Missing Voices: The views and experiences of disabled children and young people living in out-of-home care

This presentation is based on the qualitative phase of a three year study which examined the characteristics and experiences of disabled children and young people in out-of-home care in Northern Ireland. This phase of the... [ view full abstract ]

This presentation is based on the qualitative phase of a three year study which examined the characteristics and experiences of disabled children and young people in out-of-home care in Northern Ireland. This phase of the study involved case studies of 15 disabled children and young people which included reading their case files, interviewing disabled children and young people and their birth parents, carers and social workers.

The disabled children and young people were (9 males and 6 females) were aged between 4 and 16 years old, and presented with a range of disabilities and placement experiences. Various creative methods were used to engage disabled children in the research interview, including written and pictorial activities, feelings cards, play and observation. The presentation will focus on four core themes emerging from the case study findings: placement experience, placement change, family contact and participation.

Disabled children and young people in family-based placements were either living with relatives in a kinship care arrangement or living in a non-relative foster care placement. Those who were in residential care were living in children’s homes, specialist residential homes for disabled people or hospital. Disabled children preferred living in family-based environments, however, social workers often struggled to identify such placements for disabled children with more complex needs. Mainstream children’s homes were often not well suited to the needs of disabled children, particularly those with autism. Specialist residential care was targeted at young people with more severe and complex needs, often presenting with more challenging or violent behaviours. Young people in these settings were accessing a range of care from multi-disciplinary professionals and high levels of supervision to meet their needs. However, there were challenges in terms of being placed far away from their home, contact with birth family and planning for the transition to adult life.

A major issue for children living in out-of-home care is the opportunity permanency. However, many of the disabled children and young people in this study experienced placement change, with some having multiple moves across a range of care settings. Such placement instability impacted on attachment to carers and relationships with birth family. Many of the participants had supervised or supported contact with their birth families due to ongoing issues related to risk or to ensure a positive experience for the child. Sibling contact was also emphasised by the participants as being an important part of staying connected to their birth families.

Participation was an important theme for all of the disabled children and young people interviewed. A few were actively involved in decisions affecting their lives, however, many felt that professionals should listen more to disabled children and incorporate their views in care plans and decisions. Professionals need to be enabled to spend more time with disabled children on their caseloads to develop a rapport and establish communication. More child-centred methods of reviewing placements and planning to meet care needs were also recommended.

This research is one of the first studies in the UK to examine the views and experiences of disabled children and young people living in out-of-home care. The findings have direct relevance to policy and practice and indicate an urgent need to address barriers to permanency for disabled children and to expand the range of family-based care options available for disabled children and young people. The views of disabled children in out-of-home care should also be sought to ensure robust child-centred reviews of their care experiences and more therapeutic work should be undertaken to address past trauma and ongoing personal and family identity issues.