Title of Project : Examination of the impact of the practices operating in Donegal in relation to access / contact between parents and their children in care
Project Description :
Given the situation that pertains in Donegal where the District Court often makes direction in respect of access arrangements between the child and his parents, when granting a Care Order. Incidents of Court directed access appeared to be more common in Donegal than in other areas of the Irish Republic and this had given raise to concern that access was being used primarily as a gesture of consolation to parents against whom the Court had had to act in removal of their children. The project involved an explore of implications of access arrangements and their influence on the Child in Care.
The Overall aim of the investigation
The aim of my investigation was to carry out an examination into the practices associated with Access in Donegal, in order to assist in developing an understanding around the processes in operation in this complex area of human relationships.
Outline of Research
The research Question involved a range of variables centering initially on the extent to which court direction controlled arrangements for access and later, the extent to which access was seen as a disruptive influence within placements. A number of features which emerge from the literature suggest that the scarcity of sufficiently robust longitudinal research, (Berridge, 1997) has meant that it has been difficult in many cases to identify sufficient evidence to challenge directions which result in unsatisfactory access arrangements. It is clear however that many opinions are presented which cite studies to support a particularly positive view of access, but little evidence has until relatively recently been available to suggest indicators identifying circumstances when access is not desirable. The review by Quinton et al (1997) of research carried out in this area has provoked a useful debate to challenge the more common assumption that evidence existed to support the view that access to children in care by birth parents is a good thing in itself.
Within my baseline study, almost all the children where access was considered as disruptive within their placement, were on long term court orders and in all of those cases the court had made some ruling in relation to access.
The findings overall reveal high levels of supervised access (86%) Court orders (76%) and Court directed access (57%). Such directions limit the ability to vary the arrangements in line with the needs and often the stated wishes of children. Ambivalence around permanence created confusion and enabled the unresolved conflict, generated at the time of the child’s entry to care, to be sustained. It is recommended that an assessment framework using a child centred developmental perspective be developed which could contribute to creating clarity in determining needs and clearly identifying the purpose of access arrangements for each child.
The methods employed
The Methodology selected for the study involved both quantitative and qualitative methods and the research was carried out in three phases. The first phase employed a survey of all children in care on 1st September 2003. Of the 106 children in care at the time, 103 questionnaires were returned. Using the data thus obtained, a purposive sample was selected. The criteria applied in this sampling process selected children in non relative foster care whose placements were considered to be adversely influenced by their experience of access. There were 8 children who matched the criteria and in the second and third phases of the study a number of more or less successful methods were employed to collect qualitative data on the nature of each child’s experience of access visits. Using interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA), the data was examined and the findings integrated with findings from the other qualitative and quantitative methods used.
Other Information
I have worked in the field of Foster Care in Donegal since 1981 and have been interested in exploring the meaning and nature of the relationships which this contrived social context creates for children, their birth parent /s and foster carers. I am particularly interested in the contribution attachment theory makes in assisting our understanding of the influence which differing patterns of attachment play in how foster placements succeed or fail, and how such patterns can be managed.
I have presented a number of seminars and workshops at national Foster Care conferences in Cork, Dublin and Galway in both this area and on related foster care issues. I have also made an oral submission in respect of the therapeutic needs of children in care to the Working Group on Foster Care established by the Irish Government in 1998. I am a member of the Irish Association of Social Workers and currently involved with the special interest group on Foster Care (SWIFC
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Name :
Cahal McHale
E-mail Address : cahal.mchale@hse.ie
Tel No : 00353 749123583
Mode of Study : Part time
Expected Completion Date : November 2007
Supervisor(s) : : Ms Mary McColgan & Mr Huw Griffiths Sociology & Applied Social Studies
Title of Project : Examination of the impact of the practices operating in Donegal in relation to access / contact between parents and their children in care
Project Description :
Given the situation that pertains in Donegal where the District Court often makes direction in respect of access arrangements between the child and his parents, when granting a Care Order. Incidents of Court directed access appeared to be more common in Donegal than in other areas of the Irish Republic and this had given raise to concern that access was being used primarily as a gesture of consolation to parents against whom the Court had had to act in removal of their children. The project involved an explore of implications of access arrangements and their influence on the Child in Care.
The Overall aim of the investigation
The aim of my investigation was to carry out an examination into the practices associated with Access in Donegal, in order to assist in developing an understanding around the processes in operation in this complex area of human relationships.
Outline of Research
The research Question involved a range of variables centering initially on the extent to which court direction controlled arrangements for access and later, the extent to which access was seen as a disruptive influence within placements. A number of features which emerge from the literature suggest that the scarcity of sufficiently robust longitudinal research, (Berridge, 1997) has meant that it has been difficult in many cases to identify sufficient evidence to challenge directions which result in unsatisfactory access arrangements. It is clear however that many opinions are presented which cite studies to support a particularly positive view of access, but little evidence has until relatively recently been available to suggest indicators identifying circumstances when access is not desirable. The review by Quinton et al (1997) of research carried out in this area has provoked a useful debate to challenge the more common assumption that evidence existed to support the view that access to children in care by birth parents is a good thing in itself.
Within my baseline study, almost all the children where access was considered as disruptive within their placement, were on long term court orders and in all of those cases the court had made some ruling in relation to access.
The findings overall reveal high levels of supervised access (86%) Court orders (76%) and Court directed access (57%). Such directions limit the ability to vary the arrangements in line with the needs and often the stated wishes of children. Ambivalence around permanence created confusion and enabled the unresolved conflict, generated at the time of the child’s entry to care, to be sustained. It is recommended that an assessment framework using a child centred developmental perspective be developed which could contribute to creating clarity in determining needs and clearly identifying the purpose of access arrangements for each child.
The methods employed
The Methodology selected for the study involved both quantitative and qualitative methods and the research was carried out in three phases. The first phase employed a survey of all children in care on 1st September 2003. Of the 106 children in care at the time, 103 questionnaires were returned. Using the data thus obtained, a purposive sample was selected. The criteria applied in this sampling process selected children in non relative foster care whose placements were considered to be adversely influenced by their experience of access. There were 8 children who matched the criteria and in the second and third phases of the study a number of more or less successful methods were employed to collect qualitative data on the nature of each child’s experience of access visits. Using interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA), the data was examined and the findings integrated with findings from the other qualitative and quantitative methods used.
Other Information
I have worked in the field of Foster Care in Donegal since 1981 and have been interested in exploring the meaning and nature of the relationships which this contrived social context creates for children, their birth parent /s and foster carers. I am particularly interested in the contribution attachment theory makes in assisting our understanding of the influence which differing patterns of attachment play in how foster placements succeed or fail, and how such patterns can be managed.
I have presented a number of seminars and workshops at national Foster Care conferences in Cork, Dublin and Galway in both this area and on related foster care issues. I have also made an oral submission in respect of the therapeutic needs of children in care to the Working Group on Foster Care established by the Irish Government in 1998. I am a member of the Irish Association of Social Workers and currently involved with the special interest group on Foster Care (SWIFC
If you would like to learn more about how we can help further your studies and career opportunities, please contact us.