Paper
Involving young people in decision making: the impact of the Integrated Children’s System
- issue: Issue 1 / 2010
- authors: Hedy Cleaver and Wendy Rose
- keywords: children’s participation
- views: 3768
- downloaded: 0
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abstract
Background
The Government in England and Wales has introduced a new system for assessing, planning, intervening and reviewing outcomes for all children in need under the Children Act 1989. As part of the development of the system, a study of its implementation was carried out in four pilot authorities to explore both process and impact. A fundamental principle underpinning the system is improved involvement of children and their families in processes affecting them.
Purpose
This paper is based on findings from a two year study evaluating the impact of the Integrated Children's System on social work practice, inter-agency cooperation, collaboration and information sharing. The presentation focuses on its impact on the involvement of children and young people who are being looked after in out of home care in decisions that affect them.
Information is drawn from two primary sources: a two stage scrutiny of social work case records (before and after implementation of the Integrated Children's System in the pilot authorities) covering all children in contact with children's social care services, and postal questionnaires completed by young people looked after who have experienced assessments and reviews under the new system. To understand the impact of the Integrated Children's System, the findings are compared with earlier published research about children's involvement and their perspectives on their experiences.
Key findings
The findings suggest that social workers are more conscientious in recording the participation and involvement of some groups of children than others. For example, recording the views of children in need of safeguarding remained uncommon although there were some signs of improvement, and there was little impact on the extent to which the views of children looked after were recorded. In contrast, substantial improvements were found in relation to recording young people's involvement in the Pathway Plans of those leaving care.
Young people looked after in one local authority, with experience of the Integrated Children's System, gave their views. Although the findings must be treated with caution, comparisons with earlier research are encouraging and suggest young people's involvement in planning and decision making has increased.
Young people held decided views about care planning and reviews. For example, although young people were generally content with the attendance of professionals at reviews and other meetings, many would wish for parents and other key family members to be present. Young people were also concerned that the rather formal planning and review meetings were not the most appropriate fora for discussing sensitive issues such as their past, their friends, and their emotions and feelings.
The findings indicate that decisions following care planning and reviews have greater clarity as a result of the Integrated Children's System. For example, most young people knew what decisions had been taken at their review and why they had been made. However, not all young people were confident that the decisions would be implemented.
Recommendations and implications for policy, practice and research:
Greater attention needs to be given to:
- monitoring case recording in relation to children and young people's involvement in decision making;
- involving children and young people in assessments, care planning and reviews. Although the introduction of the Integrated Children's System has improved the level of young people's involvement in Pathway Plans, it has yet to impact on consultation with other groups of children. Inadequate consultation is likely to result in unrealistic or unwanted plans that are subsequently rejected;
- adequately preparing young people so that they feel confident and capable of participating in meetings and decisions that affect them;
- providing children and young people with a record of their care plan and review in a format that takes account of their level of understanding and method of communication;
- ensuring decisions taken at meetings and reviews are carried out or, when this is not possible, informing children, young people and parents of the reasons which have prevented them;
- supporting parents, relatives and friends (where appropriate) to continue to play a role in the lives of children once they become looked after;
- ensuring children's experiences and perspectives are fully explored in future research and evaluation studies of how care services are working.
Key references
Cleaver, H., Walker, S., Scott, J., Cleaver, D., Rose, W., Ward, H. and Pithouse, A. (2008) The Integrated Children's System: Enhancing Social Work and Inter-Agency Practice. London: Jessica Kingsley Publishers.
Cleaver, H. and Walker, S. with Meadows, P. (2004) Assessing Children's Needs and Circumstances: The Impact of the Assessment Framework. London: Jessica Kingsley Publishers.
Grimshaw, R. and Sinclair, R. (1997) Planning to Care: Regulation, Procedures and Practice under the Children Act 1989. London: National Children's Bureau.
Walker, S. (1999) 'Children's Perspectives on attending Statutory Reviews'. In D. Shemmings (ed) Involving Children in Family support and Child Protection. London: The Stationery Office.
Timms, J.E. and Thoburn J. (2003) Your Shout! A Survey of the Views of 706 Children and Young People in Public Care. London: NSPCC.
Morgan, R. (2007) Children's Messages on Care. A report by the Children's Rights Director for England. London: Ofsted.
Contact details
Dr Hedy Cleaver, Emeritus Professor, Royal Holloway, University of London.
Contact address: 524 Route de Morville, 76780 Le Heron, France
Tel: 0033 232 91 11 47
Email: hedy@cleaver.uk.com
Wendy Rose, Senior Research Fellow, Faculty of Health and Social Care, The Open University, Walton Hall, Milton Keynes MK7 6AA, UK.
Tel: 0044 7711 67 21 16
Email: w.e.rose@open.ac.uk