The Pursuit of Permanence: A Study of the English Child Care System (Quality Matters in Children's Services Series)

Children in public care complain that they have too many placements. Professionals agree but little is known about the reasons for this instability or how it affects different groups of children. The Pursuit of Permanence explores this core issue for children's services. Based on the largest study of the English care system in recent years, the book examines the children (what they need and what they want), their movements into, out of and within the care system, the nature and quality of their placements and the outcomes (whether the children are settled or happy). It analyses the reasons for movements and outcomes in different groups of children, and the relative impacts of the departments, social work teams and placements. It concludes with suggestions about how the care system should work, what it should offer and how it should be managed and inspected. This detailed, innovative and comprehensive study is essential reading for all professionals and academics involved with fostering, leaving care, adoption and children's services, as well as policy makers and students on social work courses. FRONT COVER......Page 1 The Pursuit of Permanence; A Study of the English Care System......Page 5 Contents......Page 7 PREFACE......Page 13 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT......Page 15 1. Introduction......Page 17 2. Who is Looked After? The Children’s Characteristics......Page 31 3. Who is Looked After? The Children’s Families, Wishes and Behaviour......Page 45 4. Groups of Children and Their Chance of Permanence......Page 67 5. Admissions and Discharges......Page 87 6. The Children and Their Different Paths in Care......Page 105 7. Going Home and Leaving Care: The Case Studies......Page 117 8. Placements: How They are Used......Page 135 9. Placements: How One Leads to Another......Page 161 10. Children Based in Care......Page 183 11. Children and Outcomes......Page 199 12. Placements and Outcomes......Page 209 13. Carers, Homes and Outcomes......Page 223 14. Teams and Outcomes......Page 237 15. Councils and Outcomes......Page 253 16. An Overview......Page 263 APPENDIX I: REPRESENTATIVENESS OF STUDY SAMPLES......Page 279 APPENDIX II: ANALYSIS OF NATIONAL DATA......Page 285 APPENDIX III: MONITORING AND QUALITY ASSURANCE......Page 307 REFERENCES......Page 311 SUBJECT INDEX......Page 315 AUTHOR INDEX......Page 321 Children in public care complain that they have too many placements. Professionals agree but little is known about the reasons for this instability or how it affects different groups of children. The Pursuit of Performance explores this core issue for children's services. Based on the largest study of the English care system in recent years, the book examines the children (what they need and what they want), their movements into, out of and within the care system, the nature and quality of their placements and the outcomes (whether the children are settled or happy). It analyses the reasons for movements and outcomes in different group of children, and the relative impacts of the departments, social work teams and placements. It concludes with suggestions about how the care system should work, what it should offer and how it should be managed and inspected Introduction Who was looked after? The children's characteristics Who was looked after? The children's families, wishes and behaviour Groups of children and their chance of permanence Admissions and discharges The children and their different paths in care Going home and leaving care : the case studies Placements : how they are used Placements : how one leads to another Children based in care Children and outcomes Placements and outcomes Carers, homes and outcomes Teams and outcomes Councils and outcomes An overview. Based on a study of the English care system, this text offers an overview of the placement process, including the children, their movements, their placements, the outcomes and the underlying reasons