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The objective of this paper is to inform a critical analysis of how the media portray family support in Ireland. Findings of a content analysis carried out on national and regional Irish newspapers between 2014 and 2017 are presented which describe communication about family support services provided by Tusla-Child and Family Agency. Results show that even though child protection was not used as a specific search term, news items on the Child and Family Agency and family support were usually focused on child protection and children in care. Results also show that family support activities are reported more positively in local papers compared to national papers. In the discussion, we argue that these findings are important as the media plays an important role in how the public understand, view, and engage with integrated child protection and welfare systems. We consider the implications of the research and advocate working with the media to inform their interpretation and understanding of family support. We suggest this is important as the manner in which the media communicate and frame family support as part of the overall child protection and welfare system is one of the main influences on public understandings and awareness of preventative family support and child welfare services.

This article presents critical commentary on the relationship between wider policy in Ireland for children, and the practice of social workers and social care workers who work with children on the ground level. An overview of the current policy context for children is achieved through a focused commentary on the literature. This operates around three broad themes. First, the pervasive influence of a children's rights paradigm on policy in Ireland must be accounted for. Second, policy that is manifest as a feature of regulation, audit, accountability and compliance culture is considered. Finally, an overview of key policy related to specific areas of practice with children in Ireland is mapped out. Following a review of the literature, the utility of a Jansson ([2017]. "Empowerment series: Becoming an effective policy advocate" (8th ed.). Boston: Centage Learning) Framework of Policy-Practice is explored for practitioners who seek to make better links between policy and their practice in the field. The proposition is that the Framework offers one theoretical mechanism for practitioners who are concerned with strengthening policy and practice links. The discussion in this paper is timely and relevant in the context of increasing external regulation defined by a cultural shift towards audit, compliance and accountability, and related processes of professionalisation. To date, development of literature in Ireland for social professionals on the relationship between policy and practice remains broadly neglected.

Increasing the participation of children and young people in matters related to their care and aftercare is regarded as international best practice. While research demonstrates that children and young people benefit from involvement in care-related processes, participation continues to pose challenges for social work practitioners. Studies to date have tended to focus on in-care engagement and, consequently, relatively little is known about the experiences of young people as they age out of care, particularly in terms of their perceived involvement and engagement in the planning-to-leave care process. This paper examines young people's experiences of the aftercare planning process in Ireland drawing on data from the first phase of a qualitative longitudinal study of young people leaving care. Sixteen participants were recruited at baseline and interviewed in-depth. The approach to interviewing was flexible and encouraged participants to talk about their experiences of care and the aftercare planning process. The findings indicate considerable diversity in how young people experience and attach meaning to the transition out of care. They also reveal complexities surrounding youth participation in the leaving care planning process and uncover a number of distinct facilitators and barriers to participation. Conclusions are drawn and the implications for practice are discussed.

Copyright of European Journal of Social Work is the property of Routledge and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The aim of this paper is to report on the evaluation of two standardised training programmes provided by the statutory children and family service in the Republic of Ireland in 2012. This involved an evaluation of Children First Basic Level Training, which was delivered to all staff employed in the statutory services, and Keeping Safe, Basic Level Training, which was delivered externally to those working with children and families in voluntary and community services. The objectives of this review were: to determine the perceived need of all participants on both training programmes; to establish the relevance of the training programmes "vis-à-vis" the participants work practice; to evaluate whether both training programmes have met their stated aims; and to establish the necessary components of a training programme to inform future development. This retrospective review was conducted using mixed methods. The findings show that, in the main, the needs of the respondents were met by the training. Most respondents agreed that the training met its aims and was relevant. Valuable suggestions were made regarding development for the future. However, due to an unexpectedly low response rate to the research, the low sample size has meant that we cannot deduce that the mostly positive results are representative of participants in the training programmes as a whole. However, while not a reliable representation of the whole trainee population, the findings are nonetheless illustrative and instructive as a guide within this complex and important field for the development of future training. It is concluded that given the ongoing challenge of protecting children from abuse and neglect, the findings will inform a renewed commitment to ongoing development of generic training as well as the development of more advanced methods of evaluation, and increased engagement of training participants in the research process.

The Family Welfare Conference (FWC) is a model used within the child protection and welfare services to address concerns about the needs of children and their family's ability to respond to these needs. The FWC model operates in partnership with family members, who participate in identifying both the issues of concern and potential responses to address these. The core premise of the FWC model involves greater engagement by family members in the process of responding to matters connected to their children's protection and welfare. This paper presents the findings of a research study on the value placed on the FWC model by social workers working in a statutory child protection and welfare department in the Republic of Ireland. A mixed-methods study was employed with social workers asked to complete an anonymous questionnaire and to participate in a face-to-face interview. The main findings highlight the value of the FWC as a model of relationship-based practice, with participation and partnership with family members viewed as crucial elements. The particular strengths identified in the model include the relationship that is established and developed between the FWC coordinator and the family members, the decision-making methods engaged in by families, and the increased understanding of the issues involved by virtue of participation within the FWC process. The place of the FWC within child protection and welfare services is considered in light of these findings, with an overall positive viewpoint presented.

Disclosure of sexual abuse can be a process rife with barriers, setbacks and trauma. Those who have experienced sexual abuse in childhood tend to delay disclosure, possibly until adulthood, and can be silenced by structural, societal and personal barriers. Those who do disclose are often referred to as the ‘tip of the iceberg’, highlighting the potentially large hidden population who never come forward. This paper is drawn from a wider study which presented narratives of adults who have disclosed their experiences of childhood sexual abuse to social work services in the Republic of Ireland. In Irish child protection policy such disclosures are called ‘retrospective disclosures’. Recent reports by Irish State bodies have shown that those who have reported their childhood experiences to child protection authorities have not always received the response they would have hoped for (Office of the Ombudsman, 2017; Health Information and Quality Authority, 2016). Since the ‘narrative turn’ in social work research a rich body of work has been produced which explores the use of narrative approaches to address pertinent issues affecting social work practice. Biographical Narrative Interviewing Methodology (BNIM) is one such approach to narrative research and focuses on the presentation of voice and life experience. This paper presents the BNIM data collection process as it was used in the wider study and justifies the rationale for using such a methodology as a means of conducting research on a sensitive topic with a population that are too often silenced. This paper presents how an awareness of the socially constructed environment, the dynamics of abuse and the use of appropriate methodologies can bring such silenced and marginalised voices to the fore. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is generally understood that administrative data at the level of the individual, family and wider population is fundamental to delivering client centred services which aim to support families and respond to and reduce child abuse. Such data is valuable to policy makers and practitioners and plays an important role in research. The focus of this paper is the potential use of administrative data from statutory family support and child protection and welfare services in Ireland for policy, practice and research. In the context of an evolving legislative and policy framework in Ireland, we provide an overview of the statutory family support and child protection services provided by Tusla, Ireland's Child and Family Agency. We suggest that this context provides an exceptional opportunity for developing administrative data sets in child protection and welfare and in family support. The benefits and challenges of developing such administrative data sets are discussed. The paper concludes with recommendations for developing and linking administrative data sets to better understand and respond to the needs of children and families presenting to the services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper was based on a framework for practice and supervision based on 'protective-support and supportive-protection' (PS-SP) that can be used to discuss and plan for practice in a way that maximises the capacity of workers in child protection and welfare (CPW) services to provide support and protection simultaneously. The framework is underpinned by a long-established assumption about social work in child protection and welfare as a socio-legal practice of mediation in the social. The PS-SP framework was initially developed within an ecological context with a focus on networks and networking. In this paper, we developed this framework further, framing practice supervision using four functions of supervision (management, support, development, and mediation) and including a fifth component on safety. We did this alongside a review of related considerations around safety in supervision in general and in child protection and welfare in particular. While noting the important contribution of this work, we identified ongoing gaps for supervision focused on safety when considered within an ecological context. Bearing in mind the well-evidenced stress, challenges, and vicarious nature of child protection and welfare practice, we argued the importance of a wider framework based on PS-SP for supervision and support to manage this complexity with a particular emphasis on 'safety' as a contribution to this. To illustrate our framework and discussion, we referred to a case study throughout. This case study is drawn from a high-profile child abuse inquiry in Ireland over a decade ago. This case was chosen as it demonstrates the complex interplay of needs for support and protection over extended time. We considered how the PS-SP framework may be used in the present (hypothetically) regarding such a case scenario. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper focuses on qualitative findings on how young people in long-term foster care in Ireland interpret permanence and stability. We focus principally on subjective and relational permanence, emphasising the significance of these concepts for social work, while extending some conceptual approaches to permanence. Importantly, findings from this study highlight conceptual gaps in how permanence and stability are conceptualised in research and we outline an approach which more fully embraces the multi-dimensionality of young people's life experiences and emotions. Recent studies underline that permanence encompasses several elements (e.g. ecological, legal). However, this paper extends current research in illustrating how Irish young people in foster care experience permanence and stability every day, and how these experiences embrace discursive, emotional and temporal dimensions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The core argument of this paper is that intersectionality provides a constructive conceptual lens for the convergence of ethnic minority status and childhood disability in Irish child protection and welfare. The utility of intersectionality in this paper lies in broadening the scope of reflection on the complex intersections of ethnic minority status and childhood disability. Within this, intersectionality is implicitly situated within an overarching critical disability studies perspective. Theoretically informed commentary on the literature attends to three aspects of practice. These are respectively novel intersections of ethnic minority status and childhood disability, as a consequence of intensifying globalization; compounded levels of risk; and the importance of nonconflation of potential sites of oppression, such as race and disability. Overall, the intention of the paper is to be illustrative. Specifically, analysis is presented as an aid to students and practitioners, moving forward, in negotiating a complex and dynamic field of practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drawing on findings from a psycho-social qualitative doctoral study, this paper considers the intimate and extraordinary emotional intensity, ambivalence and pain associated with the experience of mother social workers engaging with mothers and their infants in the context of child protection work. In this yearlong study undertaken with a group of female Irish child protection social workers, their role as mothers was an unanticipated emergent theme and was found to be inextricably linked to their work and their capacity for realistic decision-making. We consider the wider contexts of societal ambivalence about motherhood, mothering and social work itself, as a way of locating these experiences as fully psycho-social. The work discussion seminars offered as part of the research study afforded a rare opportunity for workers to talk about predicaments, failures and worries, in conditions of containment for anxiety, support for their learning, and a confidential reflective setting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Child-protection social work is a stressful occupation that results in workforce concerns about poor levels of staff retention and high levels of inexperience. This paper presents results from a cross-sectional survey and reports findings from a sample of 162 Northern Irish social workers. The sample were measured for 'resilience' (acceptance of self and life and individual competence, RS14 Resilience Scale), 'burnout' (emotional exhaustion EE, depersonalisation DP, personal accomplishment PA, Maslach Burnout Inventory) and organisational subscales (work-load, community, values, equity and control, Area of Work Life Scale (AWLS)). Pearson zero-order correlations showed that higher resilience was associated with lower EE and higher PA. Hierarchical linear regression analysis was used to identify unique demographic and work-specific predictors of resilience in addition to the AWLS subscales of control and values. The final model significantly accounted for 27 per cent of the variance in resilience scores, providing increased knowledge about resilience enhancing factors. As resilience is not an apolitical concept, the wider debates and politics of resilience are acknowledged. Specifically, contextual concerns are addressed that relate to the organisational factors that impact on social workers. The paper concludes by calling for organisational interventions to support resilience in social workers and maintain expertise in child-protection services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

By June 2021, children and young people had experienced two periods of lockdown and home learning in Northern Ireland. The detrimental impact of these periods of indefinite confinement is wider reaching than reported educational stagnation, with the fundamental rights of childhood: play; rest; and leisure; all adversely implicated. Autistic children's experiences of Covid‐19 have been largely absent from current crisis and recovery discourse. This is the first published study to directly and specifically involve autistic children both as research advisors and as research participants in a rights‐based participatory study relating to the pandemic. Drawing on concepts of ableist childism and epistemic injustice, this article presents, through Photovoice, the emotional, social and educational experiences of post‐ primary aged autistic young people in Northern Ireland during the first 2020 lockdown of the Covid‐19 pandemic. The project was grounded in a child rights‐based approach and was guided by a group of four autistic young advisors aged 11–15. The paper concludes by arguing that government responses to the pandemic, as experienced by autistic young people, act as forms of oppression that prioritises and further embeds normative non‐autistic structures and responses under the guise of public health necessity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Substantial research evidence alludes to concerns, practical impediments, inefficiencies and injustices in Child Protection and Welfare (CPW) work with children with disabilities. Meanwhile, individualised perspectives and bio-medical discourses that have traditionally monopolised social work practice with disability are increasingly viewed as inadequate and reductive. In this context, particularly instrumental is the complexity and non-materiality that disability entails. As a cross-cutting intervention into these predicaments, this paper explores the practicalities of tentative links between CPW social work with children with disabilities, and the theoretical innovations of Critical Disability Studies (CDS), alluded to elsewhere. The proposition is, that three conditions of possibility may foster space for the effective integration of CDS conventions into CPW social work. These are instructive and refer respectively to: opening space for integration; application as an aid to reflective practice; and sensitising to nuanced and immaterial forces of disablement. The intention is, that abstract theory and non-materialist insights from CDS may be productively disruptive, and repurposed, for CPW students and practitioners seeking new ways to think through the present predicaments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Whilst even minimal social work intervention entails judicious planning and strategic oversight, existing literature alludes to persistent concerns, inadequacies and challenges in safeguarding work with disabled children. In this context, critical commentary on the literature selects two influences on social work intervention for more in-depth consideration. The sustaining proposition of the paper is that barriers to optimum Child Protection and Welfare (CPW) social work intervention with disabled children in Ireland, are encountered at both structural and epistemological levels. On a structural level, it is proposed that social work intervention pathways must negotiate problematic and indistinct lines of demarcation between disability services and statutory CPW services. On an epistemological level, the utility of evidence-based and rights-based approaches for overcoming shortfalls in perceptions, attitudes and culture alluded to in current literature, is arguably substantial. Notwithstanding other impediments to effective practice such as time and resource constraints, the refined focus of analysis on these two aspects, pursues further detail within existing and limited knowledge on the subject matter. In concluding, to operationalise insights from the former review towards improving future practice, a conceptual framework derived from the Hardiker Model (1991) is applied to discuss lessons learned, moving forward. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper revisits core family support messages for social work practice in working with children and families, linking to findings from high-profile child protection cases in the UK and the Republic of Ireland. Drawing on a comparative study where these identified practice messages were explored through the lens of testimony of family support workers in the UK and Ireland, these core messages are examined. Operating with hard-to-engage children and parents, we hear how families and family support worker colleagues now view the core functions of child and family work across both jurisdictions (Ireland and England). The authors argue that by naming a more detailed set of practices that are deemed as most useful by families, based on the benefits and challenges of intensive family support work, key messages arise that have major resonance for social work and multiagency practice into the future. A basic message from this study is that valuable lessons on engagement and intervention with families can be drawn for professionals by examining the practice elements of this group of paraprofessionals in the child and family arena. This paper adds to debates on the role of support and intervention in social work and family support work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper takes the opportunity of the current child welfare system change in Ireland to promote the value of learning from history to better understand the interface between family support and child protection. The paper draws from the histories of child protection and family support to illuminate the commonalities and differences that have come to define the two practices. Using findings from two historical studies - one on family support and the other on child protection - the paper demonstrates the unique features and the many integrated elements of family support and child protection in Ireland. It is argued that students and practitioners need to be provided with a stronger sense of the historical developments that have shaped the present. This will enable comprehension of the complex context within which current relations between 'protection' and 'support' are negotiated and help to avoid operating in a vacuum of a present only viewpoint. The paper concludes with reference to the need for students and practitioners to navigate the complex relationship between family support and child protection at practice, policy and organizational level through a well-informed knowledge of the historical as well as the present context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper draws on UK data from an international, comparative project involving eight countries. The study examined how social workers' conceptions and definitions of family impact on the way they engage with complex families, and how social policies that frame social work context impact on the way social workers engage with families. Focus groups were held in which social workers from four service areas (child welfare, addictions, mental health and migration) were asked to discuss a case vignette. Several factors were embedded in the vignette to represent a realistic situation a social worker may come across in their day-to-day work. Social workers clearly identified the complexity of the family's situation in terms of the range of issues identified and candidate 'causes'. However, typical first responses were institutional, looking for triggers that would signify certainty about their, or other agencies' involvement. This resulted in a complicated story, through which the family was disaggregated into individual problem-service categories. This paper argues that understanding these processes and their consequences is critical for exploring the ways in which we might develop alternative, supportive professional responses with families with complex needs. It also demonstrates how organisational systems manifest themselves in everyday reasoning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Professionals working with families in difficulty require a structured space to consider their work. As organisations and the systems within and across them become more sophisticated it seems that less attention is being paid to the emotional and psychological aspects of working with families than to the paperwork and processes that surround the work. Systems psychodynamic theory and the methodical reflective practices it underpins offers a suitable framework in which to consider practicing and researching in this emotionally complex field. This paper describes one aspect of a small doctoral study designed to provide a sustained reflective space (Work Discussion Group) to Irish child protection social workers in order to closely explore the reality of their practice experience. This paper explores one worker's experience of bringing a written account of her work with a family to the WDG. Findings suggest that her work was undertaken in a climate concerned with efficiency, certainty and the reduction of risk. This climate evoked anxiety and reduced opportunities for reflective and considered practice. The work discussion group provided containment for this worker's anxiety and allowed her to make sense of this anxiety and its accompanying defences and to move closer to working with this family. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Large-scale reform of statutory child protective services in the Republic of Ireland is underway, prompted by adoption of the national strengths-based and safety-organised practice approach, known as 'Signs of Safety' (SoS). Despite the radical change it impels, critical commentary from the academy on the conventions of SoS remains conspicuous by its absence. One reading of the ecological systems approach is that to appreciate implications of SoS for children and families at risk, we must surpass a sequestered concern with child protection and welfare alone. To substantiate this, and embed a reconceived Signs of Safety, human scale development theory is critically deployed through an augmented, rather than exclusive focus, on the axis of protection needs within the typology of fundamental human needs. To aid this, critical application of theory is partially reworked and appropriated through a life course perspective, to better account for lifespan positioning. Overall, the sustaining proposition of the paper is that academic interrogation of SoS is both a practical and ethical imperative, and a necessary complement to large-scale organisational change underway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to utilize social theory to inform relationship-based social work practice with children, young people and families. We see 'direct relationship-based working' drawing on theory and evidence as best placed to take forward high quality, humanistic social work practice. We outline the problems with policy and practice development led by the latest high profile 'scandal' or by the overemphasis on experimental design and systematic reviews. This issue was highlighted during a recent debate about appropriate methodologies for exploring Family Group Conferences: the debate is explored as illustrative of our concerns. A flexible model is proposed, which draws on eclectic sources of evidence, social theory and professional knowledge. We propose some principles for a reflective, humanistic and responsive form of social work professionalism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Child Protection Procedures for Primary and Post Primary Schools were published in December 2017, and, by March 2018, all schools in Ireland were comprehended by their statutory requirements. This paper analyses those Procedures using a hybrid analytical tool premised on Walt and Gilson's (1994) Policy Analysis Triangle, with a selection of Riddell's (2003) Models of Administrative Justice acting as lenses to aid interpretation. The Procedures' context, content, actors and processes are explored, and the influence of case law and regulatory theory is examined. The multi-agency approach to child protection in Ireland is also delineated. Difficulties related to differentiating the curricular component to child protection for learners with special educational needs, and the implications of having more non-mandated than mandated persons employed in special schools is considered. The article concludes with an overview of the possible implications of this policy review for pedagogy and practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although a widely accepted term in child welfare discourses, there remains a vagueness as to what Family Support as a named orientation in children and family services actually entails. This lack of clarity is, at times, used to detract from its usefulness within the policy and practice arena. Using the accumulated wisdom of a select group of accomplished managers, academics and policy makers in social work and social care, this paper retrospectively reviews the evolution of Family Support within the Irish context and distils the core characteristics of Family Support practice and service delivery. An unstructured narrative inducing interview was conducted with 14 veterans of Family Support and child welfare. Participants who are based in the USA, the UK and Ireland each had between 30 and 60 years' experience working in this field. Salient factors were identified by participants as having contributed to the growth of Family Support. Specific and distinct characteristics of Family Support practice and services were also categorized by these veterans, providing voice and meaning to Family Support as a specific approach. This paper addresses the debate on Family Support with its place as an accepted and valued orientation within the child welfare arena acknowledged. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims To highlight the ongoing concern regarding the mental health well-being of children and adolescents in Ireland and access to appropriate and timely MH services. Methods With reference to existing literature and policy planning documents, this paper presents an over view of child and adolescent MH services (CAMHS) and paediatric liaison psychiatry services (PLPs) along with their respective roles in the management of children presenting with acute MH crisis. Results Despite longstanding and growing public and professional awareness of unequal and inadequate MH services for youth, progress has been slow. The long-standing lack of parity between mental and physical health remains, most prominent in the area of access to urgent MH assessment. Conclusion Urgent action is needed given ongoing concerns about the rising prevalence of MH distress and disorders in youth, and the lack of access to MH services in Ireland., Competing Interests: The author declares no conflicts of interest.

Copyright of European Journal of Social Work is the property of Routledge and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This paper critically examines the relationship between statutory family support and child protection using the case study of Ireland. It builds on the work of Devaney and McGregor (2017) to offer an additional contribution to existing frameworks for practice through adapting the Hardiker Exton and Barker (1991) model of prevention. Using evidence from current Irish developments, the case for moving away from linear and simplistic differentiation of family support and child protection is made. Evidence from three main sources in Ireland is presented to develop the argument. This evidence includes the Child Care Law Reporting project (Coulter, 2015, 2018); a recent evaluation of a family support practice model called Meitheal (Rodriguez Cassidy and Devaney, 2018) and recent findings about public awareness of family support (McGregor and NicGabhainn, 2018). We argue that special attention should be paid to families "in the middle" who are in need of both support and protection and propose an adapted version of Hardiker et al. model to aid in this work. We identify what should happen at different levels for macrostructural to micropractice levels. We conclude that the learning from the Irish case study can be applied to an international context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a qualitative analysis of front‐line practices regarding emergency removals in Finnish and Irish child protection. It examines how the responses to children's immediate danger are framed by legislation and how front‐line practitioners assess the child's situation and make emergency placement decisions. The data consist of interviews with 16 Irish and 33 Finnish social workers. These child welfare protection systems respond differently to a task that appears to be similar. The Irish team‐based practice rests on the social workers' shared assessment of the child's needs, and the formal decision is made by the courts (or police officers at night‐time); and the Finnish practice involves only one single social worker who makes both the assessment and the removal decision. The Irish system is tightly time regulated, whereas the Finnish system provides a more flexible time frame. Both approaches put a lot of stress on social workers' practice, which also includes creative workarounds (e.g., "planned emergency removals" in Finland). Future research will need to explore these features from the point of view of a child's right to protection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The topic of institutionalisation and child welfare in Ireland has garnered increasing national and international public and scholarly attention over the past twenty years. This is not an Irish phenomenon. Governments internationally have utilised commissions to investigate a range of historical abuses against children and young adults, many in an institutional setting (see Age of Inquiry, ). One of the most recent shocking historical revelations opens the paper – the discovery of the burial of 796 children in a septic tank in a mother and baby home in Tuam, Co. Galway (). Following this, the historical approach – a history of the present – is explained. A number of questions about the past use of institutions in Ireland are posed to help illuminate the importance of this issue to the present day. We consider the nature of institutionalisation and the development of law and policy prior to and after the Second World War. Our questions lead us to a discussion of three themes: the role of economics; parentage and gender; and the relationship between the State and the Church. We conclude with a commentary on why such interrogation of institutional care is important in the present. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract This paper sets out to give a rounded view of the Irish foster care system as currently constituted. It will cover areas such as the law and policy framework, key data, key institutional actors, views of the system from the perspective of key stakeholders (care experienced adults and young people, foster carers and their children and the biological parents of children in foster care), and distinctive features of the Irish system. It will also offer a brief review of key influences that have helped shape the current system and Ireland's move from high use of institutional care to high rates of family placement. It will also consider challenges that still face policy and practice in the Irish foster care system. The paper takes a multi-disciplinary approach drawing on evidence from various perspectives including law, history and social policy. Offering the Irish case in this paper is not to claim or imply that the Irish system is fully developed or has resolved all its challenges. As will become clear, the argument here is that Ireland is an interesting case not because of any (erroneous) claim that it is the finished article as a foster care system. It is interesting because it is both a system that is still in development, and is also one that has already made the transition from a system dominated by residential care to one heavily reliant on family placement. Highlights • Ninety-two per cent of children in care in Ireland are placed in families (in both foster and kinship care) • This represents one of the highest family placement rates in care systems across the world • Previously the Irish care system relied heavily on institutional care like many Catholic countries • Ireland thus serves as an interesting case study of de-institutionalisation in a traditionally Catholic country • The paper offers a detailed overview of the current system of provisions for children in care in Ireland [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Within Northern Europe, gendered roles and responsibilities within the family have been challenged through an emergence of different family forms, increasing cultural diversity, and progressive developments in welfare policies. To varying degrees, welfare policies in different countries support a dual‐earner model and encourage men to be more active as fathers by reinforcing statutory rights and responsibilities. In child welfare practice, there has traditionally been a strong emphasis on the mother as primary carer for the child; the father has been less visible. This paper explores, in four national welfare contexts, how child welfare social workers include fathers in practice decisions. Data were collected using focus group interviews with social workers from England, Ireland, Norway, and Sweden. Similarities and differences emerge in relation to services and the focus of social work assessments. However, overall, the research suggests that despite gains in policy and legislation that promote gender equality, fathers remain largely absent in child welfare practice decisions about the parenting of their children. From the research, we raise questions for social work practice and the development of welfare policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the experience of post-separation fathering, in the context of a prior history of domestic abuse from the perspectives of mothers, fathers, children and professionals participating in a three-year doctoral research project. A mixed methodological research design conducted over two phases involved both the completion of survey questionnaires by 219 mothers and the participation in focus groups and individual interviews by children and young people, mothers, fathers and professionals. The findings highlight clear evidence of post-separation contact facilitating the continued abuse of women and children. The findings also highlight a lack of attention to the parenting of abusive men who were identified as struggling to realise their fathering aspirations and take responsibility for the impact of their abusive behaviour on their children and ex-partners. Particular constructions of family life are found to sustain the often unmonitored presence of abusive men in post-separation family life. This paper concludes by asserting the need to prioritise the construction of fathers as 'risk' in the context of post-separation father-child contact. Doing so does not mean excluding fathers from children's lives; rather, what is critical is to find ways to ensure that abusive men can be 'good enough' fathers. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Key Practitioner Messages Separation is not a 'vaccine against domestic violence', with women and children at risk of continued abuse in the post-separation period., Abusive men need to be held responsible for their abusive behaviour before the potential for safe contact can be considered., All of the key players - mothers, children and fathers - may need support from the impact that domestic violence has on parenting capacity and family life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Burnout has been disproportionally reported in child protection social work. This paper presents data from 162 child protection staff in Northern Ireland, assessed for burnout using the Maslach Burnout Inventory. Path models were estimated, based on an extension of the two‐process demands and values model (Leiter, ) to include additional measures of resilience using the Resilience Scale‐14, as well as perceived rewards and sense of community from the Areas of Work Life Scale (Leiter, ). Optimal model fit was achieved by modelling resilience as a mediator of the relationship between organizational factors of control and value congruence and burnout. Resilience also directly predicted emotional exhaustion (β = −.23, p < .005) and personal accomplishment (β = .46, p < .001). Workload was the strongest direct predictor of emotional exhaustion (β = −.54, p < .001). Adding perceived rewards to extend the two‐process model resulted in moderate associations with control (β = .44, p < .001), workload (β = .26, p < .005), fairness (β = .40, p < .001), and values (β = .32, p < .001). In the final model, resilience is modelled as both an outcome of some organizational factors whilst also making a unique direct contribution to explaining burnout alongside other organizational factors. Other pathways and mediating relationships are reported and further research directions discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The national child welfare agency in Ireland identified the integration of trauma-informed practices as a service need, in the current significantly challenging practice climate. A promising program that meets the need of child welfare professionals to support need has been developed and is reported on in this paper. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of a newly developed post-graduate level trauma-informed care program for professionals in the national child welfare agency in Ireland. Study participants were 41 child welfare professionals that included front-line practitioners, supervisors, and senior managers. A pretest–posttest study design was used, data was collected over three-time points to measure the effects of the program on pre-defined outcomes of Trauma-informed Knowledge, Professional Self-efficacy, Professional Quality of Life, and Intention to Leave. Statistically significant positives effects were found in trauma-informed knowledge, professional confidence, burn-out and compassion fatigue/secondary traumatic stress, with effect sizes ranging from medium-large to large ( η 2 =. 133 t o η 2 =. 721) across the intervention time period. The positive impacts arising from the program were sustained for 3 months post-intervention. The results of this initial evaluation are promising in supporting child welfare professionals' capacity to integrate trauma-informed practices and addressing the need for trauma informed practitioners. The need for further research is highlighted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article reports on the outcomes of a research study on the early implementation of a strengths-based family-centred model of practice in Ireland known as the Meitheal model. The paper aims to translate the key messages from this research to practice with families involved in the child welfare system. This is done by highlighting the process by which intervention focused on support and prevention using a strengths perspective has begun to occur in practice. Using data collected from stakeholders involved in the implementation of the practice model, the research provides insight into the opportunities and challenges involved at macro and micro-levels of practice. The discussion links this development in Ireland to the wider international context, using three broad frameworks informed by the ecological model; a framework for determining thresholds in children’s services and the continuum of intervention between support and protection to inform system change aimed at enhancing family support and better outcomes for children and families. Underpinning this is an emphasis on how Meitheal as a strengths-based approach can influence the achievement of the principles of early intervention, prevention and family support in the child welfare system in Ireland. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Summary: Permanency decisions in child welfare are recognised as being challenging. Nevertheless, society and the profession expect that professional judgements should be of the highest quality, consistent, reliable, fully justified and informed by evidence of what works, particularly where decisions are potentially life-changing. However, barriers to knowledge acquisition and utilisation exist, preventing practitioners from gaining the full range of knowledge they require, leading to permanency decisions being interventionist and protectionist in orientation (author, 2020). Think-aloud protocols and semi-structured interviews, in conjunction with a vignette, were used with social workers (N = 17) in statutory services to explore barriers to knowledge acquisition and utilisation in permanency decisions for children in state care. Findings: The main barriers to knowledge use were (1) misunderstanding or misuse of theory, (2) limitations in training and learning and (3) organisational issues. Applications: By developing a real-world understanding of the barriers and listening to the views of the professionals themselves, we can begin to realistically inform policy and practice, with the aim of decreasing the barriers to knowledge acquisition and utilisation in permanency decision-making. If we appreciate the barriers to knowledge acquisition and utilisation in permanency decision-making more fully, then perhaps we can reduce them, thereby facilitating more fully informed decisions that best serve the individual needs of children and their families. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This paper reports on a research study to inform the development of a specialist role to support front line public health nurses (PHNs) working with vulnerable families and at risk children in Ireland. Aims: This study aimed to investigate the position of a leading role and explore the implications of such change. Methods: Focus group and semi-structured individual interviews were conducted with ten purposively selected participants in public health nursing, social work and a nongovernmental children's organisation working in disadvantaged areas in Dublin. Results: Assistant directors of public health nursing are in a key position to inform decisions regarding the children's services. Conclusion: Access to support and appropriate supervision are fundamental resource requirements for PHNs who work with vulnerable families and at risk children. The introduction of a specialist-leading role to support these PHN's is essential to sustaining best practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports on a research project that was developed between a cohort of child protection social workers in the Republic of Ireland and the authors. The focus of the research was on researching participants’ experiences of developing peer support groups (PSGs) in child protection social work. Eleven participants formed two PSGs; one group had six participants, the other had five. This qualitative research study involved focus groups with each of the peer groups at the beginning, middle and end of the 12-month period. Data from the focus groups were analysed using thematic analysis (Braun & Clarke, 2006).Findings from the research indicate that the organic development of a PSG involves negotiating a range of practicalities which, working together, help to promote reflective practice and to advance the development of the professional self. A number of important and interconnected subthemes emerged within the texts of the focus groups. These included: the establishment of PSGs as a work activity; consideration of logistical matters in forming PSGs; identification of the influence of group dynamics in structuring and negotiating PSGs; PSGs as a conduit for integrating personal and professional values and as a context for facilitating and enabling an increased consciousness of self in practice. Drawing on these findings, the authors consider the implications for integrating PSGs within child protection agency services. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper is a reflective exploration of the emotional encounter between social workers and Irish Travellers in child safeguarding cases in the UK, the unconscious defences that may be triggered for social workers, unfamiliar with Travellers, and how these can impact on the relationship and outcomes. It raises concern about how pervasive societal disapproval towards Travellers may be absorbed by social workers, at the expense of a curiosity about historic marginalisation, the contemporary cultural and social context and a recognition of the strengths of the community. Drawing on psychoanalytical insights into ‘race’, it comprises a literature review which highlights themes of marginalisation in research on Irish Travellers in the UK. It also includes a narrative interview with a Traveller woman who reflects on the fear that social workers invoke in Travellers, and sets up the key question: what might the emotional state of the social worker be in this scenario. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Disabled children experience increased risk of abuse and neglect. Concurrently, serious concerns and practical impediments persist regarding the capacity of statutory child protection and welfare services to respond adequately to their needs. Specifically, the focus in this article is on the assessment stage of the social work process within child protection and welfare teams in the Republic of Ireland. Within this, critical commentary on the literature in this article sets out barriers to professional assessment. These include those associated with interviewing children with cognitive and linguistic impairments, negotiating resource constraints, and overcoming knowledge impediments. Following a thematic overview of literature, theoretical vantage points associated with ableism and derived from the broad field of disability studies, informs concluding analysis with focus on lessons learned for future practice. The proposition is, that theoretical perspectives associated with ableism may aid practitioners in seeking to overcome knowledge, attitudinal and social equality barriers to effective child protection, that existing literature alludes to. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The role of teachers in safeguarding the welfare of children is long acknowledged. However, recent research in Ireland found that the training provided to teachers on child protection issues was lacking (Buckley and McGarry, ). The frequent interactions that teachers have with children and their expertise in terms of typical child development place them in an ideal position for identifying possible signs of abuse. Yet despite this advantage, research indicates that schools fail to report a substantial proportion of suspected child abuse cases (Kenny, ). The oft-cited reasons for this may be conceptualised as: explicit reasons, such as a lack of knowledge about child abuse issues; and implicit reasons, such as the individual teacher's belief system about abuse. The current paper discusses implicit as well as explicit obstacles to teachers' 'engagement' with, and consequent barriers to their responding to, child protection issues. The current changes in initial teacher education and the introduction of mandatory reporting for professionals in Ireland, offer an opportune time to raise this issue and highlight the need for holistic education in child protection for teachers. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Key Practitioner Messages Teachers need comprehensive education on child protection issues in order to fulfil their role as mandated reporters., Both implicit and explicit barriers impede teacher's reporting of abuse and neglect., Education must go beyond policies and procedures and be holistic in addressing an implicit belief system in relation to child protection., Education must also aim to reduce interagency conflict, oft cited as a deterrent to reporting, perhaps through increased contact between child protection and education professionals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The paper presents findings from a study of centre-based supervised child-parent contact. The purpose of the research was twofold: to ascertain the views and experiences of birth fathers on all aspects of the supervised child-parent contact they experienced in a centre; and to find out from centre supervisors their views of engaging fathers and supervising contact, and from key stakeholders and referral agents (a community project worker, a child protection social worker, Guardians ad Litem and a family law solicitor) their perceptions of the supervised contact provision in the centre. Interviews with five fathers having supervised child-parent contact and three focus group discussions with seven staff members and six stakeholders were undertaken. While the study is exploratory, the findings show that gender is a feature meriting consideration in the supervised child parent contact setting; and that child-centred values, family-centred values and the demands of operating the centre are held in tension so that the purpose and scope of supervised contact can be interpreted and experienced differently. While optimal supervised child -parent contact is generally perceived as a short-term arrangement, there was some evidence of long-term service use, which was a significant issue for the fathers concerned. The fathers valued relationship-based supervision practice to a greater extent than the supervisor and stakeholder participants, who put greater emphasis on skills required for supervision. Fathers expressed concerns about what they or their children can say or do during contact visits in view of how it may be observed, interpreted and reported. The findings suggest the need for a gender-sensitive approach in supervision practice; the value of a common framework for assessing what is observed in contact visits; and the intensification of strategies to facilitate and to recognise progress and the prioritisation of short term supervised contact arrangements with the required supports. Highlights • A qualitative study of centre-based supervised child-parent contact. • Gender features in supervised child-parent contact in diverse ways. • The purpose and scope of supervised child-parent contact can be interpreted and experienced differently. • Responsive short-term supervised child-parent contact with key supports is important for families. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To address child protection concerns countries often implement mandatory reporting (MR) laws. This ensures that relevant professionals alert child protection services of children who are at risk of or are currently experiencing abuse. However, these well-intended mandatory requirements can sometimes have unintended negative consequences that affect all those who are involved in the process. The current research investigated the experiences of Irish psychologists in implementing MR and examined if there was any personal or professional impact resulting from this process. All participants were qualified psychologists of various disciplines working in the HSE, the national health service of Ireland. A qualitative research design was implemented that consisted of thematic analysis of focus group transcripts. Three focus groups (n = 18) were conducted. Three major themes were identified within the data; the unintentional harm that is caused by MR, the contexts where reporting is needed, and the issues with the current MR system. Some benefits to MR exist but these advantages need to be considered within a greater context. The findings of the current study outlined how participants perceived aspects of MR as having significant detrimental consequences for victims of abuse. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Voluntary care is a valuable pathway to care, but it needs to mitigate risks to children's rights. • Some children in voluntary care receive inferior resources compared to children on care orders. • Voluntary care in Ireland has weak mechanisms for ascertaining the views of the child. • Children's assent should be sought for these agreements. • Independent oversight of voluntary care agreements should be introduced. Voluntary care agreements form a significant part of child protection systems in many jurisdictions. From a children's rights perspective, they enjoy numerous advantages over court-ordered removals of children. However, when loosely regulated, voluntary care agreements can give rise to significant concerns in respect of compliance with international children's rights law. This paper will present findings from the Voluntary Care in Ireland Study , one of the first in-depth empirical examinations internationally of voluntary care agreements. It will present qualitative data on the system in operation in Ireland that indicates that voluntary care agreements are less adversarial, time-consuming and costly than court proceedings. This frees up resources for early intervention and facilitates a more collaborative relationship between parents and social services, making it more likely that children will remain at home or eventually return home from care. At the same time, the findings suggest that the voluntary care system currently operated in Ireland suffer from numerous flaws, including absence of independent oversight; unlimited duration; potential instability (since parents can withdraw consent at any time); weak mechanisms for child participation; and inferior resource allocation compared to court-ordered care placements. The paper examines legislative provisions from a number of comparable jurisdictions and makes recommendations designed to ensure that the voluntary care system in Ireland complies more strongly with principles of international children's rights law. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

If children in child protection cannot be cared for by their natural parents, should they be adopted or live in foster home? Results from a study of representative samples of populations (n = 12 330), in eight European countries—Austria, England, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Ireland, Norway and Spain—and California, USA, reveal that people would recommend adoption over foster care, if a child in public care cannot grow up with their natural parent(s). There are cross‐country differences between populations, and examining if institutional context such as type of child protection system explains differences, we find that child maltreatment‐oriented systems are more supportive of adoption than other types of systems. Citizens having little confidence in the child protection system were only weakly correlated with preference for adoption. In conclusion, people prefer adoption as placement options for children in care are more than foster homes, and possible this finding reflects a sort of refamalialization of children into the private sphere. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A notable development in child welfare provision in recent decades has been growth in certain jurisdictions of formal kinship care as a type of placement for children needing 'out of home' care. This trend raises the question of why formal kinship care has emerged in such a marked way in this period in some contexts. This paper sets out to explore this issue by investigating the emergence and development of formal kinship care in two neighboring jurisdictions in Europe where it now accounts for a substantial proportion of all care placements in Scotland and Ireland. The paper sets out a conceptual framework that considers the emergence of formal kinship care against the backdrop of the overall care systems in both jurisdictions and the wider set of societal kinship care practices relating to children. It traces key policy developments in the evolution of formal kinship care in both systems. It reviews policy challenges and influences that may help to account for the emergence and current relative importance of formal kinship care. This comparative case study aims to contribute to international debates about the development of formal kinship care. • Formal kinship care (FKC) has emerged as a critical part of many care systems. • FKC is often 'first option' for children who can no longer live with parents. • One in four children in care in Ireland and one in three in Scotland lives in FKC. • Priority for FKC reflects a belief in the value of the child belonging to a wider family. • Policy and legal measures gradually consolidated FKC in Scotland and Ireland. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Disclosure of childhood sexual abuse is a process that is often laden with boundary testing, decision-making and, at times, risk. Disclosures tend to be delayed, often into adulthood and later life, with disclosures to authorities remaining relatively low. In the Republic of Ireland adults who disclose experiences of childhood sexual abuse are directed towards child protection services due to an interplay between jurisprudence, child protection policy design, and mandatory reporting obligations, requiring social work practitioners to balance the social and the legal. This article compares Foucault's concept of the confessional to current social work practices of engaging with adult victims and survivors of abuse. It is argued that thinking about these interactions as a confessional-like system highlights a process of knowledge creation that is taking place when a personal narrative of abuse is shared, willingly or via mandated reporting, with a child protection agency under the auspices of a modern state. This 'confessional-lens' helps us identify a tipping of the balance in this area of social work practice, away from provision of care and person-centredness, across a boundary, to legalistic practice. Narratives of childhood abuse are transformed into knowledge deemed necessary to assess current risk to children. A process that places the adult on the periphery, leading to a potential for harm and re-traumatisation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Ireland, little is known about mothers and infants where child welfare and protection concerns arise during the perinatal period. This study explores, for the first time, perinatal child protection. A retrospective audit was carried out of a large maternity hospital's medical social work, neonatal and psychiatric files for a five‐year period from 2016 to 2020. The study identified 99 children, born to 86 mothers, who were either subject to a child protection conference; placed for adoption; discharged to someone other than the mother; or discharged home under supervision. The study found that two‐thirds of the children were discharged to their mother's care. When compared to national data, the health indicators for this cohort of mothers and children painted a grim picture. The maternal profiles identified high prevalence of mental health and addiction difficulties and domestic violence. The study found evidence of supports provided to the mothers to enable them to care for their infants while they remained in the hospital and during an initial discharge from hospital. However, a significant number of the mothers were not caring for their children when viewed across a longer time frame. Dedicated multi‐disciplinary clinics and improved data systems were identified as of importance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses a study on safeguarding children supervision in Northern Ireland as of January 2023. Topics covered include the themes of the need to discuss concerns on such supervision, the supervision processes, and the value of supervision experiences by supervisees and supervisors. Also noted are the help of risk analysis on the reflection and focus of practitioners, and the importance of formal planned supervision in safeguarding children.

All states grapple with the challenges of protecting children and ensuring their development. For minority world states, whilst there is a longer history of established systems focused on the protection and welfare of children, transformation and change are ever-present characteristics of such systems—reflecting the ongoing pursuit of greater effectiveness in meeting the needs of service users. Recent trends suggest an increased focus on prevention and family support amongst child protection systems, with some national and regional states re-organising services in this direction. Alongside these central policy and practice reforms, academic literature has emerged to support those considering and planning for system change and improvement in child protection. In this article, we first propose a conceptual framework for studying system change in child protection, building on the work of Coffman and Wulczyn, but incorporating three further orientations: system culture and climate; implementation science; and leadership. Secondly, using Ireland's experience of developing and strengthening the prevention and family support dimensions of its child protection system as a case study, we assess the value of the framework and possible revisions to it for future use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]