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There has been a great deal written in recent years about the complexities of social work decision making and the need for a more ecological conceptualisation of the decision-making task in child welfare and protection. This article outlines some of the findings from a PhD study of secure accommodation decision making in Scotland which sought to understand the dynamics of local social work decision making in cases where children and young people pose a significant risk to themselves and/or others. Observations of decision-making meetings, interviews and focus groups were used to develop a multidimensional perspective on decision-making practices in one large urban local authority. Professional relationships were found to impact on information gathering, 'thinking through' decisions and managing emotions, 'working' the decision-making system to the benefit of your referral and having your assessment accepted by others. Trust emerged as an important quality in relationships between professionals who share decision-making responsibilities. Drawing on theories of trust, relationships and decision making, the article challenges the dominant rational choice model of social work decision making and develops new links between theory and practice by highlighting the importance of understanding the impact of professional relationships when seeking to improve social work decision making. The article also emphasises the need for further research to enhance our understanding of the multiplicity of ways that professional relationships can impact on decision-making practice and its outcomes.

ABSTRACTThis paper draws on the findings of a research study that examined the factors that influence local decision‐making in cases where a child or young person is being considered by residential workers, social workers and senior managers for placement in a secure unit. After outlining the research problem and case study approach taken, the paper focuses on explicating the findings of the study that relate to the impact of group membership, goals, roles and norms on group performance in such cases. The paper illustrates how attending to these four areas, and the way in which power relations impact on them, may help those developing and managing groups to improve decision‐making practice.

AbstractDrawing on a review of recent international literature, this article argues for the first time that an understanding of, and engagement with, the theory and practice of friendship is essential to working alongside those who have care experience. Drawing on theory from philosophy, psychology and sociology, the care system is explored as a unique and challenging context for making and keeping the reciprocal, caring friendships which research suggests are important for a 'happy, healthy life'. Our analysis shows how theories of friendship have failed to consider the friendship experiences of those in the care system. We suggest that including these experiences offers new opportunities to develop theory and practice in the field of friendship. We argue that friendship is an essential human need and, as such, should be placed centrally in assessment and intervention work, encouraging social workers to support positive and enduring friendships for the people they work with.

AbstractThe last 20 years have seen exponential growth in participatory research methods in child and youth studies, social work, education and allied disciplines. Scholars internationally have highlighted the ways these methods can connect with other areas of scholarship including children's rights, citizenship and activism. The Binks Hub is a new initiative committed to supporting, promoting and delivering transformative, co‐creative research. The funding, monitoring and impact regimes within higher education can mean that delivering these commitments is challenging. This article uses three empirical cases involving participatory methods to reflect on these challenges and examine the connections and disconnections between participatory research and activism. The work of Sassen (2014) is employed to make spaces before and beyond method more visible. These spaces, we conclude, are critical to creating the foundations for relational participatory practice, and ensuring initiatives like the Binks Hub have long‐term meaning and value.

In recent years, various social services in the UK have piloted using social pedagogy – a broadly education-based approach to bringing about social change originating in mainland Europe – as a way of improving practice, particularly in residential childcare. Pilot evaluations of initiatives to introduce social pedagogy to children's services have produced generally positive results, although the evidence remains modest and the studies are affected by a range of methodological limitations. In this article, we critically review existing evaluations, supplemented by insights from our experience as independent evaluators for a social pedagogy pilot for services supporting people with learning disabilities, to present an account of the challenges and opportunities of evaluating social pedagogy in the UK. We argue that some of the main challenges relate to defining social pedagogy, measuring the baseline prior to implementing social pedagogy training, understanding individual and organisational change, measuring outcomes and applying an appropriate approach for the evaluation. We conclude with recommendations for those intending to evaluate social pedagogy, and similar initiatives, in the future.

AbstractChildren's participation in decision making of all kinds is of increasing interest across the world as more and more countries seek to comply with Article 12 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. The participation rights of children who are in the care of the state are of particular concern. Recent research in England suggests that Independent Reviewing Officers (IROs) can play a crucial role in ensuring that looked after and accommodated children are able to participate in care planning and review processes. This paper outlines the findings of the first Scottish study to investigate the role of Reviewing Officers in encouraging children's participation in reviews. Surveys were collected from social workers, Reviewing Officers and young people after 69 review meetings as part of an action research study. Follow‐up qualitative interviews were then completed with 10 young people and a focus group held with the five participating Reviewing Officers. The findings suggest that participation in looked after reviews can best be understood as a cyclical and relational process and that taking part in action research may enhance participation practices. While the role of the Reviewing Officer was found to be important, the findings suggest that everyone involved in the care and support of the young person needs to encourage participation processes that are individualized.

The process of gaining research access in the social sciences is becoming increasingly difficult. Changes in legislation and an increasingly managerialist and risk-averse approach to service provision have contributed to organizations adopting a protectionist stance when it comes to granting research access. The student researcher's experience of negotiating this research access landscape has been neglected. This article explores the findings from three case studies of gaining research access to social service organizations for the purpose of undertaking PhD research. It outlines the reflexive approach which was adopted, through peer support and discussion groups, in order to develop the ideas presented. The article utilizes emerging evidence, policy and identity theory to contextualize and develop understanding around the difficulties experienced in these three case studies. In particular the article highlights how issues of identity impact on the research access process. The article suggests strategies for gaining research access which could be adopted by student researchers, supervisors and universities. The article also recommends that issues to do with research governance and research access be considered in plans aimed at developing social work research capacity.

AbstractThe COVID‐19 pandemic disrupted life across the world in multiple ways and those already minoritised and disenfranchised, like care‐experienced young people, bore the brunt of losses and mental health difficulties. This article reports on the findings of 'Feeling Well, Feeling Cared For' an innovative knowledge exchange project on care experience and mental health in Scotland that was seriously disrupted by the pandemic. The article explores how these disruptions created new opportunities for deepening and slowing down coproductive practices, allowing relationships between collaborators to become stronger. Three finding areas are presented and discussed through the lenses of coproduction and quiet activism. These include lessons developed through the process of carrying out this project during a pandemic, the findings from our discussions with young people about mental health, and our reflections on the meanings of activism in the context of a coproductive knowledge exchange process. The discussion highlights how learning from this project might benefit coproductive practices in the future, especially as global interest in coproduction continues to grow across a range of disciplines.

AbstractYoung people who are currently or were previously in state care have consistently been found to have much higher rates of mental health and neurodevelopmental difficulties than the general youth population. While a number of high‐quality reviews highlight what research has been undertaken in relation to the mental health of young people with care experience and the gaps in our knowledge and understanding, there is, until now, no consensus, so far as we aware, as to where our collective research efforts should be directed with this important group. Through a series of UK wide workshops, we undertook a consultative process to identify an agreed research agenda between those with lived experience of being in care (n = 15), practitioners, policy makers and researchers (n = 59), for future research regarding the mental health of young people with care experience, including those who are neurodiverse/have a neurodevelopmental difficulty. This consensus statement identified 21 foci within four broad categories: how we conceptualize mental health; under‐studied populations; under‐studied topics; and underused methodologies. We hope that those who commission, fund and undertake research will engage in this discussion about the future agenda for research regarding the mental health of young people with care experience.