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Placement Support for Foster Carers and Adolescents under their care: Exploring the experience and perceptions of carers registered with an Independent Fostering Agency

Tsoukala, Konstantina; (2020) Placement Support for Foster Carers and Adolescents under their care: Exploring the experience and perceptions of carers registered with an Independent Fostering Agency. Doctoral thesis (D.Psych), UCL (University College London). Green open access

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Abstract

The steadily rising numbers of Looked-After Children and Young People (LACYP), the high prevalence of mental health difficulties among them, as well the subsequent strain placed on Foster Carers (FCs’) and their low retention rates, result in a pertinent need to capture the FCs’ views on multiple subjects around the experience of fostering. The current study aimed at exploring the Independent FCs’, all registered with an Independent Fostering Agency, perceived views on the support that they and Young People (YP) under their care received within and outside the agency. Due to evidence indicating higher prevalence rates of mental health difficulties among older ages the focus is placed on FCs looking after Young People of secondary school age. A mixed methods approach was employed for the purposes of this study, utilising a survey concerning both closed and open-ended questions, as well as semi-structured interviews with FCs. In summary, the study’s findings were broadly in line with current empirical literature, though some findings shed further light on foster carers’ needs, concerns and wishes. Overall, the majority of IFCs reported having benefitted from the support they and the YP received. The carers attributed a number of –overall positive- qualities to themselves, while acknowledging the centrality of their role in the progress of the YP’s wellbeing. Simultaneously, they reflected on the complex nature of the YP’s presentation, the areas that they felt unskilled in and identified the gaps in the perceived support. Finally, the importance of collaborative communication among them and agencies involved in managing these complexities was valued.

Type: Thesis (Doctoral)
Qualification: D.Psych
Title: Placement Support for Foster Carers and Adolescents under their care: Exploring the experience and perceptions of carers registered with an Independent Fostering Agency
Event: UCL (University College London)
Open access status: An open access version is available from UCL Discovery
Language: English
Additional information: Copyright © The Author 2020. Original content in this thesis is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) Licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Any third-party copyright material present remains the property of its respective owner(s) and is licensed under its existing terms. Access may initially be restricted at the author’s request. - Further information about 'The Masks We Wear' project is available at https://issuu.com/fiveriverschildcare/docs/the_masks_we_wear_for_issuu_2_-_reformatted_final
UCL classification: UCL
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Brain Sciences
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Brain Sciences > Div of Psychology and Lang Sciences
URI: https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10094477
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