Education and work progress are central to long-term wellbeing across multiple domains; this is particularly so for young people who spent time in out-of-home care as children and may have experienced, and continue to experience, associated challenges on their journey in adulthood. Formative support in these areas is therefore particularly important for the progress of care experienced adults. While existing literature tends to emphasise professional or 'formal' support in relation to leaving care and the areas of education and work more specifically, there has been less attention to the potential contribution of birth family members in these domains. We suggest that this represents an important gap. In this conceptual paper, we draw on data gathered from two qualitative studies (n = 40) exploring education and work pathways of care-experienced adults (aged 23-36) in Ireland and Catalonia. Using case examples from these studies, we explore the potential contribution of adult birth family members (grandparents, parents, aunties, etc.) in the education and work progress of adult care leavers over time. In our conclusion, we will argue for greater research, policy and practice attention to the potential contributions of birth family members in supporting the work and education progress of care leavers. We will also emphasise that we are not claiming that such positive influence by birth family members is present in every case, but that its presence may be more meaningful among care leavers than is currently recognised.

Social work practice occurs in varied practice contexts. To promote successful service user outcomes, professional judgment and decision making are key. However, services are delivered in settings that may be complicated by a myriad of factors, all of which may negatively impact professional judgment and decision making. This complexity of service delivery makes it difficult for social work education to promote the knowledge and skills required for 'real world' practice. Evidence-based Practice (EBP) is one route to ethical and effective service, as it is a method of promoting decision making skills. However, EBP is not taught consistently in pedagogy, conceptualization, or application. A pedagogical model for teaching social work students professional judgment and decision-making skills through EBP is presented in this manuscript. EBP is the equal consideration of four key factors-case context, service user values and preferences, worker and organizational biases and experiences, research-which are assessed and integrated via critical thinking. This model presents teaching EBP within a seminar in parallel with field placements, where students are required to work through a case from their field placement. This model provides the time necessary for students to engage meaningfully in the process of learning and applying EBP.

BACKGROUND:Participation by children and young people is an increasingly important guiding principle in child protection policy and practice, thanks to the influence of Article 12 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) and other factors. However, the scope, terms and timing of such participation are still often determined by adults. OBJECTIVE:Drawing on secondary qualitative data, this conceptual study explores children's experiences of participation in their own and their family's involvement in the child protection process. PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING:Twenty children and young people living in Ireland participated in the source study which provides illustrative material for this conceptual paper. They were aged 10-18 years and had experienced child protection involvement over the 18 months prior to interview. METHODS:A reanalysis of semi-structured individual interviews provided illustrative material for a conceptual exploration of children's experiences of participation in child protection involvement with their family. RESULTS:The conceptual analysis suggests that the children generally shared adult concerns about the child protection issues in their case, but that they also saw participation differently from adults especially in relation to certain aspects of risk and safety. They had concerns about the risk of stigma among peers and the community due to the intervention, and what they saw as the risk of insufficient ongoing dialogue between them and the professionals. CONCLUSIONS:This conceptual paper opens up new child-centred perspectives on children's participation in child protection, arguing that more attention to child centred participation can enhance participatory and protective practices in the field of child protection.

Barriers that contribute to the educational challenges faced by many care leavers / care-experienced people have been increasingly recognised in recent research. However, the role of stigma as one such barrier in the educational progress of care leavers has received limited attention to date. This paper aims to highlight the potential role of experiences of, and responses to, stigma in shaping the educational progress of care leavers. The authors draw on data from three qualitative studies using one-to-one interviews in Austria, Ireland, and Switzerland, each examining aspects of the educational experiences of care leavers aged 18-39. The cross-national (multi-country) nature of this paper allows the perspectives of care leavers living in diverse contexts and systems to be included. Findings suggest that many participants across the three countries experience stigmatisation in different contexts along their educational pathways. There is also evidence of their responding to this stigmatisation with a range of strategies by which they sought to mitigate the negative impact of stigma on their educational and wider progress. Theoretical, policy and practice implications of the cross-national analysis are explored.

Background and Objectives It is increasingly recognised that children’s perceptions and experiences should be sought and heard in service design and delivery. Signs of Safety (SofS) is a popular framework for child protection social work used in over 200 agencies globally. This scoping review aims to identify and synthesise the existing literature concerning children’s self-reported experiences of SofS. Methods Following a five-stage scoping review approach, a search of 26 databases and other electronic sources was undertaken. In addition, 23 SofS experts contributed to a consultation to identify further relevant material. Data synthesis included a structured two-author data extraction process and thematic analysis of qualitative data. Results Of the initial 981 sources identified, eight publications from seven studies met the search criteria and were included in the final review. Overall, the review demonstrates a limited evidence base. Studies are across six countries, but our search identified only one large scale study, with other sources comprising six or fewer participants. A key finding across this literature is that children report that SofS tools and processes can provide opportunities to support their participation in the child protection process. However, experiences are not universally positive and are influenced by how tools and processes are used. Conclusions While the evidence base is growing, there remains a need for high quality research on children’s self-reported experiences of SofS that includes children from the age of at least six years. The review highlights the importance of ensuring that workers are supported to develop the necessarily skills and experience and have organisational support to use SofS tools and processes effectively when engaging with children.

Social work practitioners play a significant role in society, supporting individuals, families, groups, and communities. To meet the goals of well-being and equity, social workers address life challenges, including substance addiction, maltreatment, mental health, and poverty, and are embedded in communities via hospitals, schools, and nonprofit and for-profit organizations. Thus, social work practice has a wide scope and requires comprehensive education. Given the complex nature of social work practice, it has the potential for bias and error resulting in poor user outcomes. Evidence-based Practice (EBP) has been widely identified as a framework to promote deliberate practice. However, the use of EBP in social work practice is lacking. This scoping review, therefore, explores the intersection of how EBP has been conceptualized and taught in social work education. A total of 49 manuscripts were included in the final qualitative content analysis. The results suggest an inconsistent and often conflicting conceptualization of EBP. Furthermore, teaching strategies are also inconsistent and may contribute to the lack of EBP utilization in practice. It is suggested that social work regulatory bodies consider addressing disparities in EBP conceptualization.

A supportive social network is crucial for the well-being of child welfare involved youth; however, their social networks are often small and/or unable to provide necessary support. Child welfare workers can play an important role in strengthening and expanding the social networks of youth. In this Norwegian study, 15 child welfare workers' experiences with social network enhancement were examined using semi-structured interviews. Data analysis applied a social capital lens to identify whether and how this framework could enhance our understanding of this issue. Study findings highlight three main objectives, implemented to (a) strengthening the youth's existing network, (b) supporting the youth to take part in (new) social arenas and (c) cultivating the youth's social skills and relationship building. Findings suggest that this approach can contribute to the development of bonding and bridging social capital. Within all objectives and associated strategies, trusting relationships between youth and child welfare workers were considered a prerequisite for success. Several barriers and impeding factors were also identified, such as the limited size of the social networks or lack of social skills. These barriers show how social network enhancement can be complicated, in actual practice.

Family homelessness is a key social issue across many European countries and is associated with uncertainty, a lack of safety and increased risks for children which can trigger the involvement of child welfare services. Living in homeless accommodation during the early years of a child's life also has the potential to impact on a child in many ways, for example, academically, physically, emotionally and socially. In the current paper, the authors review existing literature regarding the impact of family homelessness on children's development in order to identify key messages for social work practitioners working with children and families experiencing homelessness, for example, in the field of child protection and welfare. Findings reveal that family homelessness impacts on various aspects of a child's world and ultimately on their development, as a result of reduced social networks, inappropriate space to facilitate play, increased school mobility and school-dropout rates and increased levels of behavioural challenges and mental health concerns. These findings are discussed with relevance to social work practice when working with children and families who experience homelessness and how social work professionals can address the developmental needs of children who experience homelessness. Implications regarding future research and the education and training of social workers are also explored.

Following COVID-19, young people who transitioned to adulthood from different types of alternative care (care leavers) experienced an exacerbation of the challenges they had before the pandemic. The purpose of this international survey was to explore the range of policy and service responses that have or have not been implemented around the world to support care leavers during COVID-19. Responses were collected from care-leaving researchers from 19 countries toward the end of 2020. Half of the participating countries reported that the state had issued directives about measures that should be taken to support care leavers following COVID-19 outbreak, but only three reported actual changes in legislation. Additionally, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) in various countries took steps to guide and support care leavers, while two thirds reported on special initiatives that were mounted. The most common change in practices during COVID-19 was the postponement of exits from care, and the second was an increase in contact from workers. These findings are critically discussed in relation to the impact of policy changes on an already vulnerable group. In particular, we indicate that there appears to be a widening care gap: Some countries with stronger leaving care legal and policy frameworks pre-COVID-19 were more inclined to introduce additional supportive measures during the pandemic, whereas some with underdeveloped services tended not to increase the support. By contrast, other countries used this crisis to develop services that were not available before. The creativity and flexibility in the services provided during the COVID-19 outbreak are required on an ongoing basis and thus should be implemented overall. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Adult care leavers who have spent time in 'out-of-home care' during childhood face many educational challenges. While some care leavers may manage to adhere to 'normal' timelines within their educational progression, others may experience delays in their educational journey or a longer-term 'resignation' from education during their care/post-care journey. In this paper, we offer a fuller understanding of what drives underachievement in this population, as well as what helps care leavers to re-engage with education. Using a case study approach, we explore the potential of the life course principle 'linked lives' for better understanding barriers to re-engagement and the processes through which key actors may promote the (re)development of learner identity, and educational re-engagement among adult care leavers, over time. We draw on analysis of data from two studies of positive educational outcomes for adult care leavers - one in education, one in the workplace. Using a linked lives lens, this theoretically-informed paper presents the concepts of support, learner identity, and educational memories as candidates for deepening our understanding of educational re-engagement of care leavers - and comparable populations facing educational challenges.

BACKGROUND:The reunification of children in out-of-home care has gained increasing attention from both researchers and policy makers in many jurisdictions in recent years. In Ireland, however, reunification has received little attention and there is a dearth of data, research, policy and guidance in this area.OBJECTIVE:This paper explores perspectives on, and experiences of, reunification in Ireland among respondents from a range of professional and practice backgrounds. The authors suggest that there are lessons to be learned from the Irish case for other jurisdictions with limited policy and research in the area of reunification.PARTICIPANTS & METHODS:The research was carried out using a qualitative approach. Semi-structured interviews were carried out with 12 respondents from a range of professional and practice backgrounds and/or experience of reunification in Ireland.FINDINGS:Findings suggest that there is a lack of clarity and a limited focus on the process of reunification for children in care in Ireland. This lack of focus on reunification and absence of national guidance appears to have resulted in some children 'drifting' through the care system with little exploration of the possibility to return home. Minimal emphasis on working with birth parents to support and enable them to resume caring for their children is reported.CONCLUSION:Findings suggest that future efforts in this area should focus on: 1) developing a comprehensive research agenda in relation to reunification; 2) ensuring reunification is clearly placed on the policy agenda in Ireland; and 3) establishing a framework for practice guidance and a specialised reunification service to promote working with birth parents.

Research examining the low educational attainment of children in care and care leavers tends to underuse social theory (Berridge, 2007). To contribute to addressing this gap, we use life course theory to explore the role of agency in shaping the educational pathways of 18 Irish adults (aged 24–36 years) with care experience. Findings suggest that agency is a valuable conceptual tool for examining the nuance and complexity of how individual actions shape the education of care‐experienced adults throughout the life course and interact with contextual and structural factors over time.

Research highlights the role of key actors and relationships in supporting the educational attainment and progress of children in care and care leavers. We know less about how relationships influence the educational journeys of people with care experience over time and how to support the educational progress and engagement of adults with care experience. The principle of "linked lives" is central to the life course perspective referring to the interdependence of human lives throughout the life course. This paper explores how the principle of linked lives can illuminate our understanding of how relationships positively influence the educational journeys of adults with care experience over time. Educational life history interviews were conducted with 18 care-experienced adults (aged 24-36) in Ireland. Findings suggest that the principle of linked lives is a valuable conceptual tool for providing new insights on this issue. Four key themes were identified: (a) opportunities for educational support are present across the life course; (b) "family" is a central source of educational support; (c) there is intergenerational capacity for educational support; and (d) relationships beyond the "family" are supportive of education. Implications for practice, policy, and research are explored.

Social Networking Sites (SNS) (e.g. Facebook, Instagram) have become a fundamental part of the daily lives of many young people. SNS engagement has been associated with a number of risks and benefits, some of which are particularly relevant to young people who access child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS). Consequently, understanding how and why young people engage with SNS, and the associated risks and benefits, may become an increasingly important part of CAMHS social work. This small-scale study (n = 15) utilised an online survey to explore the importance that a sample of Irish CAMHS social workers attribute to maintaining an awareness of how young people use SNS, whether they, in their professional lives, have been offered the opportunity to learn about SNS engagement among young people, and whether they have taken it upon themselves to learn about this topic. Findings suggest that participants consider an understanding of SNS to be an important part of CAMHS practice. However, participants report that they do not feel sufficiently aware of SNS trends among young people, suggesting that there is scope for SNS-focused training/learning opportunities among this sample of CAMHS social workers. Implications for practice and suggestions for future research are outlined.

The low educational attainment of young people in care and leaving care has been well-established in a continually-growing body of international research. Existing research has identified some of the pathways taken by care leavers into further and higher education in the years after leaving care (i.e. ages 18–24), particularly among ‘high achieving’ care leavers. We know less however, about the longer-term pathways taken through education from the perspective of ‘older’ adults with care experience (i.e. those aged 25 and over). Guided by the life course principle of expected ‘diversity in life course trajectories’ this paper identifies the pathways taken through education among 18 care-experienced adults (aged 24–36) in Ireland and some of the experiences and events that influenced these pathways. We outline four types of educational pathway taken by participants: 1) The Typical Pathway; 2) The Typical Pathway ‘Plus’; 3) The Short-term Disrupted Pathway; and 4) The Long-term Disrupted Pathway. Study findings illustrate the diversity of educational pathways that may be taken by adults with care experience and the importance of considering the impact of multiple roles and transitions on these pathways. The value of taking a longer-term view when exploring educational pathways is also highlighted in this paper. Implications for practice, policy, and future research are discussed.

The educational progress, experiences and attainment of children in out-of-home care and care leavers continue to be an issue of concern internationally. A growing body of research from countries such as the UK, USA, and Sweden indicates that care leavers tend to have lower levels of educational attainment than their majority population peers. Recent evidence suggests that low educational attainment of individuals with care experience may be the result of a "complex combination" of various individual characteristics as well as pre- and in-care experiences (O'Higgins et al., 2015: 13).

ABSTRACT This article provides the reader with an overview of the literature relating to family support services while highlighting a number of key issues for consideration in evaluating these diverse and complex interventions. Drawing on a case example of a family support service evaluation carried out in Ireland in 2014 by the authors, this article will outline the range of methods used in this evaluation, identifying their suitability to evaluating services of this nature. A selection of key findings is also provided. The authors propose that the methods used in this evaluation, while having some limitations, are particularly suited to the challenging work of evaluating the outcomes of family support services and serve to incorporate the values and principles of family support such as partnership and collaboration.

Over recent years, engagement in social media has become an increasingly important professional tool for many. Now with 400 million members, Linkedln has been a major part of this development. This article looks at one group on the Linked In platform: the Education of Children in Care Network.