Journal of Children s Services

Mark Stemmler; Charlotte Kötter; Anneke Bühler; Stefanie Jaursch; Andreas Beelmann; Friedrich Lösel

2013 Journal of Children s Services

doi: 10.1108/17466661311309754

Purpose – The purpose of this article is to evaluate the prevention programme EFFEKT‐E that was designed for preschool children of depressive mothers and contains an intervention for children and for mothers. Design/methodology/approach – Research was carried out in mother‐child clinics in Germany. In total, 220 strained mothers, who were screened for elevated levels of depressive symptoms, were enrolled in the control and 186 in the training group. For evaluation, mothers rated emotional disturbance and social competence of the child as outcome measures before and after the training. Changes in parenting behaviour, perceived parental competence and parenting stress were also assessed. Findings – An effect on emotional disturbance of the child emerged ( d =0.52) in the training group. Perceived parental competence increased ( d =0.72) and parental stress decreased ( d =0.23) significantly under training. EFFEKT‐E has proven to be a valuable programme for preventing depression in offspring of mothers who feel depressed. Originality/value – The article identifies the significance of focusing on parenting as a preventive intervention in the mechanisms of familial transmission of depression and evaluation of a family‐oriented programme for young children designed to achieve this.

Jason Strelitz

2013 Journal of Children s Services

doi: 10.1108/17466661311309763

Purpose – The purpose of this article is to explore the understanding and interpretation of evidence‐based practice among Sure Start centre managers. Design/methodology/approach – Semi‐structured interviews were carried out with Children's Centre managers from one London borough. Findings – The interviews highlighted the varied and, for some limited, view of evidence‐based practice. For many managers their understanding was confined to evidence generated locally rather than perceiving a role for externally‐generated evidence to support effective practice. Managers also highlighted the constraints they face in taking what some perceive to be an evidence‐based approach. Originality/value – Although Sure Start Children's Centres are one of the main sites for delivering evidence‐based interventions to improve outcomes for young children and families in the UK, and despite Government announcements promoting the use of evidence‐based practice in these settings, little is known about the knowledge and interpretation of managers on this issue or the difficulties of translating ideas into practice on the ground. Thus, there is a danger that some of the potential benefits of evidence‐based practice may be lost if this disconnect between policy and practice is not addressed.

Bernard Gallagher; Adam Green

2013 Journal of Children s Services

doi: 10.1108/17466661311309772

Purpose – The purpose of this article is to advance knowledge concerning outcomes among the former residents of therapeutic children's homes, especially those located in England. Design/methodology/approach – In total, 16 young adults who had been resident in one of seven therapeutic homes took part in interviews. Findings – It appeared, from the information they gave in these interviews, that their outcomes were good in terms of their emotional and behavioural well‐being, physical health, accommodation, and absence of early parenthood and substance use. Some of the young adults also had good outcomes in respect of their education and absence of criminal convictions. A small number of the young adults did less well on these latter two measures but few of them were particularly poor in either of these respects. The young adults had limited contact with their family members. Originality/value – The evidence from this research is that young adults who have been in therapeutic residential care can have good outcomes.

Michele McClung; Vernon Gayle

2013 Journal of Children s Services

doi: 10.1108/17466661311309781

Purpose – The purpose of this article is to explore whether the concept of social capital is helpful in explaining the educational underachievement of looked after children. Design/methodology/approach – Analysis of data on educational achievement and social care in a cohort of 1,407 children over the age of 15 who left care in two Scottish local authorities between 2000 and 2005. Findings – The educational attainments of children do reflect key factors in their backgrounds before entry to care but their characteristics also lead them to be placed in specific placements that have differing abilities for promoting social capital. An examination of evidence on bonding social capital, bridging social capital, and linking social capital and trust, shows that social capital theory helps to theoretically interpret the low educational achievements of looked after children. Originality/value – The large and comprehensive data set permits a factor analysis of background and care variables, thus clarifying the significance of each in explaining children's educational attainments and assessing the value of a social capital perspective.

Carol Devanney; Richard Wistow

2013 Journal of Children s Services

doi: 10.1108/17466661311309790

Purpose – The purpose of this article is to explore findings from the children's services mapping (CSM) policy monitoring exercise on the implementation of Children's Trust arrangements in England in 2008 and 2009. It outlines progress made in implementation in the context of debates on Children's Trusts and partnership working, considering where progress was being made and where implementation was less well developed. The future of partnership working in children's services and the role of the data collection in public service policy monitoring are discussed. Design/methodology/approach – Responses are from a sub‐set of 74 local authorities to a self‐completion questionnaire on Children's Trust implementation in 2008 and 2009 as part of the CSM annual policy monitoring exercise. Findings – Findings, presented within the context of Government policy on children's services reform and literature on partnership working, indicate increases in the number of Children's Trusts implementing joint and strategic working. However, not all agencies under a statutory duty were represented on the Board and joint commissioning arrangements had declined. Research limitations/implications – The findings and discussion consider the limitations of the method of data collection. Originality/value – This paper presents the most recent information on implementing Children's Trust arrangements, drawing on responses from 49 per cent of local authority areas. Data from two years of the CSM collection alongside earlier research findings indicate progress at the strategic level, but careful reading of the data and literature also suggests an increasingly challenging environment for establishing and maintaining partnership working within children's services.