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Last resort or best interest? exploring risk and safety factors that inform rates of relocation for young people abused in extra-familial settings

  • Carlene Firmin
    ,
  • Lauren Wroe
    ,
  • D. Bernard
Research Output: Contribution to journal Article Peer-review

Open access

Abstract

When young people are harmed in extra-familial settings children’s services may place them into care at a distance from their home authority to remove them from contexts in which they are considered ‘at risk’. Guidance and regulation suggest such intervention be used as a last resort and only in a child’s best interests. Using survey and interview data, this paper examines how relocations are used in response to extra-familial harm in 13 children’s services departments in England and Wales – exploring the extent to which they are intended to mitigate risk, or build safety, for young people. Findings demonstrate that rates at which relocations were used varied across participating services. Interview data suggests that variation may be informed by the strategic position a service takes on the use of relocation, the goal(s) of interventions used in cases of extra-familial harm, and the target of these interventions. In considering each of these factors the authors recommend further study into the national (varying) rates of relocation and the role of those who review care-plans for relocated young people; both intending to create conditions in which young people can safely return to their communities should they choose to do so

Publication Information

Output type

Research Output: Contribution to journal Article Peer-review

Original language

English

Pages from-to (Number of pages)

Pages 573-592 (20 pages)

Journal (Volume, Issue Number)

British Journal of Social Work (Volume 52, Issue 1)

Publication milestones

  • Accepted/In press - 29/04/2021
  • Published - 10/06/2021

Publication status

Published - 10/06/2021

ISSN

0045-3102

External Publication IDs

  • handle.net: 10547/624926
  • Scopus: 85124896959

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