Learning from the past to prevent future abuse: children's services workers' experiences of residential care in Scotland: 1960-75

Seeking the perspectives of those who have previously worked in residential childcare services is vital when considering how abuse can be prevented in the future and positive outcomes achieved. This presentation will draw... [ view full abstract ]

Seeking the perspectives of those who have previously worked in residential childcare services is vital when considering how abuse can be prevented in the future and positive outcomes achieved. This presentation will draw upon the findings of a recent Oral History project, the overall aim of which was to explore children’s services’ workers experiences of residential care in Scotland from 1960-75. Objectives were to explore the lived experiences of workers and their perspective of working with children in residential care; the standards of care and their perceptions of the experiences of children; their views on change and development in residential care.

In-depth, semi-structured interviews were conducted with twenty-three individuals who had experience of working with or in connection with, residential child care services. Participants included residential child care workers and managers from a variety of settings; children’s officers, social workers and social work managers. In this way, it has been possible to establish a rich and multi-layered account of provision at the time, set in the context of official policy discourses and documentary accounts.

Results highlighted a range of both positive and negative experiences. Some accounts revealed rigidly hierarchical, austere regimes where child-centred practice had not yet begun to emerge; the isolation and separation of children from the wider community and the struggles of an unqualified and inexperienced staff group, thus potentially creating the conditions in which abuse might occur and remain unchecked. Conversely, the freedoms and autonomy inherent in a pre-risk averse era were recalled with fondness by many, along with high standards of care by dedicated staff. In terms of preventing future abuse, useful lessons can be learned from past mistakes. Yet, while many aspects of service delivery have now improved, care should be that we do not lose some of the better elements of former practice.