY IS THE QUALIFICATION BAR SO LOW? (SVQ111 and HNC)LOW? (SVQ111 and HNC)

IMPACT ON FRONTLINE STAFF.IMPACT ON FRONTLINE STAFF. IMPLICATIONS FOR COLLABORATIVE IMPLICATIONS FOR COLLABORATIVE

WORKING WORKING THE WAY FORWARD (NRCCI SCQF THE WAY FORWARD (NRCCI SCQF

level 9 all new entrants in 2014)level 9 all new entrants in 2014)

STATUS OF RESIDENTIAL CHILD STATUS OF RESIDENTIAL CHILD CARECARE

Berridge and Brodie’s (1998) study of children’s homes, reported that the low status associated with residential child care has been regularly linked with a lack of staff training and professional qualifications.

They point out that workers in children’s units are often perceived a ‘babysitters’ or ‘social workers in slippers’ (p.153).

THE RESIDENTIAL TASKTHE RESIDENTIAL TASK

Often described by social work Often described by social work managers and practitioners as a sub-managers and practitioners as a sub-set of social work interventions. set of social work interventions. (Milligan 1998).(Milligan 1998).

However it is through the medium of However it is through the medium of lifespace as opposed to planned lifespace as opposed to planned interventions that the most effective interventions that the most effective work with children and youth takes work with children and youth takes place. (Smith 2003).place. (Smith 2003).

A WAY FORWARDA WAY FORWARD

Distinctive Professional Identity.Distinctive Professional Identity. Degree level qualifications specific to the Degree level qualifications specific to the

task.task. Recognition that many young people Recognition that many young people

prefer, thrive and go on to achieve prefer, thrive and go on to achieve positive outcomes within residential positive outcomes within residential settings.settings.

An end to like for like research findings. An end to like for like research findings. (RCC often places the most difficult young (RCC often places the most difficult young people).people).

A WAY FORWARD (Barriers)A WAY FORWARD (Barriers)

Social work education not preparing staff for Social work education not preparing staff for the task.the task.

Social work discourses in training often Social work discourses in training often reinforce negative perceptions of RCC.reinforce negative perceptions of RCC.

Permanence theory very dominant in social Permanence theory very dominant in social work.work.

Qualified RCC workers under represented Qualified RCC workers under represented wherever social work is taught (Smith 2003).wherever social work is taught (Smith 2003).

Social work literature often fails to mention Social work literature often fails to mention RCC.RCC.

COMPARATIVE PERPECTIVESCOMPARATIVE PERPECTIVES

North American training specifically for North American training specifically for child and youth work.child and youth work.

South African training focused on South African training focused on community, education and lifespace.community, education and lifespace.

Ireland taking the opportunity of Ireland taking the opportunity of registration to establish a more robust registration to establish a more robust professional identity for child and youth professional identity for child and youth care.care.

Northern Europe prefers the social Northern Europe prefers the social pedagogy model.pedagogy model.

England is now also renewing interest in England is now also renewing interest in social pedagogy.social pedagogy.

SCOTTISH CONTEXTSCOTTISH CONTEXT

RCC in Scotland historically features RCC in Scotland historically features traditions of community and broad traditions of community and broad education.education.

Social pedagogy also has it’s roots in Social pedagogy also has it’s roots in education and may then share common education and may then share common features with Scottish traditions of practice.features with Scottish traditions of practice.

RCC workers currently being introduced to RCC workers currently being introduced to social pedagogy.social pedagogy.

University of Aberdeen offering a BA (Hons) University of Aberdeen offering a BA (Hons) in Social Pedagogy (Sept 2010).in Social Pedagogy (Sept 2010).

A FEW THOUGHTSA FEW THOUGHTS

‘‘The perception of residential care as a last The perception of residential care as a last resort not only stigmatises the children and resort not only stigmatises the children and young people who live there but also the young people who live there but also the workforce’ (SIRCC, 2009, p.14).workforce’ (SIRCC, 2009, p.14).

‘‘There can be few more important and There can be few more important and challenging tasks than caring for some of the challenging tasks than caring for some of the most vulnerable and troubled children and most vulnerable and troubled children and young people in our society. We must young people in our society. We must recognise the importance of this work in the recognise the importance of this work in the aspirations we have for this workforce’ (ibid, aspirations we have for this workforce’ (ibid, p. 13)p. 13)

ContinuedContinued

‘‘A residential child care placement should A residential child care placement should be made on the basis of a careful be made on the basis of a careful assessment of need rather than on, for assessment of need rather than on, for example, the result of a history of failed example, the result of a history of failed foster care placements. This should apply foster care placements. This should apply whatever the age of the child’ (ibid, p.9).whatever the age of the child’ (ibid, p.9).

‘‘Failure to invest in children earlier and Failure to invest in children earlier and provide quality residential care is cost in provide quality residential care is cost in terms of the damage to the individual child terms of the damage to the individual child or young person and to society’ ibid, p. 16).or young person and to society’ ibid, p. 16).

REFERENCESREFERENCES Milligan, I. (1998) Residential child care is not social work! Milligan, I. (1998) Residential child care is not social work! Social Social

Work EducationWork Education 17;3. 17;3.

Scottish Government. (2011) Scottish Government. (2011) Children Looked After Statistics Children Looked After Statistics 2009-102009-10

S.I.R.CC (2009) S.I.R.CC (2009) Higher Aspirations, Brighter Futures: National Higher Aspirations, Brighter Futures: National Residential Child Care Initiative Overview Report. Residential Child Care Initiative Overview Report.

Smith, M. (2003) Towards a Professional Identity and Knowledge Smith, M. (2003) Towards a Professional Identity and Knowledge Base: Is Residential Child Care Still Social Work? Base: Is Residential Child Care Still Social Work? Journal of Social Journal of Social WorkWork 3;235 3;235