This paper presents findings from a study that explored the experiences of young people living in foster care in the United Kingdom (UK). Previous research highlights that children and young people in foster care experience stigma.Qualitative methods were chosen to explore how the young people in this study experience and manage stigma in their day to day lives.Findings provide valuable insights into how the participants cope with the challenges of stigma. There were two key ways they did this; 1) by carefully managing the disclosure of their 'in care' status; 2) by drawing support from their social relationships. Furthermore, the participants particularly valued support from their peers who were also living in foster care, as it enabled them to form an ingroup, which presented them with a valuable sense of belonging. These findings have implications for practice and this paper proposes two ways to better support young people in foster care to cope with stigma. Firstly, by valuing the importance of friendship groups and enabling young people to maintain their existing friendships. Secondly, by developing more opportunities that bring fostered young people together, which enables them to interact with their peers without the pressure of managing stigma.

This paper is based on the development of a framework that conceptualises forms of power in social work research. Its aim is to encourage readers to critically reflect on potentially oppressive manifestations of power in social work research. The article draws on Lukes' model of power and Gould's subsequent framework which contributed to anti-racist teaching in social work education. Gould's framework is reinterpreted and applied to a differing context: social work research. The field of social work research is explored through this framework, highlighting potentially oppressive manifestations of power and suggesting anti-oppressive strategies. The model is then applied to social work education and specifically the teaching of research methods. The paper concludes by suggesting curriculum guidelines that promote the teaching of anti-oppressive social work research methods.

Mutual benefits: The lessons learned from a community based participatory research project with unaccompanied asylum-seeking children and foster carers. Children and Youth Services Review, 92 pp. 105-113.For guidance on citations see FAQs.

Young people transitioning from out-of-home care (generally called care leavers) are recognised globally as a vulnerable group. In the last eighteen months, four Australian jurisdictions have extended state care till twenty-one years in an attempt to advance the life opportunities of this cohort. These initiatives are strongly influenced by extended care programmes in the USA and England, which have reported improved outcomes for care leavers. This article interrogates formal public evaluations of these extended care programmes with a particular focus on their eligibility criteria that have determined which groups of care leavers are included or alternatively excluded and the identified strengths and limitations of the programmes. Additionally, we consider cross-cultural differences in leaving care populations and variations within the broader social policy context of these jurisdictions, which may also impact on the effectiveness of policy transfer. Some conclusions are drawn about key factors that may enhance the success of extended care programmes.

This article presents findings from research into how young people growing up in foster care in the UK manage the relationships in their social networks and gain access to social capital. It is a concept that highlights the value of relationships and is relevant to young people in care as they have usually experienced disruptions to their social and family life. Qualitative methods were used and the findings show that despite experiencing disruption to their social networks, the young people demonstrated that they were able to maintain access to their social capital. They achieved this in two ways. Firstly, they preserved their relationships, often through what can be seen as ordinary practices but in the extraordinary context of being in foster care. Secondly, they engaged in creative practices of memorialisation to preserve relationships that had ended or had been significantly impaired due to their experience of separation and movement. The article highlights implications for policy and practice, including the need to recognise the value of young people’s personal possessions. Furthermore, it stresses the need to support them to maintain their relationships across their networks as this facilitates their access to social capital.