Researchers: Directors: Professor Nina Biehal (University of York) and Dr Helen Whincup (University of Stirling).
Research Team: Dr Margaret Grant, Dr Marina Shapira, Jade Hooper, Dr Alison Hennessy (all University of Stirling) and Dr Linda Cusworth (University of Lancaster)
Duration: October 2014 - December 2018
Most children who become looked after away from home return to live with their parents, but some cannot safely return to their families. For the latter group, a key concern is how best to provide them with permanence, broadly defined as stability and emotional security. In this context, the central aim of the Permanently Progressing? study was to explore patterns and outcomes of placement for children who enter care, with a particular focus on children in permanent placements away from home.
The study, a collaboration between the University of York, University of Stirling and the Adoption and Fostering Alliance Scotland (AFA Scotland), investigated histories, pathways and developmental outcomes for children in Scotland who become looked after at the age of five years or under. It employed a range of methods and had five linked components:
Publications
Read the final reports and summaries:
Pathways study
Biehal, N., Cusworth, L., Hooper, J., Whincup, H. and Shapira, M. (2019) Pathways to permanence for children who become looked after in Scotland
Outcomes study
Cusworth, L., Biehal, N., Whincup, H., Grant, M., Hennessy, A. (2019) Children looked after away from home aged five and under in Scotland: experiences, pathways and outcomes
Decision-making
Whincup. H., Grant, M., Burgess, C., Biehal, N. (2019) Decision making for children
Children, carers and adopters
Grant, M., Whincup, H., Burgess, C. (2019) Perspectives on kinship care, foster care and adoption: the voices of children, carers and adoptive parents
Data linkage
Hooper, J., Cusworth, L., Whincup, H. (2019) Linking two administrative datasets about looked after children: testing feasibility and enhancing understanding
Information sheet for children and audio file
Project update and research team
The study built on previous University of York studies of fostering and adoption, including the Belonging and Permanence study.
Please contact nina.biehal@york.ac.uk for more information