A shared experience of fragmentation: Making sense of foster placement breakdown

• Published in: Clinical child psychology and psychiatry Vol. 16; no. 1; pp. 103 - 127
• Main Authors: Rostill-Brookes, Helen, Larkin, Michael, Toms, Amy, Churchman, Clare
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London, England SAGE Publications 01.01.2011; Sage; SAGE PUBLICATIONS, INC
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Biological and medical sciences; Breakdown; Caregivers - psychology; Child; Child placement; Discourses; Emotional experiences; Emotional responses; Emotions; England; Female; Focus Groups; Foster care; Foster carers; Foster Home Care - psychology; Health staff related problems. Vocational training; Humans; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Miscellaneous; Miscommunication; Occupational roles; Perception; Policy making; Protective factors; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychopathology. Psychiatry; Psychosocial factors; Risk factors; Segmentation; Social psychiatry. Ethnopsychiatry; Social services; Social Work; Social workers; Stakeholders; Treatment Failure; Trust; Youth; United Kingdom; Europe; England; multiple perspectives; placement; breakdown; care; Human; Social environment; Affect affectivity; Professional experience; Meaning making; Health staff; Subjective experience; Mental health; Foster care placement; Emotion emotionality; Psychological effect; Recommendation; Health policy; Social worker; Child; Public health; Comparative study
• ISSN: 1359-1045; 1461-7021
• DOI: 10.1177/1359104509352894

Multiple placement transitions have been associated with poorer psychosocial outcomes for children growing up in local authority care. However, although there is an expanding literature examining the risk and protective factors connected with placement breakdown, very few studies have explored the quality of the move experience for those most closely involved with it. Our study considered how young people, foster carers and social workers made sense of unplanned placements’ endings. Bringing together the lived experiences of these key stakeholders in the placement system added a novel dimension to existing research knowledge. What emerged from our analysis was evidence of a pervasive and shared emotional experience; all of the participants were affected by the breakdown irrespective of age, experience, or professional role. However, despite many commonalities, there was also a strong sense of fragmentation between the groups, which was characterised by discourses of mistrust and miscommunication. This meant that emotional reactions to the breakdown were often suppressed or dismissed, resentments built-up and attempts to find a solution were thwarted by silence or angry recrimination. These findings raise real challenges for practice and policy development. In particular, they stress the importance of shared and meaningful dialogue between all key stakeholders within the social care system, the need for more effective and timely support when placements are in crisis and opportunities for those most closely involved with the placement breakdown to process the emotional experience.