Other
Young people’s perspectives
Clive Diaz ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-sonnet-5-5This chapter presents the views of 35 young people in care about their social workers, independent reviewing officers (IROs), the care system and whether their voice is heard. They found Child-in-Care reviews frustrating and stressful, partly because of poor relationships with social workers. They doubted the value of the review process. Overall they felt the reviews did not let them take a meaningful part. The chapter points to children chairing their own reviews as a promising practice and calls for it and other creative methods to be developed.
Key points
- 35 young people in care shared their views on social workers, IROs and the care system.
- Young people found Child-in-Care reviews frustrating and stressful, often because of poor relationships with social workers.
- Young people were sceptical about the value of the review process.
- IROs generally stay in post longer than social workers and so can offer consistent relationships.
- Young people were sometimes not invited to meetings because priority was given to holding them within set timescales.
Limitations
Only a chapter abstract is available, so the methods, how participants were selected and the setting are not described. The country is not stated, and the findings are reported as young people's views rather than tested outcomes.
Abstract
This chapter details the views of 35 young people in care about their experiences of social workers, independent reviewing officers (IROs), the care system and the extent to which they felt their voice was being heard both in review meetings and in day to day practice. They reported finding Child-in-Care reviews frustrating and stressful, often due in part to poor relationships with social workers. Young people also reported scepticism about the value of the review process. The importance of the role of independent review officers, who generally stay longer in their role than social workers and therefore offer consistent relationships with young people in care, is stressed. Young people discussed how at times they were not invited to meetings as the social worker and IROs priority was ensuring the meeting took place within certain timescales. Overall young people reported that they did not feel that children in care reviews enabled them to meaningfully participate. One ray of light is the developing practice of children chairing their own reviews and this chapter ends with a call for this to be developed alongside other creative methods of allowing young people to play a meaningful part in meetings that affect them.