A critical analysis of kinship care to inform social work policy and practice.

Children are placed in kinship care arrangements when their primary carers, usually birth parents, are unable to care for them. They then become looked after by their relatives or non-related extended family members. Many of these children have been placed in the arrangements through Social work intervention due to experiencing abuse or neglect. Although the exact figures are unknown, 2011 national census data suggests that there are 153,000 children living in kinship care in England.
Literature reviews show that research has been ambiguous and contradictory about the benefits of kinship care over non-relative foster care. This has caused ambivalence in professional attitudes, yet policy preference for kinship care has seen a dramatic increase in kinship arrangements in the UK over the last 10 years. Furthermore, recent data suggests that 51% of these carers are grandparents, typically lone females, who belong to an ethnic minority group, and many of whom live in poverty and/or have health issues. It is, therefore, essential that kinship care research is critical and placed in socio-historical and political context.
While a meta-analysis has provided some insight into the benefits of kinship care, it acknowledges that it is unable to explore the underlying dynamics or investigate the lived experiences of the children. There is yet to be a study that has specifically done these things. By utilising a Critical Realist methodology, a deeper understanding of specific kinship care placements will be achieved. A case-study exploration, with the children's voices as central, will examine the underlying mechanisms, contexts and benefits of kinship care to produce transferable findings. Ideas, 'theories' and practices can then be used in various contexts, with different stakeholders to provide the outcomes that children themselves view as beneficial. This will give an understanding into what types of supports and interventions assist children in such arrangements and so provide clear recommendations for policy and practice.
By using children's voices as the focus, by listening to their unique experiences, we can begin to understand kinship care, in each of its forms, from the perspective of those most affected. The proposed research, therefore, places children as central participants ensuring that their views inform the findings and recommendations that ultimately affect their lives and their well-being. Using Participatory Action Research (PAR) methods will give the children appropriate social agency and empowerment. While PAR and Critical Realist methodological approaches have been shown to be effective in other areas of Social work research, it will be the first time they are used in research into kinship care.
Two leading organisations, CoramBAAF and Grandparents Plus, will collaborate in the research. They both will provide access to unique information, statistics, and polling, as well as unpublished tools and research. Along with Sussex University, the two collaborating organisations are well placed to ensure dissemination of findings through access to conferences, National Briefings, publications, seminars and professional groups. Both will also provide access to government advisory groups to ensure impact on national policy.
This exciting, innovative and pioneering research will give a clearer insight into what types of kinship care situations will require what types of support to assist a child's well-being. With critical and reflexive analysis, it will provide findings to be disseminated with the assistance of the collaborating organisations and will guide practitioners and policy-makers to improve lives.