Placement Stability

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Placement Stability

• The Sheffield Picture

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Why research this?

• Measured on performance indicators
• Improve outcomes and services for children
• Other predictive measures using existing EMS data
  had not been effective
• Greater detail from qualitative methods needed

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What were we looking at?

• NI 62 children who had had 3 placement moves
  within a 12 month period (from 31st March 2007 to
  1st April 2008)
• NI 63 children who had had a long term
  placement (greater that 2.5 yrs) break down

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Methodology

• Variety of methods
• File audits of 20 children (random stratified
  sample)
• Interviews with childrens social workers on
  their views on reasons for placement
  breakdown/moves
• Focus group with Independent Reviewing Officers

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Areas that File audits/ interviews covered

• The childs history
• The childs behaviour
• The level of attachment difficulties
• The extent and nature of placement preparation
• The stability of those associated with the
  placement
• Contact issues

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Findings

• Some long term placement breakdowns were
  positive
• Some long term placement breakdowns were not
  preventable
• Children in the NI 63 group tended to be older
  able to express their wishes feelings and ask
  for these to be taken into account
• Level of children's behavioural and educational
  difficulties was extremely high

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Findings 2

• Breakdown of a LT placement often led to a
  domino effect, with the child then having a
  number of placement moves
• Attachment difficulties were felt to be impacting
  on childrens behaviour in the great majority of
  children
• Limited placement choice may adversely effect
  subsequent moves

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Findings 3

• Children who were suffering frequent placement
  moves had greater instability of factors which
  surrounded their placements
• changes of social worker
• changes of fostering support worker
• changes in educational provision
• other changes and more unplanned moves

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Findings 4

• Contact issues did not seem so important in this
  sample.
• Contrary to myth children had few changes of
  social workers
• Offending behaviour did not appear to impact
  significantly on placement stability
• Child disability not at all imp in placement
  moves, slightly so in LT breakdown

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Implications for practice 1

• Increase placement choice
• Improve access to therapeutic services for LAC
  for severe emotional, attachment and behavioural
  problems
• Maintain stability around placements esp
  education
• Improve training for foster carers around
  behavioural support and coping with adolescence

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Implications for Practice 2

• Improve awareness and put in support after
  respite placements, and long term placement
  breakdowns to prevent domino effect
• Improve awareness around the pressures on foster
  carers of sibling placements when dynamics
  between siblings problematic

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Implications for Practice 3

• Improve preparation for placement for both child
  and foster care/ residential unit
• Improve assessment of children's needs on all
  levels, and put in place a rigorous planning
  process to meet them in the foster home.
• Question PI which suggest that breakdown of a
  long term placement is always negative

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Gaps in Research

• No comparative group where placements had NOT
  broken down what works?
• Views of Family Placement workers who support
  placements were not sought
• Audit tools were heavily biased in looking at
  foster placements rather than residential
  placements

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References

• RiP (2008) Performance Pointers NI 62 Stability
  of placements of looked after children number of
  moves.
• DEd and Skills ( 2005) Qualitative Study The
  placement stability of looked after children.
• Beecham J and Sinclair I (2007) Costs and
  Outcomes in Childrens Social Care Messages
  from research.
• Sinclair I (2005) Fostering Now. Messages from
  Research. Jessica Kingsley.
• Munro ER and Hardy A (2006) Placement Stability
  A review of the literature. Report to the DfES.
  Loughborough Centre for child and family
  research. www.lboro.ac.uk/publications/ccfr/Public
  ations/placement stabilitylitreview.pdf
• Sinclair I, Baker C, Lee J, and Gibbs I (2007).
  The Pursuit of Permanence. A study of the English
  Care system.

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References 2

• Borthwick S Lord J. (2008). Together or Apart
  Assessing Brothers and Sisters for Permanent
  Placement. BAAF