What Works in Residential Child Care: A Review of Research Evidence and the Practical Considerations

Book Reviews that hinder collaborative working. It also provides evidence of good partnership relationships and thus, the obstacles detailed in this chapter are counter-balanced by evidence of positive developments. Chapters five to seven concentrate on the composition of, and services provided by family centres. Interestingly, the authors draw attention to the pressures that some family centres are being placed under to provide late statutory intervention at the expense of their preventative ethos, suggesting that in some instances the preventative potential of family centres is not realized. There is further discussion of how family centres provide a gateway to other services and can therefore operate as key holders of information to allow signposting to other agencies. This part of the book ends with a discussion of the workforce employed within family centres and suggests that workforce development must be supported by adequate resourcing, including support for training and recruitment. Chapter eight examines the role and impact of family centres on parents coming into with this particular service. It highlights that these service users can provide a valuable resource for the service, for example as volunteers/workers and that a parent-led approach can also provide direction for this service. Chapter nine discusses the changing face of family centres and how they need to retain the ability to adapt to a changing local authority landscape to address the requirements of service users in the future. In conclusion, the book seeks to convince the reader that family centres should occupy a pivotal role in the ‘Every Child Matters’ (DfES, 2003) agenda. Detailing the research and evidence generated around community-based services, this book makes a valuable contribution to the knowledge base that seeks to inform the future development of services for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children. By providing a balanced view of the ideologies and realities of implementing a seamless approach to service delivery, this book provides highly relevant reading for students, social care practitioners, researchers and policy makers. Kellie Thompson PhD research student (ESRC project: Developing integrated children’s services) Department of Applied Social Science Lancaster University REFERENCES DfES (2003) Every Child Matters. Stationary Office, London. Laming, H. (2003) The Victoria Climbié Inquiry. Department of Health, London. 117 Child and Family Social Work 2008, 13, pp 113–118 Quinton, D. (2004) Supporting Parents: Messages from Research. Jessica Kingsley Publishers, London. What Works in Residential Child Care: A Review of Research Evidence and the Practical Considerations Roger Clough, Roger Bullock, Adrian Ward National Children’s Bureau, London, 2006, 134 pp. ISBN 1 904787 77 0 This book has much to offer to the debate concerning the planning and use of residential child care services, summarizing as it does the first stage of a larger review of residential services for the National Assembly for Wales. Written by three academics and researchers in the field of residential childcare, this text can claim to present an authoritative overview of the residential childcare research literature. The practical considerations drawn from the review are also well considered and firmly grounded in the review. For a text so concerned with research, the authors make some interesting observations in the introductory chapter, cautioning against total faith in research as straightforwardly providing all the ‘what works’ answers for residential childcare. However, the rationale behind such a position is clarified, as the authors then detail some of the difficulties involved with the measurement, analysis and interpretation of data from previous residential childcare research. The need for careful and considered interpretation of research data, in an attempt to achieve practice based on demonstrable effectiveness, is a theme which runs strong throughout the book. Following this introduction the structure of the text is very simple – chapter two deals with the research literature whilst chapter three takes the form of a case study and considers the planning of residential services for children in Wales. The authors make clear that the material considered in the book, whilst specific toWales, is relevant for the remainder of the UK and this is undoubtedly the case. The review of research literature is detailed and rich and important points are made with regard to the strengths and limitations of the existing research knowledge. In an era punctuated by reviews, the authors make the important point that whilst this sector may possess knowledge about what is required to deliver a purposeful and appropriate service, there are problems in putting this knowledge into practice. This important theme is expanded later when selected residential regimes are questioned for simply © 2008 The Authors Journal compilation © 2008 Blackwell Publishing Ltd Book Reviews providing staff with ‘instructions’ about practice, rather than providing staff with an understanding of what they are doing. A summation of the conditions required for effective practice most commonly identified by the research is presented. Issues such as culture, size of home and the quality of relationships between children and carers are all raised. Again, the authors caution against simplistic analysis of the research findings; achieving effective practice is a complex matter and focusing on any single or particular aspect of residential care may not ensure success. Interestingly the chapter concludes with the suggestion that many of the conditions required for effective residential services often exist beyond the direct remit of the sector and within the control of children’s services departments. This theme is developed in the final chapter that focuses on applying research findings to the planning of residential services for children in Wales. A key conclusion is that residential childcare can only fulfil an effective function if it is planned for and utilized, in a coherent manner. In particular, services that are located unfavourably within a hierarchy of services are in many ways set up to fail. Residential childcare is frequently a last resort option for children, when other services have failed and this impacts on how the service is seen and experienced. Full and proper assessments of all children and young people are required and placement decisions should be made on the basis of these assessments, rather than on the basis of available resources. The issue of the prevailing ideology around residential childcare should be critically interrogated, such as the current ‘last resort’ position of the service. This may, on occasion, lead to some young people entering residential childcare at an earlier stage, as opposed to as a last resort after all other options have been exhausted. For some, such a position will present a challenge and it is refreshing for it to be stated here so convincingly. This book clearly communicates an important message – residential childcare can provide an important service to some but not all children and young people requiring services. However, for it to have any chance of achieving such an aim, it has to be planned and part of a continuum of services rather than something only to be considered when other services have failed. The planning of such services involves establishing who will need residential child care, the sort of services that are required and what can be reasonably expected of these services. The research evidence relating to residential. Childcare and consequent practice implications will be of significant interest to academics, students and practitioners alike. However perhaps this text has most to offer those with the responsibility for planning and commissioning residential child care services, as adherence to the issues raised in the book would allow for a more purposeful and targeted service. Graham McPheat Glasgow School of Social Work Corrigendum Young, F. 2007, ‘Book Review of Attachment handbook for foster care and adoption by Gillian Schofield and Mary Beek.’ Child & Family Social Work, 12 (4), 438-439. The name of the second author Mary Beck was incorrect and should have read Mary Beek throughout the review. We apologise for this error. 118 Child and Family Social Work 2008, 13, pp 113–118 © 2008 The Authors Journal compilation © 2008 Blackwell Publishing Ltd