The development of the admission procedures of St. Patrick's Residential Home

Abstract

We worry about what a child will become tomorrow, yet we forget that he is someone today. Stacia Tauscher (n.d) On consideration of the subject of Children in Care, rarely is it discussed how a child enters care. Instead, the main focus is usually on the reasons why children enter care and what happens whilst the children are in care. With respect to this matter, this research aims to answer the question: What are the steps and procedures of entering care, and how they might have changed over the last ten years? With this question, it will be explored whether these procedures are effective and sensible way for the best interests of the child. A qualitative approach to research was applied and twelve social workers - who have worked in collaboration with St. Patrick's Residential Home either between 1998 to 2003 and/or 2003 to 2008 - together with the head of care, were interviewed during the months of September to November 2008. The length of each interview varied between twenty minutes to three quarters of an hour. An interview guide approach (Appendix B) was used for collecting data and the interview questions together with the Participant Information Leaflet (Appendix C) were given a week before the interview. Data was collected, analysed and then each interview was transcribed word for word. The findings demonstrated that the social worker does not immediately request that a child enter care without first ensuring that there is no available solution for the child to stay with his own parents unless this is harmful to him. On most xi occasions, a child enters care for reasons unforeseen by him and for which he is not responsible, and the fact that his life will drastically change produces feelings of fear and anxiety. However, where possible, the social worker The results of this study showed that even though there weren't any drastic changes in the procedures of entering care during the past ten years, the real changes were more in the paperwork than in the actual way that a child enters care. Social workers have become more organised in dealing with their cases, in addition to the introduction of consent forms. With respect to society, cases have become more acute in that whereas ten years ago a child entered care due to separation, neglect, addiction or lack of parental skills, nowadays a child does not enter care with only one problem but a combination of all of these. Another thing that changed through the years is that back in 1998, St. Patrick's Residential Home was considered as a possible last option for the 'rehabilitation' of children under the age of 18 due to the fact that in those days a child did not seek the help of a social worker of his own free will but was thus forced to do so by the court. The recommendations are focused on the need to continue similar studies on Standard Area 1 which was researched in this study as well as Standard Area 2 and 3. They also emphasize on the need that the service provision is made for the best interests of the service users and their parents.