Conlan, Sinéad;
(2022)
Exploring the Identities and Educational Experiences of Children Under Special Guardianship Orders (SGOs).
Doctoral thesis (D.Ed.Psy), UCL (University College London).
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Abstract
Special Guardianship Orders (SGOs) were introduced in 2005 as an alternative form of permanent placement for children requiring out-of-home care. To date the majority of SGOs go to family or friends, thus it is a type of formalised and regulated kinship care. Despite the increasing need and reliance on kinship care, the potential protective and risk factors of kinship care, the similarity of needs between children under SGO and other care experienced children and the support they may require during their educational journey, there is a dearth of research exploring this population of children and young people. This study aimed to explore the views of young people under SGO, special guardians and the wider professional network in relation to the identity and educational experiences of children under SGO. This included an exploration of supportive factors, challenges and how they could be better supported across the different eco-systems. This qualitative design used semi-structured interviews with young people under SGO (n=2), special guardians (n= 3) and wider professional networks (n= 10). Data was analysed using reflective thematic analysis. Thematic analysis from interviews elicited six themes: conflicted identities; stigmatisation of the SGO family; unsupportive systems; attachment friendly schools; sense of belonging and characteristics of the SGO. Implications include raising the profile of SGO families by increasing awareness and recognition about the unique challenges faced by these young people and their guardians in schools and among professionals, and how they could be supported to have positive educational experiences. It is hoped that by sharing awareness and understanding of children under SGO and their families, outcomes for these children and young people can be improved.
| Type: | Thesis (Doctoral) |
|---|---|
| Qualification: | D.Ed.Psy |
| Title: | Exploring the Identities and Educational Experiences of Children Under Special Guardianship Orders (SGOs) |
| Open access status: | An open access version is available from UCL Discovery |
| Language: | English |
| Additional information: | Copyright © The Author 2022. Original content in this thesis is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0) Licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/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. |
| UCL classification: | UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Education > UCL Institute of Education UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Education > UCL Institute of Education > IOE - Psychology and Human Development UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Education UCL |
| URI: | https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10153186 |
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