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- Title
Children Starting to be Looked After by Local Authorities in England: An Analysis of Inter-authority Variation and Case-centred Decision Making.
- Authors
Dickens, Jonathan; Howell, Darren; Thoburn, June; Schofield, Gillian
- Abstract
This paper presents findings from a study of children looked after by 24 local authorities in England. The study combined analysis of key statistical data with a questionnaire survey completed by the social workers for a sub-sample of the children. This paper focuses on children who started a period of being looked after in the participating authorities during the 6 months from October 2000 to March 2001. The study found considerable variation between the authorities in their rates of children starting to be looked after, and the paper explores reasons for these differences. It also highlights the variety of legal routes and placement options used for children entering the looked after system, and proposes a matrix that summarizes the various combinations that the authorities were found to be using. The matrix can assist social workers and their man- agers in identifying the most appropriate option for individual children.
- Subjects
SOCIAL services; CHILD services; SOCIAL work with children; SOCIAL sciences education; CHILD care -- Social aspects; RATING of social workers; YOUTH workers (Social services)
- Publication
British Journal of Social Work, 2007, Vol 37, Issue 4, p597
- ISSN
0045-3102
- Publication type
Article