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A special issue of Youth (ISSN 2673-995X).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 December 2023) | Viewed by 19577

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Special Issue Editors

Dr. Graham Connelly

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Guest Editor

Centre for Excellence for Children’s Care and Protection (CELCIS), Department of Social Work and Social Policy, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow G1 1XQ, Scotland, UK
Interests: care experience; residential care; education of care experienced young people and adults; young people’s health and wellbeing; history of children’s care; family history

Sarah Deeley

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor Assistant

Centre for Excellence for Children’s Care and Protection (CELCIS), School of Social Work and Social Policy, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow G1 1XQ, Scotland, UK
Interests: physical restraint; throughcare and aftercare; child development; trauma

Dan Johnson

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor Assistant

Kibble Education and Care Centre, Goudie Street, Paisley PA3 2LG, Scotland, UK
Interests: trauma; self-harm; residential care; psychological consultation

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

We are pleased to invite submissions for this Special Issue of Youth, titled "Residential Care of Children and Young People".

Residential or group care for children and young people has faced serious criticism and its importance has become diminished in many countries, in comparison with family-type care settings; this criticism is a result of the traumatic care experiences of children in orphanages and other large institutions, testimonies of historic abuse associated with institutional care, concerns for the rights of children deprived of liberty, policy trends favouring deinstitutionalisation, and reports of substandard care in contemporary institutions.

However, family-type care settings do not suit all children, for example, those who do not want what may appear to be offered as an alternative to their own family, or who wish to stay along with siblings, which is not always possible where foster carers have space for only one child. Campus-based residential care facilities also have advantages, which include access to a range of services such as specialist therapies, education, health, and sport facilities.

In this Special Issue, we are particularly interested in accounts of work concerning high-quality group care; creating residential settings specifically designed for the purpose of caring for children who have experienced pre-care trauma; the formation of and support for the care workforce; studies of histories of residential care; and research about including the voice of young people in designing and providing care services.

We will be pleased to receive original research articles, reviews, commentaries on policies and practice, and long-form essays reflecting on residential care or aspects of related policy and practice. Potential topic areas may include, but are not restricted to, the following:

Trauma-informed residential care;
Physical design of group care settings;
Everyday residential care provision;
Therapeutic provisions in residential settings;
Promoting education and wider achievement in group care settings;
Health and wellbeing in residential settings, including support for mental health;
Supporting disabled children in residential care;
Promoting sibling relationships;
Supporting parents and caregivers;
The role of and support for the workforce;
Management and governance in children’s residential care;
Listening to children and young people and promoting their agency;
Blue-sky thinking about quality in children’s residential care provision;
Relationships between residential care and other forms of care provision (g., family foster care, kinship care);
International comparisons.

Dr. Graham Connelly
Guest Editor

Sarah Deeley
Dan Johnson
Guest Editor Assistant

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Youth is an international peer-reviewed open access quarterly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1000 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

residential care
group care
care experience
trauma-informed care
childhood
youth justice
care and education
care experienced history
children’s voice
residential care workforce

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Published Papers (10 papers)

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Research

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9 pages, 554 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Reduction in Restraint and Critical Incidents in a Norwegian Residential Treatment Facility for Children Aged 7–13 Following the Implementation of the Neurosequential Model of Therapeutics

by Ann-Karin Nielsen Bakken, Kaja Næss Johannessen, Erin P. Hambrick and Ole André Solbakken

Youth 2024, 4(4), 1582-1590; https://doi.org/10.3390/youth4040101 - 11 Nov 2024

Viewed by 845

Abstract

In child and adolescent inpatient, residential and day-treatment facilities, the use of physical restraints and the occurrence of critical incidents are a significant problem. Restraints may sometimes be necessary if a child exhibits dangerous aggressive behavior, but may also be misused or overused, and have been shown to be preventable in many cases. This study aims to investigate if the implementation of the Neurosequential Model of Therapeutics (NMT) has an effect on the annual number of physical restraint incidents in a residential treatment facility for children with complex mental health disorders. Data before and after NMT implementation were collected from the agency’s restraint records. The results showed that post-NMT implementation, there was a substantial and sustained reduction in restraint incidents, with a Cohen’s d value of 2.03, indicating a very large effect. Limiting restraint use in treating children with complex mental health disorders can foster a safer and more therapeutic environment, with potential improvements in treatment outcomes. This study demonstrated a substantial drop in restraint incidents following the implementation of the Neurosequential Model in a residential facility for children aged 7–13. This reduction is presumably pivotal for children with complex mental health disorders, making treatment less coercive and offering promise for settings in which restraint incidents are a concern. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Residential Care of Children and Young People)

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19 pages, 315 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Community-Based Alternatives to Secure Care for Seriously At-Risk Children and Young People: Learning from Scotland, The Netherlands, Canada and Hawaii

by Kate Crowe

Youth 2024, 4(3), 1168-1186; https://doi.org/10.3390/youth4030073 - 1 Aug 2024

Viewed by 1405

Abstract

This article identifies community-based alternatives to secure care being utilised in The Netherlands, Canada, Hawaii and Scotland. These countries offer ways to not only reduce or eliminate the need to deprive children and young people of their liberty in secure care but also reduce rates of child removal and alternative care placements. Secure care is the containment of children and young people, often subject to child protection interventions and residing in residential care, in a locked facility when they pose a significant risk of harm to the community and themselves. An admission to secure care exposes children to restrictive practices, such as seclusion, use of force and restraint. Jurisdictions have an ethical imperative, and often legislative obligation, to ensure there are less intrusive community-based supports available, which could be utilised instead of a secure care admission where possible. However, there is little research on what alternatives effectively divert secure care admissions. Hawaii, Canada, The Netherlands and Scotland demonstrate how countries can reduce the number of vulnerable children deprived of their liberty and exposed to restrictive practices by enhancing research linkages, responding to the voice of lived experience, and positioning secure care and alternatives within system-wide reform. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Residential Care of Children and Young People)

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19 pages, 263 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Care Trajectories and Nature of Care Received by Children Aged 5–11 Who Are in Need of Therapeutic Residential Care

by Catherine Nixon

Youth 2024, 4(3), 1076-1094; https://doi.org/10.3390/youth4030067 - 24 Jul 2024

Viewed by 742

Abstract

A total of 10% of children looked after in residential care in Scotland are aged 5–11. Although there has been a significant amount of information published about the care trajectories of adolescents in residential care, there is limited information about the experiences of younger children. In this paper, we explore the care trajectories and nature of care received by 5–11-year-olds identified as being in need of residential care. Our results show that younger children who enter residential care have significant trauma histories and experience significant levels of emotional and behavioural dysregulation that foster carers find challenging to manage, resulting in recurrent placement breakdowns. Residential care, particularly small-group-sized care that adopts social pedagogical and psychotherapeutic approaches, was considered beneficial for addressing the psychosocial and emotional needs of younger children. Despite these findings, there were concerns about the long-term use of residential care for younger children. Our results highlight that there is a need to improve access to paediatric mental health services for children in family-based placements. There is also a need to invest in better training and support for foster carers looking after children in severe distress. Community-based outreach services and in-home respite services provided by residential care teams are one way this could be achieved. Finally, in order to promote earlier and more timeous use of residential care, there is a need to shift societal views around residential care being a placement of last resort to rather being a place of recovery and healing that should sometimes be used as a placement of first resort. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Residential Care of Children and Young People)

15 pages, 255 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Encounters with Care in a Scottish Residential School in the 1980s

by Mark Smith

Youth 2024, 4(2), 525-539; https://doi.org/10.3390/youth4020036 - 15 Apr 2024

Viewed by 867

Abstract

The meaning of care in residential child care is under-developed. It can often be represented through its absence, seen as offering at best basic physical tending but lacking emotional connection or warmth. At worst, residential care settings said to be institutionally abusive can be characterised as being antithetical to what we might imagine care should be. Residential schools and especially those run by religious orders attract particular opprobrium in this regard. In this article, I adopt a broadly autoethnographic approach to reflect on how boys (now men in their late 40s and early 50s) brought up in the 1980s in a Scottish residential school recall being cared for. The article uses Axel Honneth’s theory of recognition and its three pillars of love, rights and solidarity to group themes from how former pupils speak about their experiences of care. These accounts challenge the received narrative of such settings failing to offer care. The discussion reflects some ideas around care and about how we understand public care historically. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Residential Care of Children and Young People)

16 pages, 301 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Charting the 21st Century Rise of For-Profit Residential Child Care

by Robin Sen, Olga Alexandrovna Ulybina and Lisa Holmes

Youth 2024, 4(1), 272-287; https://doi.org/10.3390/youth4010019 - 17 Feb 2024

Viewed by 2048

Abstract

This article explores the increasing prevalence of for-profit residential care, with a particular focus on Great Britain, while also drawing on the international evidence from the Global North. Comprising a critical review of the published evidence (both academic and grey literature), the article seeks to examine what might explain the rising prevalence of and the possible associated impacts of the increase in for-profit provision. The findings indicate that the rise of for profit-companies among residential child care providers appears to have occurred by default, rather than explicit policy design. Our analysis also highlights gaps in the knowledge base about the quality of care and whether better quality is associated with the type of provider. Furthermore, the relationships between provider, quality, cost and outcomes are unclear. There are inconsistencies in the evidence base, with different conclusions being reached. However, available evidence tends to suggest the increased prevalence of for-profit residential child care providers has had an overall negative, rather than positive, effect. The best case in favour of the continued use of for-profit residential care is currently a non-moral pragmatic one: that in countries with medium and high prevalence of the use of residential child care, it would be hard to sustain care systems if for-profit providers were to suddenly withdraw or be withdrawn. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Residential Care of Children and Young People)

14 pages, 239 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Navigating Fragmented Infrastructures of Care: Children’s Sense of Home in Residential Education

by Artūrs Pokšāns and Kārlis Lakševics

Youth 2024, 4(1), 149-162; https://doi.org/10.3390/youth4010011 - 22 Jan 2024

Viewed by 833

Abstract

Residential education often both challenges and reinforces the norms and systems supporting children and young people’s need for homely environments. In this context, studies on pupils’ sense of home when attending residential schools provide a ground for exploring broader infrastructures of care available to them as they move through different spaces. Drawing on autoethnography, life-story interviews, and semi-structured interviews, we illustrate how, for children within the Latvian residential school system, homeliness may be found at a relative’s apartment, school bus or youth center affected by how each of the spaces relates to children’s safety and control, privacy, community, identity, everyday life, and time. While normative discourses remain fixated on home as a family space where infrastructures of care can be limited, but educational settings emphasize control as a measure for safety without being attentive to peer-to-peer relationships, children’s agency in achieving a sense of homeliness becomes fragmented and stronger in some places more than others. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Residential Care of Children and Young People)

15 pages, 271 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Does Group Size of Provision Matter for Children Who Experience Residential Group Care in Scotland?

by Ruby Whitelaw

Youth 2023, 3(4), 1391-1405; https://doi.org/10.3390/youth3040087 - 4 Dec 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2407

Abstract

It is widely recognised that trauma-informed care is fundamental to meeting the needs of children who experience residential care. Service design is central to this, and the aim of this article is to illustrate the experiences of 13 young people who have lived within group care settings, to highlight how a service’s capacity can impact on children’s needs being met. Using findings from a PhD thesis engaging 18–29-year-olds in Scotland, the research used a mixed methodological approach of questionnaires and semi-structured interviews to elicit young people’s retrospective care experiences. The findings show that the number of children within a setting can adversely affect the feeling of being emotionally and practically supported, resulting in some children feeling that their needs were not fully met. This will offer insight to practitioners, managers and decision makers who are engaged in the delivery and development of children’s services. Background: The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) articles 3, 9 and 20 and Scotland’s Independent Care Review state what children should expect from authorities and services responsible for providing alternative care. The ambition for Scotland’s children is that they “grow up loved, safe, and respected so that (they) realise their full potential”. For those who spend a period of their childhood growing up in residential care, they should experience a relational, trauma-informed and caring approach from staff. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Residential Care of Children and Young People)

16 pages, 670 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Everyday Care: What Helps Adults Help Children in Residential Childcare?

by Andrew Burns and Ruth Emond

Youth 2023, 3(4), 1301-1316; https://doi.org/10.3390/youth3040082 - 25 Nov 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1696

Abstract

Over the last decade, there has been an increasing trend towards the use of ‘therapeutic models’ in residential childcare settings in the U.K. and elsewhere. While some have argued that these developments have been driven, at least in part, by free market funding environments and organisational survival needs, others have suggested that many of these models, despite some of their theoretical and conceptual differences, offer a useful approach. Drawing on findings from an ethnographic research project in a residential setting in Scotland, we argue that the underlying processes of implementing and embedding a therapeutic model can create conditions that are conducive to the provision of high-quality, effective, relationship-based practice, which has real benefits for children in their everyday worlds. Moreover, we argue that the model itself is somewhat beside the point. If residential organisations can facilitate safe, ongoing opportunities for staff to (a) think deeply about themselves and others (children and staff), (b) practice ways of being and doing, and (c) be seen and valued, then this can contribute to a practice culture and context in which they feel able to create genuine, caring relationships with children. We argue that it is within these everyday, genuine, caring relationships that children can recover from difficult experiences such as neglect and abuse. In this way, the ‘therapeutic’ focus should be primarily directed at the adults to enable children to get on with being children. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Residential Care of Children and Young People)

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24 pages, 645 KiB

Open AccessArticle

“I Don’t Feel Like There’s Enough Awareness about the Damage That Social Media Does”: A Thematic Analysis of the Relationships between Social Media Use, Mental Wellbeing, and Care Experience

by Cecily Pepper, Elvira Perez Vallejos and Chris James Carter

Youth 2023, 3(4), 1244-1267; https://doi.org/10.3390/youth3040079 - 9 Nov 2023

Viewed by 5562

Abstract

Social media (SM) has become an unavoidable mode of communication for many young people today, leading to increasing importance in exploring its impact on mental wellbeing. This includes exploring the impact on those who may be more susceptible to developing mental health issues due to adverse childhood experiences, such as care-experienced young people. This study consisted of 22 semi-structured interviews with young people from the general population (n = 11) and care-experienced young people (n = 11). Thematic analysis revealed varying effects of SM, including positive effects such as entertainment, inspiration, and belongingness. However, other findings indicated that the design of SM is damaging for young people’s wellbeing. Age and developmental maturity appeared as key factors influencing the impact of SM on wellbeing, with the indication of further protective factors such as self-awareness, education, and certain SM design features. Specifically, care-experienced young people expressed how lived experiences of the care system can have both positive and negative effects on SM use while revealing the complex relationship between care experience, SM use, and wellbeing. These results can be used to inform SM design and policy and to provide suggestions for SM and wellbeing education among the general population and care-experienced young people. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Residential Care of Children and Young People)

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16 pages, 264 KiB

Open AccessEssay

Quality Care in Residential Care and Treatment Settings in North America: From Complex Research to Four Everyday Principles for Practice

by Kiaras Gharabaghi

Youth 2024, 4(1), 244-259; https://doi.org/10.3390/youth4010017 - 12 Feb 2024

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1405

Abstract

Quality is a central topic in contemporary discussions about residential care, and specifically about group or congregate care. Such care settings have been contested in recent years specifically resulting from anecdotal evidence that quality is lacking. To this end, the response has focused on the development of quality indicators and standards. In this essay, the author argues that, although such approaches are necessary and have helped to embed evidence-based practices in residential care settings, they are not easily translated into everyday practice. Quality care must mean more than frameworks for care that are governed by professional system designs. Quality care also must include the experiences of young people living life in these settings. To this end, to help with the translation of quality care standards for residential care, the essay presents four core principles that, on the one hand, are familiar and easily translatable for youth workers and social workers in these settings, and on the other hand, honour and are congruent with core elements of almost all evidence-based practice approaches. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Residential Care of Children and Young People)

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