Peters, Baylee;
(2024)
“Promise you will be here tomorrow”: Using a
multi-informant approach to explore emotional
closeness and physical contact between children in
care and their foster carers and school staff.
Doctoral thesis (D.Ed.Psy), UCL (University College London).
Preview |
Text
Peters_10195837_Thesis.pdf Download (3MB) | Preview |
Abstract
Children and young people looked after (CYPLA) are vulnerable to adverse outcomes. While relationships with adults can be protective, CYPLA’s experiences of such relationships vary. Often, these relationships provide practical support but lack emotional closeness, such as love, trust, and affection, limiting their effectiveness. Various factors influence these relationships, including individual child and adult traits, and systemic issues in education and social services. Educational Psychologists (EPs) are well-positioned to support CYPLA and their surrounding systems, yet their involvement varies, with EPs often being an underutilised resource. Using Bronfenbrenner’s (2005) bioecological theory, this research explores the perspectives of school staff, foster carers and CYPLA on emotional closeness within their relationships, filling a notable gap by including the voices of CYPLA. Additionally, the study examines the role of EPs in supporting these relationships. Employing semi-structured interviews, the views of two CYPLA (aged 10-11), four school staff members and four foster carers were gathered. Thematic analysis of the interviews identified themes which elucidates the relational experiences and barriers for CYPLA. Key themes from CYPLA included kindness is key; support to connect; and family support and strain. Adult participants yielded themes such as nurturing the child and the relationship; navigating complex feelings and intersecting relationships; intertwined person factors; the ripple effect of school culture; bridging the gap in children’s services; and caution and confusion within social care and education. There was a narrative that close relationships, containing togetherness, physical contact, and trust, can thrive despite systemic barriers. Additionally, the research uncovered how unsupportive school cultures can adversely affect CYPLA’s relationships both within and outside of school. These findings further our understanding of the emotional features within the relationships of CYPLA that require cultivation and inform practice and policy to dismantle barriers and foster close relationships and positive outcomes for CYPLA.
| Type: | Thesis (Doctoral) |
|---|---|
| Qualification: | D.Ed.Psy |
| Title: | “Promise you will be here tomorrow”: Using a multi-informant approach to explore emotional closeness and physical contact between children in care and their foster carers and school staff |
| Open access status: | An open access version is available from UCL Discovery |
| Language: | English |
| Additional information: | Copyright © The Author 2024. 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 UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Education 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 |
| URI: | https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10195837 |
Archive Staff Only
 |
View Item |
