Reclaiming complexity: beneath the surface in residential child care

Abstract

Residential child care is an inherently distressing and multi-layered endeavour undertaken by staff who are often poorly trained and supported. In addition, the children, and the adults who care for them, can provide a convenient receptacle for the split off negative feelings of professionals, politicians and the public. The complexity and difficulty of this work is often unrecognised and a simplistic response based on a programmatic, behavioural framework, reinforced by performance-based management and an audit culture, is common. This paper argues for the usefulness of a different approach, drawing on psychoanalytic and open systems thinking, to provide a more nuanced understanding of what is happening in these volatile settings that can guide interventions which match the complexity of the work. Alongside advocating the use of key psychoanalytic and systems concepts to improve understanding, it argues for the importance of providing a containing and reflective environment for staff.

Violence, role reversals, and turning points: work identity at stake at a therapeutic residential institution for adolescents

“…Therapeutic institutions for adolescents are places filled with different emotions as well as places where young people in need are supposed to receive care. However, in addition to being a caring context, this is also a violent context where those in power experience the loss of control, underscoring that staff groups need more tools to provide care for these very vulnerable youths, as Furnivall (2018) highlights.…”

“…The formal employment requirements are a secondary school diploma and a two-year post-secondary degree in social work. Nonetheless, staff rather often have no previous work experience or graduate training in the field (Briggs, 2004;Degner et al, 2010;Furnivall, 2018), and the institutions are not required to provide supervision for their staff (cf. Briggs, 2004).…”

“…Therapeutic residential institutions can be described as 'violent settings' (Alink et al, 2014, p. 248) since violence is common there, from both the youth and the staff perspective. An essential characteristic of these institutions is their merging of care and control, creating tense emotional zones in which youth often talk about their need for safety (Furnivall, 2018;Moore et al, 2017). They are also often masculine environments (cf.…”

Residential Care for Children and Youth in Scotland

“…From a perspective of research and theoretical development, Scotland has a long track record of recognizing the central importance of relationships and illuminating the ameliorative power of the everyday caring interactions that make up high quality residential care. This encompasses relationships between young people in group care (Emond, 2002(Emond, , 2010(Emond, , 2014, food practices (Emond et al, 2014), everyday practices of care as moral or relational (Smith, 2009;Smith et al, 2013), healing and developmental considerations (Emond et al, 2016), attachment-informed practice and relationship dynamics (Furnivall, 2018;Furnivall et al, 2012) as well as a focus on developing workforce capacity for therapeutic relationships (Steckley, 2020a(Steckley, , 2020b. It also warrants noting that all of the researchers cited here have a practice background in residential care.…”

Safety in Residential Youth Facilities: Staff Perceptions of Safety and Experiences of the “Basic Training Program in Safety and Security”

“…Residential facilities typically involve a supervised and structured environment characterized by the merging of care and control, resulting in tense emotional zones in which youth often express their need for safety (Furnivall, 2018;Moore et al, 2017). Staff are responsible for providing protection and care, including enhancing each youth's chance for normal development.…”