Other
Doing participation
Katrin Križ ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-sonnet-5-5This book chapter looks at how child protection caseworkers say they involve children in their everyday work. It uses the term 'doing participation' for a range from minimal participation, where a child's views are heard but not taken into account, to genuine participation in decision-making. The topics discussed include removing children from home, support services, foster care placements and contact with parents while in care. Caseworkers described three ways of doing participation: giving information, facilitating participation and gathering information. Almost half of the sample reported facilitating genuine participation.
Key points
- Participation is described as a range, from minimal listening to genuine involvement in decision-making.
- Genuine participation is defined as children's opinions being heard and weighed in decision-making.
- Topics covered were removal from home, support services, foster care placements and contact with parents in care.
- Caseworkers reported three ways of doing participation: giving information, facilitating participation and gathering information.
- Almost half of the total sample reported facilitating children's genuine participation.
Limitations
Only the abstract is available, so the country, sample size, and methods are not stated. The findings rest on what caseworkers reported, not on observed practice or children's own views.
Abstract
This chapter analyses when and how child protection caseworkers reported doing participation in their everyday practice. The term 'doing participation' refers to the range of possible participation, from minimal participation by listening to a child's opinions and reflections without taking them into consideration to promoting genuine participation in decision-making. The chapter examines to what degree the study participants facilitated genuine participation, defined as children's opinions being heard and weighed in decision-making. The study participants discussed included the removal of children from home, support services, foster care placements, and children's contact with their parent(s) while in care. There are three ways in which the study participants reported doing participation: giving information, facilitating participation, and gathering information. Almost half of the total sample reported facilitating children's genuine participation.