Care planning for children in residential care : an analysis of the Maltese situation

Abstract

This study aims at analysing the care planning system currently being used for children living in residential group care in Malta. The evolution of care planning in recent years was highly influenced by social work practice, which shows the relevance of this study to the practical aspect of social work. The author of this study presents relevant literature in an attempt to define children in care and their needs. Moreover, the effects of residential care on the child and its developmental outcomes were explored through a review of the literature. The literature review also looks into the care planning system used in the United Kingdom and the system used in Malta. During information gathering, a qualitative research design was adopted and individual open ended semi-structured interviews were conducted with the Heads of Care of the major seven residential homes in Malta. To inform the formulation of the instrument used for this research an inductive interview was conducted with the Service Area Leader of the Looked After Children Team of Agenzija Appogg, which is the national designated agency. When data collection was complete, analysis of the data was carried out and common themes that emerged from the findings were identified through Thematic Analysis. Among these themes identified was a noted discrepancy between the homes in various ways and an emphasis on better communication between different parties involved in care planning. Obstacles to client participation were also identified together with the need for a review of the current system and of service provision. The analysis of the extracted data was then discussed in the light of the literature review and a list of recommendations was presented.