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BackgroundChildren and young people living in and leaving care are known to have experienced significant childhood adversity and trauma resulting in potentially deleterious impact on their health and well-being across the life course. Studies point to the complex needs of this population who may benefit from allied health professional (AHP)-related support with limited studies located. This review sought to address this gap by systematically scoping empirical literature focused on the provision of AHP support to this cohort of children and young adults to assist an understanding of the service needs for this vulnerable population.MethodsThis scoping review followed Arskey and O′Malley's five steps framework (2005) to identify and review relevant literature. A focus on identifying the evidence, challenges and gaps in research relating to AHP support for children and young people living in and leaving care was initially agreed, followed by a systematic search using a combination of three key concepts to identify relevant studies in five AHP disciplinary areas to identify best evidence in the past decade (2011–2021). Study inclusion criteria were based on empirical studies of children and young people living in care (0–17 years) and leaving care (18–25 years). A data extraction table was formulated as a means of charting the data, aligned with the scope and objectives of this review. Finally, data were subsequently collated, synthesised and reported based on key thematic areas emerging from included studies regarding AHP support to children and young people living in and leaving care.ResultsA total of 13 studies met the review inclusion criteria. Included studies reported specifically on speech and language therapist (SLT; n = 5), occupational therapist (OT; n = 3) and arts-based therapies (n = 5). No studies were identified with regard to the use of physiotherapy and dietetics with this population. Results indicated that children and young people living in and leaving care have high rates of speech, language, communication and sensory needs. More rigorous screening, assessment and early intervention were identified as essential for this vulnerable group. Increased multidisciplinary collaboration and OT support for young adults in preparation for transition to independent living was identified as an urgent requirement. Included studies indicate promising results in relation to access to arts-based therapies with particular reference to identity formation for children and young people living in and leaving care.ConclusionsAlthough evidence of effectiveness remains limited, AHP service provision (specifically speech and language therapy, occupational therapy and arts-based therapies) has the potential to contribute positively to addressing the complex and interacting needs of this vulnerable population. As a result, it is recommended that AHP service provision is integrated into the collaborative, multidisciplinary care available to children living in and leaving care. More extensive, higher quality research related to the benefits of AHP provision for this population of children and young people is essential to provide a more robust evidence base across the various professional disciplines that constitute allied health provision.

Cadre de la recherche : Les inégalités d’accès aux modes d’accueil des jeunes enfants sont particulièrement fortes en France. Nous les analysons à travers la question du non-recours aux droits et aux services (Warin, 2016), afin de penser les bricolages de garde des familles vis-à-vis d’une offre publique locale. Objectifs : L’objectif est d’analyser les différents bricolages de garde qu’opèrent les mères des milieux populaires confrontées à une offre publique très insuffisante d’accueil de la petite enfance et à des critères d’attribution qui ne leur sont pas favorables. Méthodologie : L’enquête empirique repose sur des entretiens de type compréhensif réalisés auprès de mères (N = 27), dans trois quartiers populaires, d’une ville très faiblement dotée en modes d’accueil formel des jeunes enfants. Résultats : L’analyse montre les différentes formes de non-recours qu’ont les mères aux modes d’accueil de jeunes enfants. Ces formes sont connectées aux situations sociales et professionnelles auxquelles elles sont confrontées en lien avec une insuffisance de l’offre locale : une non-demande assumée ou revendiquée ; une non-information et une méconnaissance de l’offre et des démarches administratives ; une non-proposition et une non-réception face à des propositions alternatives à la crèche, des gardes informelles par des proches ou au noir. Avec l’avancée en âge des enfants, les mères expriment des besoins croissants d’accueil qui visent spécifiquement leur développement et leur socialisation, et non seulement les nécessités liées à leur insertion et activité professionnelle. Conclusion : Les difficultés rencontrées par les mères interrogent l’offre municipale dans le domaine de la petite enfance, d’un point de vue quantitatif et qualitatif, ainsi que les bricolages de garde combinant des solutions de garde formelles et informelles. Contribution : Pour comprendre le recours ou non des mères à un accueil extrafamilial, nous soulignons l’importance de prendre en compte simultanément la situation de l’offre locale à laquelle elles sont directement confrontées et leur propre situation sociale et professionnelle. Research Framework: Inequalities in access to childcare for young children are particularly strong in France. We analyze them through the question of the non-recourse to rights and services (Warin, 2016) in order to think about families’ childcare arrangements in relation to a local public offer. Objectives: The objective is to research the different ways in which working-class mothers choose to care for their children when faced with a very inadequate public supply of early childhood care and an allocation criteria that are not favourable to them. Methodology: The empirical survey is based on comprehensive interviews that were carried out with mothers (N = 27) in three working-class neighbourhoods in a city with very few childcare facilities. Results: The analysis shows different forms of non-use that mothers have of childcare facilities. These forms are linked to the social and professional situations they are confronted with, that is in connection with an inadequate local supply: an assumed or asserted non-demand; a lack of information and knowledge of the supply and administrative procedures; a failure to offer and receive alternative proposals to the crèche, informal childcare by relatives or under the table. As their children grow older, mothers express increasing needs for care that are specifically at their development and socialization, and not only the needs related to their professional activity. Conclusions: The difficulties encountered by mothers raise questions about the quantity and quality of municipal childcare provision, as well as the cobbling together of formal and informal childcare solutions. Contribution: To understand whether or not mothers have recourse to extra-familial childcare, we emphasize the importance of simultaneously taking into account the situation of the local supply with which they are directly confronted and their own social and professional situation. Marco de la investigación : Las desigualdades en el acceso a las guarderías para niños pequeños son particularmente fuertes en Francia. Las analizamos a través de la cuestión de la no utilización de derechos y servicios (Warin, 2016), para pensar la relación entre las demandas de las familias y las ofertas públicas locales. Objetivos : El objetivo es analizar las diferentes soluciones adoptadas por madres de sectores populares frente a una oferta pública de cuidado infantil muy insuficiente y con criterios de asignación que no les favorecen. Metodología : El estudio empírico se basa en entrevistas exhaustivas realizadas a madres (N = 27), en tres barrios populares de una ciudad con muy escasa oferta formal de guarderías. Resultados : El análisis muestra diferentes formas de no-recurso a los servicios de guardería por parte de las madres. Estas formas están vinculadas a las situaciones sociales y profesionales a las que se enfrentan, en relación con la falta de oferta local: una no-solicitud autoasumida o afirmada; una falta de información y un desconocimiento de la oferta y de los procedimientos administrativos; la falta de oferta y recepción de propuestas alternativas a la guardería, el cuidado informal de los niños por familiares o fuera del sistema oficial. A medida que los niños crecen, las madres manifiestan necesidades crecientes de cuidados dirigidos específicamente a su desarrollo y su socialización, y no sólo a las necesidades vinculadas a su actividad profesional. Conclusiones : Las dificultades encontradas por las madres ponen en tela de juicio la cantidad y la calidad de la oferta y la política municipal en el ámbito de la primera infancia, así como las posibilidades de combinar soluciones de cuidado formales e informales. Contribución : Para comprender si las madres recurren o no a los cuidados extrafamiliares, se destaca la importancia de tener en cuenta simultáneamente la situación de la oferta local a la que se enfrentan directamente y su propia situación social y profesional.

Young people who are currently or were previously in state care have consistently been found to have much higher rates of mental health and neurodevelopmental difficulties than the general youth population. While a number of high quality reviews highlight what research has been undertaken in relation to the mental health of young people with care experience and the gaps in our knowledge and understanding, there is, until now, no consensus, so far as we aware, as to where our collective research efforts should be directed with this important group. Through a series of UK wide workshops we undertook a consultative process to identify an agreed research agenda between those with lived experience of being in care (n=15), practitioners, policy makers and researchers (n=59), for future research regarding the mental health of young people with care experience, including those who are neurodiverse/have a neurodevelopmental difficulty. This consensus statement identified 21 foci within four broad categories: how we conceptualise mental health; under studied populations; under studied topics; and under used methodologies. We hope that those who commission, fund and undertake research will engage in this discussion about the future agenda for research regarding the mental health of young people with care experience.

Young people who are currently or were previously in state care have consistently been found to have much higher rates of mental health and neurodevelopmental difficulties than the general youth population. While a number of high-quality reviews highlight what research has been undertaken in relation to the mental health of young people with care experience and the gaps in our knowledge and understanding, there is, until now, no consensus, so far as we aware, as to where our collective research efforts should be directed with this important group. Through a series of UK wide workshops, we undertook a consultative process to identify an agreed research agenda between those with lived experience of being in care (n = 15), practitioners, policy makers and researchers (n = 59), for future research regarding the mental health of young people with care experience, including those who are neurodiverse/have a neurodevelopmental difficulty. This consensus statement identified 21 foci within four broad categories: how we conceptualize mental health; under-studied populations; under-studied topics; and underused methodologies. We hope that those who commission, fund and undertake research will engage in this discussion about the future agenda for research regarding the mental health of young people with care experience.

Licensing is a public instrument used to control welfare services. One such service is residential care for children, which is targeted at children who experience maltreatment in their home environment and/or have behavioural problems and have been separated from their parents by the authorities. In Sweden, Finland, Norway and Denmark, residential care may be provided by public or private (not-for-profit or for-profit) providers. The aim of this article is to explore and compare how public authorities in Sweden, Finland, Norway, and Denmark, license residential care for children. The data consist of application forms and instructions for how to apply for a licence as well as interviews with key staff responsible for licensing. The findings show differences in how national agencies license residential care providers. Licensing models may be centralised/general (Sweden, Finland) or regionalised/specialised towards residential care (Norway, Denmark). The process can be more investigative (Sweden, Norway) or consultative (Finland, Denmark), and the review of standards formality-oriented (Sweden, Finland, Norway) or content-oriented (Denmark). Finally, the models of supervision post-licence vary in terms of being non-intervening (Finland), semi-intervening (Sweden, Norway) or intervening (Denmark). The discussion centres on the possible contribution of the different models to the regulation of the residential care markets.

With growing overrepresentation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and young people in out-of-home care (OOHC), cultural disconnection is an omnipresent threat. Despite research and inquiries that have highlighted the risk of cultural disconnection for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children living in OOHC, limited research has explored Indigenous children and young people's experiences of cultural connection in the Australian context. Informed by Indigenous Standpoint Theory, this Aboriginal-led qualitative study sought to understand 10 OOHC-experienced Aboriginal young people's experiences of cultural connection over time, including after exit from OOHC, through retrospective interviews that employed a phenomenological lens. It was found that Aboriginal young people experienced cultural connection as a heterogenous process involving identity formation and the practice of culture, enacted as a choice over time. The complexity of Aboriginal young people's experiences of cultural connection over time gives rise to a new understanding of cultural connection as a journey of culturally connecting, wherein the risk of cultural disconnection is complicated by intergenerational child removals, dominant discourse about what constitutes Aboriginal culture, and removal from an Aboriginal cultural milieu. Refereed/Peer-reviewed

Refereed/Peer-reviewed Background: Children who enter out-of-home care (‘care’) are at increased risk for low academic achievement. Nonetheless, some children who have experienced out-of-home care achieve highly. Several qualitative studies of academically successful young adults with care histories have highlighted factors that may contribute to positive outcomes; however longitudinal cohort research is needed to identify characteristics and predictors of higher achieving younger children who experienced care. Objective: To describe characteristics and circumstances of children with higher reading achievement who had entered care, and predictors of higher achievement. Participants and setting: The study included 778 children from the Pathways of Care Longitudinal Study (POCLS) in New South Wales, Australia. Methods: Prospective cohort data from interviews and linked administrative child protection and education data were used to identify factors associated with higher Year 3 reading achievement among Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal children that may assist in improving outcomes. Results: Although a lower proportion than the general population, almost half (46 %) of children who entered care were in the higher achievement group. Higher achieving students were a diverse group and faced many adversities commonly found among children who experienced care generally. Multivariable logistic regression showed higher achievement in the cohort was significantly associated with: average or above cognitive ability, low externalizing behaviour, highly-educated carers, and non-Aboriginal students. Several supports and services were associated with higher achievement, but inconsistently across analyses. Conclusions: Results indicate potential interventions could target cognitive ability, wellbeing and environmental factors, and involve interventions directly with children and via carers to improve student outcomes.

Die vorliegende Bachelorarbeit behandelt die Wiedererlangung der psychosozialen Handlungsfähigkeit von Herkunftsfamilien durch Ansätze und Methoden der Biografiearbeit. Dabei werden Einblicke in mehrere Generationen gewonnen, um neue Perspektiven zu eröffnen und die Handlungspotenziale von Familiensystemen zu erweitern. Die Forschungsfrage lautet: "In welcher Weise lässt sich Biografiearbeit in die Familienarbeit der Kinder- und Jugendhilfe bei Fremdunterbringung integrieren?" Diese wird mittels Erläuterungen zu Erkenntnissen aus der Biografieforschung, insbesondere zu transgenerationaler Weitergabe, Loyalitäten und transgenerationalen Traumata erläutert. Die Umsetzung in der Praxis wird mittels ausgewählter Ansätze und Methoden der Biografiearbeit dargestellt, und zwar der systemischen Familienberatung, dem Narrativen Erzählen und dem Genogramm. This bachelor thesis discusses the recovery of the psychosocial ability to act in families with children living in out-of-home care through approaches and methods of life story work. Insights into several generations are used to open new perspectives and expand the potential to act for family systems. The research question is: "In what way can life story work be integrated into the family work of child and youth welfare for out-of-home care?" This is answered by research, in particular for transgenerational transmission, loyalties and transgenerational trauma. The implementation into practice is presented using selected approaches and methods of life story work, namely systemic family counseling, narrative telling and the genogram.

Background: Many youth in out-of-home care (OOHC) have experienced victimization in their lifetime making them vulnerable to mental health problems and further victimization. However, little is known about mechanisms behind this continuing victimization, e.g. in the form of bullying victimization, and about possible mediating and moderating factors.Objective: This study examined the association between lifetime poly-victimization and later bullying victimization, as well as mediation by internalizing problems, and moderation by OOHC. Participants and setting: In total n = 226 youth (n = 117 OOHC, n = 109 biological families) participated, with one of their social/biological caregivers when possible, resulting in subsamples of n = 159 participants (11-21 years) for self-report, and n = 210 participants (8-21 years) for caregiver report.Methods: An online survey assessed self-report of bullying victimization in the past six months, as well as self-report and caregiver report of lifetime poly-victimization and internalizing problems. Results: Based on both self-report and caregiver report, youth in OOHC showed higher levels of poly-victimization and internalizing problems than youth in biological families. In self-report, a conditional direct effect of lifetime poly-victimization on bullying victimization was found for youth in OOHC, c ' = 0.18, SE = 0.07, p = .007, while the association was mediated by internalizing problems for youth in biological families, ab = 0.13, 95 % CI [0.020; 10.805]. In the caregiver report, there was neither a direct nor a mediated effect of lifetime poly-victimization on bullying victimization.Conclusions: The results stress the importance of considering the high impact of poly-victimization in predicting bullying victimization, particularly for youth in OOHC. For youth in biological families, a mediating effect of internalizing problems was found.

Die vorliegende Masterarbeit beschäftigt sich mit der Situation von Geschwisterkindern, welche im Rahmen einer Fremdunterbringung voneinander getrennt worden sind, wobei lediglich eines der Kinder in einer Wohngemeinschaft der stationären Kinder- und Jugendhilfe untergebracht worden ist, während das andere Geschwisterkind im Herkunftssystem verblieben ist. Das Ziel besteht darin, herauszufinden, wie betroffene Geschwisterkinder das voneinander Getrenntwerden und das anschließende Getrenntsein erleben, welche Gefühle sie diesbezüglich äußern und wie sie die Funktion und Rolle des jeweils anderen Geschwisterkindes in Hinblick auf ihre eigene Lebenswelt wahrnehmen. Zudem soll die Erhebung der kindlichen Bedürfnisse dazu dienen, Erkenntnisse für die praktische Arbeit der behördlichen und stationären Kinder- und Jugendhilfe zu gewinnen. Um die Forschungsfragen beantworten zu können, sind vier betroffene Geschwisterkinder im Alter von sieben bis dreizehn Jahren im Rahmen von halbstrukturierten, leitfadenorientierten Tiefeninterviews befragt worden. Die Auswertung der generierten Daten ist mittels Anwendung der Tiefenhermeneutik erfolgt, um den latenten Sinngehalt des Gesagten analysieren und daraus Rückschlüsse auf das Erleben der befragten Geschwisterkinder ziehen zu können. Die Auswertung der Ergebnisse zeigt, dass die Geschwisterkinder das Getrenntwerden als fragmentiertes Ereignis gespeichert haben. Dabei ist deutlich geworden, dass zahlreiche Abwehrmechanismen dazu dienen, die schmerzhaften Gefühle, welche durch das Getrenntwerden ausgelöst worden sind, abzuwehren. Durch die Tatsache, dass den Befragten keine kindgerechten Erklärungsmuster für das Geschehen zur Verfügung gestellt worden sind, haben sie eigene Deutungsmuster entwickelt. Diese wirken sich potenziell schädlich auf die kindliche Entwicklung aus. Bezugnehmend auf das Getrenntsein wird deutlich, dass das Erleben der Geschwisterkinder von der Wahrnehmung von zwei getrennten, klar voneinander abgegrenzten Lebenswelten geprägt ist. Die Geschwisterbeziehung ist nunmehr auf geplante Besuchskontakte reduziert. Diese Kontakte sind von Entscheidungen Dritter abhängig und führen bei den Befragten zu Gefühlen von Kontrollverlust und Ohnmacht. Das Getrenntwerden und anschließende Getrenntsein führen zu einer Veränderung des gesamten familiären Systems, wodurch eine systemische Neuorientierung erforderlich wird. Aufgrund der damit einhergehenden Unsicherheit wird von den Geschwisterkindern der Versuch unternommen, bestehende Rollen und Funktionen aufrechtzuerhalten. Die zentrale Erkenntnis der vorliegenden Masterarbeit besteht darin, dass Kinder, im Sinne der Neuen Kindheitsforschung, als Expert*innen ihrer Lebenswelt wahr- und ernstgenommen werden müssen. Daher sind sie in allen Angelegenheiten, welche sie betreffen, altersadäquat und partizipativ miteinzubeziehen. This master's thesis deals with the situation of siblings who have been separated from each other in the context of out-of-home care, with only one of the children being accommodated in a residential community of child and youth welfare, while the other sibling remained in their system of origin. The aim is to find out how siblings experience being divided from one another as well as the long-term separation; furthermore, what feelings they express during this experience and how their perception of the other sibling’s role is affected along with their relationship to one another. In addition, the survey should serve to gain knowledge for the practical work of child and youth welfare. To answer this, four currently affected siblings between the ages of seven and thirteen years were asked about their experiences in the context of semi-structured, guideline-oriented in-depth interviews conducted for the New Childhood Research. The evaluation of the generated data was accomplished with both the research team and evaluation groups using the „in-depth hermeneutics“ methodology to analyse the subliminal meaning of the data and to draw conclusions about the experiences of the interviewed siblings. The analysis of the results shows that being separated from siblings was memorized as a fragmented event. It became clear that numerous defence mechanisms served to ward off painful feelings triggered by being separated. This is reinforced by the fact that the interviewees were not given any child-friendly explanations for what was happening, which is why they developed their own interpretations and behavioural patterns, which were potentially harmful to their development. The following separation is characterized by the experience of two separate and clearly delimited living environments of the siblings. The sibling interactions are now reduced to planned visits. These moments of contact are exclusively left to the decisions of adults resulting in feelings of loss of control and powerlessness in the respondents. Both the feeling of becoming separated and the experience of the separation itself lead to a change in the entire family system, which necessitates a systemic reorientation, whereby, due to the associated insecurity, attempts are made through various mechanisms to maintain existing roles and functions. The entire research process resulted in the central fact that children must be both taken seriously and acknowledged as experts of their situation, and that they must be included in all matters that affect them in an age-appropriate and participatory manner. Abweichender Titel laut Übersetzung der Verfasserin/des Verfassers Masterarbeit Wien, FH Campus Wien 2023

Hintergrund: Kinder und Jugendliche, deren junges Leben von Gewalt und Vernachlässigung seitens der Eltern geprägt ist, können traumatisiert und in ihrer psychischen, körperlichen und sozialen Entwicklung massiv beeinträchtigt sein. Um sie davor zu schützen, werden diese Kinder und Jugendlichen in Wohngruppen fremduntergebracht. Die Ergotherapie hat die Expertise und das Grundlagenwissen, diese Kinder beim Wiederlangen einer gesunden Entwicklung zu unterstützen, jedoch ist noch wenig Literatur vorhanden, wie diese Unterstützung durch Ergotherapeut*innen konkret aussieht. Ziel: Das Ziel dieser Arbeit ist daher, Erfahrungen von Ergotherapeut*innen in der Arbeit mit Kindern und Jugendlichen in Fremdunterbringung sowie in ihrer Gestaltung des ergotherapeutischen Prozesses zu erheben und mit der bestehenden Literatur zu vergleichen. Methodik: Um die Erfahrungen der Ergotherapeut*innen zu erfassen, wurde ein qualitativer Forschungsansatz gewählt. Mittels semistrukturierter Interviews wurden zwei Ergotherapeut*innen zu ihren Erfahrungen im Setting der Fremdunterbringung befragt. Als Leitfaden diente das Canadian Practice Process Framework (CPPF). Die Interviews wurden anschließend nach dem Konzept der Qualitativen Inhaltsanalyse nach Mayring analysiert und die Ergebnisse zusammengetragen. Ergebnisse: Trotz eines multiprofessionellen Team zeigen sich Versorgungsprobleme der Kinder und Jugendlichen durch eine geringe Anzahl an Betreuer*innen, die ständig wechseln. Die Klient*innen zeigen Diagnosen der Psyche und des Verhaltens und bringen Bedenken gegenüber dem Setting mit. Erwartungen an die Ergotherapie haben die Klient*innen keine und Anliegen werden oft vom sozialen Umfeld wie der Wohngemeinschaft formuliert. Diese werden mit Assessments, strukturierten Beobachtungen und Gesprächen mit dem Umfeld befundet. Ziele, Maßnahmen und Interventionen richten sich an das Training der ADLs, IADLs, Bewegung um öffentlichen Raum sowie das Skillstraining zum Zweck der Selbstregulation. Evaluiert wird mit dem Erfassungsinstrument für individuelle Handlungskompetenz (EIHK) von Blaser (2018) und meistens über Reflektionsgespräche mit den Klient*innen. In einem Endgespräch wird entschieden, ob der ergotherapeutische Prozess verlängert, beendet oder später wieder aufgenommen wird. Conclusio: Viele Aspekte der Ergebnisse decken sich mit den Problemstellungen, Interventionsansätzen und Rollenvorstellungen der Literatur. So liegen bei beiden das ADL-, IADL-Training, die Bewegung im öffentlichen Raum und das Skillstraining zur Verbesserung Selbstregulation im Fokus. Zum Thema Bindung gehen die Zugänge zwischen Literatur und Praxis jedoch auseinander. Diese Arbeit liefert einen kleinen, aber sehr praxisorientierten Einblick in die Ergotherapie im Setting der Fremdunterbringung und bietet damit Ausgangspunkte für weitere Forschung. Background: Children and adolescents whose young lives are marked by violence and neglect on the part of their parents can be traumatized and their psychological, physical and social development massively impaired. In order to be protected from this environment, children and adolescents are placed in foster care. Occupational therapy has the expertise and the knowledge to support these children in regaining a healthy development, but there is still little literature available on how this support is provided by occupational therapists. Aim: The aim of this thesis is to gather experiences of occupational therapists working with children and adolescents in out-of-home care and information on how they structure the occupational therapy process. These will then be compared to the literature. Methods: In order to capture the experiences of occupational therapists, a qualitative research approach was chosen using semi-structured interviews. Two occupational therapists were interviewed about their experiences in the institutionalized-care setting. The Canadian Practice Process Framework (CPPF) was used as a guideline for the interview and the data analysis. The interviews were then analyzed using Mayring's concept of Qualitative Content Analysis to collect the experiences. Results: Despite a multiprofessional team, care problems for children and adolescents are evident due to a small number of caregivers who are constantly changing. Clients show diagnoses of psyche and behavior and bring concerns about the foster-care setting. Clients have no expectations of occupational therapy and concerns are often expressed by the social environment such as the residential groups. These are explored with assessments, structured observations, and conversations with the environment. Goals, measures, and interventions address training of ADLs, IADLs, movement around public spaces, and skill training for the purpose of self-regulation. Evaluation is done with Blaser's (2018) EIHK and mostly via reflection interviews with the clients. In a final interview it is decided whether the occupational therapy process will be prolonged, terminated or resumed later. Conclusion: Many aspects of the results coincide with the problem definitions, intervention approaches and role conceptions of the literature. For example, both focus on ADL-, IADL-training, movement in public spaces, and skill training to improve selfregulation. However, on the topic of attachment, the approaches between literature and practice diverge. This work provides a small but very practice-oriented insight into occupational therapy in the setting of out-of-home care and thus offers starting points for further research.

Treatment Foster Care Oregon (TFCO) is a comprehensive and evidence-based program focusing on youths with serious problem behaviors and their families. The program was developed in the US, and studies indicate that TFCO is an effective treatment program for youths with serious behavioral and emotional problems. The present study aimed to examine treatment changes in behavioral and emotional problems in a sample of 76 Norwegian youths (57.9% boys, mean age = 14.93) who were assigned to TFCO. Data were retrieved from the Routine Outcome Monitoring (ROM) system, used to ensure the program’s national quality, and included measures of risk factors (YLS/CMI), internalizing and externalizing behaviors (ASEBA), in addition to five nationally defined outcome goals. The study included data from intake and the end of treatment. The results showed significant reductions in risk factors and externalizing and internalizing problems. The number of youths who completed all five outcome goals increased over the course of therapy. The results suggest that TFCO might be an effective treatment program for Norwegian youths with severe problem behaviors.

Background Relative to their counterparts in the general population, young people who leave, or transition out of, out-of-home (OOHC) arrangements commonly experience poorer outcomes across a range of indicators, including higher rates of homelessness, unemployment, reliance on public assistance, physical and mental health problems and contact with the criminal justice system. The age at which young people transition from OOHC varies between and within some countries, but for most, formal support ceases between the ages of 18 and 21. Programs designed to support transitions are generally available to young people toward the end of their OOHC placement, although some can extend beyond. They often encourage the development of skills required for continued engagement in education, obtaining employment, maintaining housing and general life skills. Little is known about the effectiveness of these programs or of extended care policies that raise the age at which support remains available to young people after leaving OOHC. This systematic review will seek to identify programs and/or interventions that improve outcomes for youth transitioning from the OOHC system into adult living arrangements. Methods This review will identify programs, interventions and policies that seek to improve health and wellbeing of this population that have been tested using robust controlled methods. Primary outcomes of interest are homelessness, health, education, employment, exposure to violence and risky behaviour. Secondary outcomes are relationships and life skills. We will search, from January 1990 onwards, MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsycINFO, ERIC, CINAHL, Cochrane CENTRAL, SocINDEX, Sociological Abstracts, Social Services Abstracts, NHS Economic Evaluation Database and Health Technology Assessment. Grey literature will be identified through searching websites and databases, e.g. clearing houses, government agencies and organisations known to be undertaking or consolidating research on this topic area. Two reviewers will independently screen all title and abstracts and full text articles with conflicts to be resolved by a third reviewer. Data extraction will be undertaken by pairs of review authors, with one reviewer checking the results of the other. If more than one study with suitable data can be identified, we plan to undertake both fixed-effects and random-effects meta-analyses and intend to present the random-effects result if there is no indication of funnel plot asymmetry. Risk of bias will be assessed using tools appropriate to the study methodology. Quality of evidence across studies will be assessed using the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) methodology. Discussion Previous reviews were unable to identify any programs or interventions, backed by methodologically rigorous research, that improve outcomes for this population. This review seeks to update this previous work, taking into account changes in the provision of extended care, which is now available in some jurisdictions. Systematic review registration PROSPERO CRD42020146999

Young people transitioning from out-of-home care (termed care leavers) are known to be a relatively vulnerable group. One example is their over-representation in early pregnancy and parenting. This paper presents findings from a study of care leaver early parenting in the Australian state of Victoria. Sixteen service provider staff working with care leavers who had become young parents were asked, via focus groups and interviews, for their perspectives on the factors that influence the high prevalence of early parenting amongst care leavers, and the key support services that are available and necessary to assist both care leavers and their children. Service providers raised multiple issues common to the existing leaving care literature concerning the lack of support provided to young people being exited from state care as potentially leading to both early parenting and parenting challenges. Service providers also expressed concern about what many studies of care leaver early parenting have termed ‘surveillance bias’. There was a clear consensus that young people transitioning from care face unique challenges and social isolation due to their difficult experiences pre-care, in-care and post-care. Those experiences place them at risk of disadvantages that impede their ability to demonstrate the practical, physical and financial means to safely raise children. At the same time, they are under greater scrutiny than other parents by being known to child protection already. Service providers argued in favour of greater support for young care leaver parents to prevent their children’s engagement with child protection systems.

Trauma knowledge and skills are needed to support relational safety for children in out-of-home care and birth family contact is a particular area where trauma-informed approaches are critical. Mixed methods were used to understand the application of trauma-informed approaches to contact in New South Wales, Australia. A total of 118 caseworkers and 15 organisational leaders took part in an anonymous survey or semi-structured interview. Descriptive statistics and thematic analysis were completed. Results indicated that caseworkers were confident in their knowledge of trauma and ability to protect children at contact but not to explain trauma to carers or manage conflict between carers and birth relatives. Confusion about how to deliver trauma-informed practice hampered knowledge-to-practice translation. Staff training and supervision were used to build workforce skills but were not evaluated and no strategies to reduce vicarious trauma were identified. Strategies to promote psychological safety and improve cultural safety for Aboriginal children and families were in their infancy. The study demonstrates that the out-of-home-care sector needs a community of practice where it can test, implement and share promising strategies for improving relational safety and where adult and child trauma survivors are empowered to inform and lead new approaches to contact.

A systematic review of longitudinal studies relating to young people leaving care and how they acquire independent living skills

This is the protocol for a scoping review synthesizing evidence regarding the levels, correlates, outcomes and intervention prospects of callous-unemotional traits (and the related construct of psychopathy) within an out-of-home/institutional care population. It is anticipated that the review will inform a new research agenda based on potential gaps in the existing literature.

BackgroundResearch on the experiences of LGBTQIA+ youth in out-of-home care has mainly focused on these youth's adversities and the resulting negative impact on their wellbeing. Little is known about the ways through which LGBTQIA+ youth in out-of-home care are resilient to these adversities. To date, a review study on resilience in this population is lacking.ObjectiveTo map and synthesize the existing research on resilience among LGBTQIA+ children and youth in out-of-home care. Specific goals were to summarize and analyze 1) the general characteristics of the existing studies, and 2) the resilience resources found at the individual, relational, sociocultural, and ecological levels.MethodsWe carried out a scoping review examining empirical published academic literature.ResultsThe 14 studies included in this scoping review indicated that resilience studies among LGBTQIA+ youth in out-of-home care are mainly qualitative, cross-sectional, US-based, and were centered on gay youth. Studies suggested that resilience resources were mostly focused at the socio/relational level (e.g., foster family acceptance) with fewer studies at the individual (e.g., LGBTQ positive identity), and community levels (e.g., LGBTQ centers). Importantly, no studies explored the interaction of resilience resources across these different domains.ConclusionsResilience among LGBTQIA+ youth in out-of-home care remains understudied and the results of this scoping review point to specific research gaps. Recommendations are provided for research, practice, and policy.

As in many European states, a shortage of housing in England has resulted in some families who are ‘waiting for’ adequate and secure housing in England while also having the ‘weight of’ their children being placed outside their care hanging over them. This paper reports on the development of a practice guidance document that included an online survey with 38 children’s social services practitioners in England regarding their practice experiences of responding to family homelessness. Findings suggest the complexity of the issue of family homelessness and implicitly highlight its neglect within contemporary research and policy in the UK. Homeless families are caught between the constraints of housing shortages and the complexity of the needs underpinning their homelessness. Despite these constraints, social work practice has an important role to play in providing, or facilitating families’ pathway to, housing advocacy and advice. Most importantly of all, social work practice can maximise families’ access to statutory family support provision so that families can be helped to remain together wherever this is safely possible. Suggestions for practice, policy, and research development are outlined.

Background Randomised controlled trials (RCTs) are comparatively rare in UK social work, but can offer distinct advantages. Confidence in Care (CiC) is an RCT with embedded process evaluation evaluating Fostering Changes (FC), a 12-week training programme for foster and kinship carers to increase skills and coping strategies. In order to mitigate challenges in participant recruitment, an engagement strategy was designed to maximise this. Our aim is to explore experiences of key study stakeholders towards trial recruitment and identify broader messages about recruitment to social care trials. Methods Three focus groups were conducted, two with field-based recruiting staff (n = 7) and one with carers who attended the FC programme (n = 8). Five interviews were conducted with trainers who delivered FC, eight with foster carers who attended the programme, 18 with Foster Carers who elected not to take part in the programme, and 12 with social workers from participating trial sites. In addition, an away day for FC trainers was observed and discussions related to recruitment were noted. Transcribed audio-recorded data were inductively coded, double-coded by a second researcher, and thematically analysed. Results Six themes were identified. The first addressed pragmatic aspects of the intervention affecting recruitment (e.g. committing to a 12-week programme). A second focussed on accuracy of communication about the trial between provider agencies and carers. A third concerned the ability of recruiting staff to contact carers, a particular challenge in group-based recruitment. A fourth addressed trial methods and their communication (e.g. relationship between trial team and recruiting staff). A fifth explored lack of differentiation by carers between the roles of the various professionals (e.g. FC facilitators and provider agencies). The sixth addressed perceived differences between recruitment into social care and health studies. Conclusions Recruitment challenges in this social care setting were similar to those in healthcare. Some (e.g. gatekeeping by professional staff) may be rooted in randomisation anxiety, or unfamiliarity with research methods. Researchers more familiar with healthcare recruitment were however encouraged about the experience of working in this care setting. The original recruitment strategy and adaptations form the basis of further recommendations for research practice. Trial registration ISRCTN19090228. Registered on 11 January 2017.

Findings from youth research have shown that, due to the development of the transitional phase of “emerging adulthood”, the family has become increasingly significant for young adults as a source of support and as a safety net. In contrast, care leavers are confronted with a relatively abrupt transition to independent living. However, international studies have shown that the family also plays a significant role during the status passage of leaving care — as an arena of concrete social relationships, as a normative model and ideal, as a biographical experience and memory, as a connection to family traditions and practices, and as an important contextual factor for resilience and identity formation. The first section of this paper describes the various links between care leavers and their families based on a literature review. In the second section, the biographical relevance of the family is highlighted based on the example of a qualitative interview study about the educational pathways of 20- to 27-year-old care leavers. The study shows the various influences of family links on the educational careers of young people during and after out-of-home care. From the findings, we derive some consequences for professional work with families in out-of-home care and for professional support and guidance during the status passage of leaving care.

Residential caregivers are the central figures responsible for the children in their charge. Their work is physically and emotionally taxing, and carried out under pressure: they are prone to burnout. In addition, their status is lower than that of other staff. This study aimed to identify the strategies to improve caregiver functioning that have been adopted in Israel’s residential social-service facilities, and to examine the extent of their implementation. A two-stage, mixed-methods study design was employed. In the qualitative stage, six successful care facilities were identified; their directors were interviewed in depth using the Learning from Success method. In the quantitative stage, a survey was administered to 95 directors, using open and closed questions. Six best-practice strategies for working with caregivers were identified: careful screening, training, ongoing supervision, personal and professional support mechanisms, flexible schedules, and a clear work plan and procedures. While these strategies were applied to some extent in most facilities, they varied in scope and implementation. Using a regression model, we found a connection between the implementation of these strategies and the directors’ satisfaction with the caregivers’ work. We discuss recommendations that can help directors incorporate the six strategies in residential homes and meet the challenges directors face in their work with caregivers.

Whilst advancing outcomes for young people transitioning from out-of-home care is a national priority, no synthesis of Australian interventions that support their transition from care and into independence currently exists. The aim of this systematic scoping review was to examine the characteristics of such interventions delivered in Australia and to evaluate their impact. Papers were included if they assessed the extent to which transitional support interventions, delivered in Australia, improved housing, employment, education, financial, health, or social functioning outcomes. Eleven studies were included. Interventions primarily adopted a case management approach to support care-leavers’ transition. Interventions facilitated improvements in care-leavers’ independent living outcomes (e.g., housing, education, and financial stability), but less so in health outcomes. This synthesis provides guidance for how research organizations in partnership with community service organizations and statutory services should develop and deliver interventions to support young Australians transitioning from care.

To date, no theory of bullying in residential care for youth has been proposed. By drawing on the results of the existing research on bullying and peer violence in youth residential care and adapting the Multifactor Model of Bullying in Secure Settings (MMBSS), this paper proposes the first integrative theory of bullying in residential care—the Multifactor Model of Bullying in Residential Settings (MMB-RS). The paper first summarises the existing empirical findings on bullying and peer violence in residential care for youth and describes the MMBSS. It then moves on to proposing and describing the MMB-RS. In a nutshell, the MMB-RS assumes that bullying in residential care is shaped by a dynamic interaction between a complex set of individual and contextual factors. The model also takes into account the interaction between bullies and victims, thus explicitly considering the social interactional components of bullying and victimisation and offering possible explanations of the sizable overlap between bullying and victimisation in residential care, including the possible contributions of residential peer cultures. The paper concludes by noting the importance of empirically testing the MMB-RS and proposing a programme of research that may be helpful in testing it.

To date, no theory of bullying in residential care for youth has been proposed. By drawing on the results of the existing research on bullying and peer violence in youth residential care and adapting the Multifactor Model of Bullying in Secure Settings (MMBSS), this paper proposes the first integrative theory of bullying in residential care-the Multifactor Model of Bullying in Residential Settings (MMB-RS). The paper first summarises the existing empirical findings on bullying and peer violence in residential care for youth and describes the MMBSS. It then moves on to proposing and describing the MMB-RS. In a nutshell, the MMB-RS assumes that bullying in residential care is shaped by a dynamic interaction between a complex set of individual and contextual factors. The model also takes into account the interaction between bullies and victims, thus explicitly considering the social interactional components of bullying and victimisation and offering possible explanations of the sizable overlap between bullying and victimisation in residential care, including the possible contributions of residential peer cultures. The paper concludes by noting the importance of empirically testing the MMB-RS and proposing a programme of research that may be helpful in testing it.

Previous research suggests that young adults from out-of-home care (OHC) are at high risk of low education and unemployment. However, there are no studies on their risk of long-term NEET (Not in Employment, Education or Training). This study compared the risk of NEET at age 21-23 among OHC youth across Denmark, Finland and Sweden, using register data for an entire birth cohort born in 1987. The Nordic countries share many features, but there are differences in the provision of after-care support and in the linkage between the educational system and the labour market. The results show that about a fourth in Denmark and Sweden and a third in Finland were NEET, suggesting that the welfare systems were not able to compensate for the OHC youth's childhood disadvantages. To a significant extent, the excess risk of NEET was attributed to poor school performance. Implications for research, policy and practice are discussed.

Children in care (CiC) experience poorer health outcomes than their same-aged peers without an experience of care. Despite growing recognition of the importance of listening to the voices of children and young people (YP), to date, the voices of CiC are not well represented in research examining their health. This study aimed to explore the experiences and perceptions of health among YP who have previously lived in care. A co-design approach was used to inform the research methodology by engaging YP with a lived experience in cooperative discussions. Ten YP participated in one-on-one semi-structured interviews and thematic analysis was used to analyse the data. The current findings highlight that YP consistently felt their health needs were not adequately met while in care, nor did they feel listened to, understood, or educated about health-related matters. This unique insight into the challenges they experienced in care offers realistic guidance for change.

[While many children living in out-of-home care aspire to complete higher education, research from the Australian Census Longitudinal Dataset suggests that very few are likely to achieve this goal compared to children living at home. These findings suggest (1) children from out-of-home care residing with a carer (i.e. children in foster care) are one-third as likely than their peers to progress to higher education, (2) transitioning to university is associated with parental education and employment, however, children from foster care are less likely to be living in homes with characteristics associated with transitioning to university, (3) post-school education for foster care children may be improved by placement with parents who have achieved a Year 12 equivalent or higher education status.

Evidence from Swedish and international studies show that a high proportion of children from out-of-home care (OHC) have poor school performance and that this is strongly associated with their substantial risk of adverse development in future life. However, risk factors for poor school performance and adverse development are difficult to disentangle since they are often interrelated and enforce each other over the life course. This study examines premature mortality in relation to early school failure (drop-out from compulsory school) and OHC experience in childhood (0–17 years of age) among clients who were in treatment for substance misuse in the early 1980s (N = 1,036). The analyses were based on record linkages between interview data collected during treatment and national register data covering approximately 30 years of follow-up, from exit from treatment until 2013. Our results showed that 54 per cent had been placed in OHC as children, half before their teens and half as teenagers. The OHC population had a higher prevalence of school failure compared with clients who had not been exposed to childhood OHC. OHC was associated with an excess mortality, although this was only significant for females who had entered OHC before their teens. Adjusting results for school failure reduced their excess mortality by half, and additional life course factors associated with mortality among people with substance misuse adjusted for most of the remaining excess mortality. School failure was strongly associated with the excess mortality of females, but not with the excess mortality of males.

Although we know there are high rates of mental health difficulties amongst young people in out-of-home care (i.e. social welfare-involved children), there is limited evidence on the longitudinal development of these problems, particularly from when they enter the care system. Using the routinely collected carer-reported strengths and difficulties questionnaire, we explored internalising (emotional and peer) and externalising (conduct and hyperactivity) difficulties for 672 young people across their first 3 years in the UK care system (2–16 yrs, 51% boys, 76% Caucasian). In all cases stable profiles (resilient or chronic) were most common, while changing profiles (recovery or delayed) were less common. Findings showed that entry into the care system is not enough of an intervention to expect natural recovery from mental health difficulties. Number of placements and being separated from siblings were associated with greater difficulties. Implications for child welfare and mental health systems are discussed.

Refereed/Peer-reviewed Background: Children born to parents with intellectual disability (ID) have been shown as disproportionally represented in child protection services however with limited population-based research. Objectives: To investigate child protection involvement for children born to mothers with ID in Western Australia using linked administrative data. Participants and setting: A cohort of 1106 children born to a mother with ID and a comparison group of 9796 children of mothers without ID were identified in Western Australia. Methods: Cox regression analyses stratified by maternal Aboriginal status were conducted to investigate risk of child involvement with child protection services and care placement. Interaction with child age, intellectual disability status, and maternal mental health and substance use was investigated. Results: Children born to a mother with ID were both at higher risk of having contact with child protection services (HR: 4.35 (3.70–5.12)) and placement in out-of-home care (HR: 6.21 (4.73–8.17)). For non-Aboriginal children, the risks of child protection involvement and placement for those born to mothers with ID were 7 times and 12 times higher than those of mothers without ID. The risk was lower for Aboriginal children, at 1.8 and 1.9 times, respectively. Infants born to mothers with ID were at higher risk of child protection involvement compared to other age groups. Maternal mental health and substance use moderated the increased risk. Conclusions: Intellectual disability alone is not sufficient justification for removal of children from their parents. The challenge for family services is ensuring that resources are adequate to meet the family's needs.

Consistent school attendance is important in any child’s education but for many children in out-of-home care, going to school every day is no easy thing.

Die vorliegende Arbeit beschäftigt sich mit der Thematik der Besuchsbegleitung aus der Perspektive von fremduntergebrachten Kindern und den damit verbundenen Erleben von Belastungen. Fremduntergebrachte Kinder sind aufgrund einer vorausgegangenen Kindeswohlgefährdung aus der Herkunftsfamilie herausgenommen worden. Trotz der räumlichen Trennung haben sowohl die Kinder als auch die Herkunftseltern ein Recht auf persönliche Kontakt zueinander. Ein besonders Setting stellt dabei die Besuchsbegleitung dar, wobei begleitete Besuchskontakte an einem neutralen dritten Ort, mit einer neutralen dritten Person umgesetzt werden. Ziel dieser Arbeit ist es herauszufinden, welche Belastungen von fremduntergebrachten Kindern im Rahmen der Besuchsbegleitung erlebt werden, wie diese zum Ausdruck kommen und wie die Belastungen im Sinne des Kindeswohls und der kindlichen Bedürfnisse wieder reduziert werden können. Anhand von teilnehmenden Beobachtungen im natürlichen Setting der Besuchsbegleitung in vier Fällen werden die Daten erhoben. Anschließend wird das empirisch gewonnene Datenmaterial in Form von Beobachtungsprotokollen festgehalten und nach der Constructing Grounded Theory Methodologie ausgewertet und analysiert. Die gewonnenen Ergebnisse werden dann in Bezugnahme des Theorieteils interpretiert und diskutiert. Die Ergebnisse zeigen, dass die Kinder im Rahmen der Besuchsbegleitung einer Vielzahl von (potenziellen) Belastungen ausgesetzt sind, die Reaktionen darauf sind abhängig vom Alter, Entwicklungsstand und persönlichen Ressourcen des Kindes. Stabilität, Verlässlichkeit und einem dem Kind zugewandte und an den kindlichen Bedürfnissen orientierte Haltung seitens der*des Besuchsbegleiter*in wirken sich jedoch positiv auf die Reduktion der erlebten Belastung aus. Nehmen die Belastungen beim Kind ab, so kann die kindliche Exploration wieder aufgenommen und in Interaktion mit den besuchenden Personen gegangen werden. This thesis deals with the topic of visiting companions from the perspective of children placed in out-of-home care and the associated experience of stress. Children placed in out-of-home care are placed out of the family of origin due to previous child endangerment. Despite the physical separation both, the children and the parents of origin have the right to personally stay in touch with one another. Visiting companions is a special setting to implement visiting contacts. This means that these can take place at a neutral place supervised by a neutral person. The aim of this master thesis is to find out how children placed in out-of-home care experience stress during visiting companions. Furthermore, the focus is on discovering how stress can be expressed and how stress can be reduced again in terms of the child’s well-being and needs. The data collection is based on participatory observation in the natural setting of visiting companions in four cases. In a further step, the empirically obtained data is recorded in the form of observation protocols. Subsequently, the data is evaluated and analyzed according to the Constructing Grounded Theory Methodology. The results are then interpreted and discussed with reference to the theoretical part. The results show that the children are exposed to a variety of (potential) stress during visiting contacts. The reaction of the stress depends on the child’s age, level of development and personal resources. Stability, reliability, and an attitude of the visiting attendant that is oriented towards the child’s needs and gives emotional support have an positive impact on reducing the stress level experienced. If the stress experienced by the child decreases, the child's exploration can be resumed and interaction with the visiting people can take place. Abweichender Titel laut Übersetzung der Verfasserin/des Verfassers Masterarbeit Wien, FH Campus Wien 2022

Comprehensive overviews of the use of psychiatric services among children and adolescents placed in out-of-home care (OHC) by child welfare authorities are scarce. We examine specialized service use for psychiatric and neurodevelopmental disorders among children and adolescents in a total population involving children in OHC. We used the longitudinal administrative data of a complete Finnish birth cohort 1997 (N = 57,174). We estimated risk ratios (RRs) for a range of diagnosed psychiatric and neurodevelopmental disorders among children in OHC. We also estimated RRs for OHC among those with diagnosed disorders. We used descriptive methods to explore the timing of first entry into OHC relative to the first diagnosis. Among children in OHC, 61.9% were diagnosed with any psychiatric or neurodevelopmental disorder, compared with 18.0% among those never in OHC (RR: 3.7; 95% CI 3.6–3.8). The most common diagnosed disorders among children in OHC were depression and anxiety disorders, neurodevelopmental disorders, and oppositional defiant disorder/conduct disorder (ODD/CD). Among all children with any diagnosis, 18.1% experienced OHC, compared with 2.5% among those without a diagnosis (RR: 7.4; 95% CI 6.9–7.9). Of those diagnosed with self-harm and suicidality, ODD/CD, substance-related disorders, and psychotic and bipolar disorders, 43.5–61.2% experienced OHC. Of the children in OHC receiving psychiatric services, half were diagnosed before first placement in OHC. The majority of children with experience in OHC were diagnosed with psychiatric or neurodevelopmental disorders. They comprised a significant proportion of individuals treated for severe and complex psychiatric disorders and self-harm.

Die vorliegende Masterarbeit ist vom „Arbeitskreis Berufsverband Besuchsbegleitung Österreich“ (AK BBO) beauftragt worden, findet im Zuge des Forschungsprojekts “Besuchsbegleitung 2.0” statt und befasst sich mit Besuchsbegleitung in Österreich. Der Fokus dieser Arbeit wurde zudem auf die damit zusammenhängende Vernetzung mit fallbeteiligten Institutionen gelegt. Es wird tiefgreifend ein Einblick in die derzeit stattfindende Vernetzung zwischen Besuchsbegleiter*innen und anderen fallbeteiligten Institutionen gegeben und herausgearbeitet, in welchem Ausmaß, mit welchen Inhalten und zu welchem Zweck Vernetzung stattfindet. Der Fokus liegt im gesamten Prozess bei der Wahrnehmung von Besuchsbegleiter*innen aus ganz Österreich und wie diese Vernetzung in ihrer täglichen Arbeit (er)leben. Um dies erforschen zu können wurden fünf Fokusgruppen mit jeweils drei und eine Fokusgruppe mit zwei Besuchsbegleiter*innen gebildet. Für die durchgeführten Fokusgruppen wurden Besuchsbegleiter*innen aus jeweils immer einem anderen österreichischem Bundesland gewählt, um einen bundesländerübergreifenden Einblick zu generieren. Die Fokusgruppenaufteilung beziehen sich auf die Kontexte Fremdunterbringung und Trennung/ Scheidung, da von Unterschieden in den beiden Kontexten ausgegangen wird. Folglich soll daraus ein ganzheitliches Bild entwickelt werden, welches die Relevanz von Vernetzung im Sinne des Kindeswohls aufgezeigt und die Ableitungen für Veränderungen der institutionellen Durchführung von Vernetzung im Zuge von Besuchsbegleitungen ermöglicht. Die zentralen Ergebnisse der empirischen Erhebung zeigen auf, dass für die Besuchsbegleiter*innen besonders Klarheit und Struktur bedeutend sind. Klarheit und Struktur sind allerdings von der Definition bis hin zur Umsetzung von Vernetzung mangelhaft. Somit kann Vernetzung in all ihren Bestandteilen, wie Ablauf, Durchführung, Ausmaß, Inhalt und Entscheidung zur Einbeziehung fallbeteiligter Institutionen als herausfordernd gesehen werden. Außerdem weist Vernetzung eine hohe personenabhängige Umsetzung auf, weshalb Unsicherheit und Unklarheit bei den Besuchsbegleiter*innen verstärkt wird, da es keine standardisierten Abläufe und Anhaltspunkte für diese gibt. Ein weiterer Aspekt ist die teilweise nicht vorhandene Finanzierung von Vernetzung. Einerseits führt dies zu Unabwägbarkeit und Verwirrung in der täglichen Arbeit. Andererseits besteht unter anderem dadurch eine geminderte Bereitschaft, sich zu vernetzen, auch wenn festgestellt wurde, dass es sich positiv auf die Besuchskontakte auswirkt. Folglich kann als Fazit behauptet werden, dass Vernetzung mehr standardisierte Richtlinien benötigt, an welche sich sowohl Besuchsbegleiter*innen als auch fallbeteiligte Institutionen richten können. Gleichzeitig soll Vernetzung fallabhängig betrachtet und individuell, je nach Situation der zu begleitenden Personen im Sinne des Kindeswohls umgesetzt werden. Es sollte nicht von den professionellen Personen abhängig sein. Dafür ist sowohl eine Vernetzung mit anderen relevanten fallbeteiligten Institutionen als auch mit anderen Besuchsbegleitungen relevant, um sich gegenseitig zu unterstützen und für die tägliche Arbeit voneinander zu profitieren. This master thesis has been commissioned by “Arbeitskreis Berufsverband Besuchsbegleitung Österreich” (AK BBO), it is part of the research project "Besuchsbegleitung 2.0" and therefore deals with visit companions in Austria. The focus of this work was placed on the related networking with case-involved institutions. In-depth insight is provided into the current networking between visiting companions and other case-involved institutions. In addition, it is worked out to what extent, with what content and for what purpose networking takes place. Throughout the entire process, the focus is on the perceptions of visiting companions from Austria and how they experience networking in their daily work. In order to be able to explore this, six focus groups were formed, each with three visiting companions. For each of the conducted focus groups, visit companions from different provinces in Austria were selected to generate a cross-provincial insight. The division of the focus groups refers to the contexts of out-of-home care and separation/divorce, as it is assumed that there are differences in both contexts. Consequently, a holistic picture is to be developed, the relevance of networking in terms of the best interests of the child is to be shown and derivations for changes in the institutional implementation of networking during visit companionship can be made. The central results of the empirical survey show that clarity and structure are particularly important for the visit companions. However, these are deficient from the definition of networking to its implementation. Thus, networking can be seen as challenging in all its components, such as process, implementation, extent, content and involvement of case-involved institutions. Networking is highly dependent on the individuals conducted with the case, which increases uncertainties and a lack of clarity among the visiting companions, as there are no standardized procedures and reference points for these processes. Another aspect is the partial lack of funding for networking. On the one hand, this leads to unpredictability and confusion for the daily work. On the other hand this results in a reduced willingness to network in general, even though it was found to have a positive impact on visitation contacts. It can be concluded that networking needs more standardized procedures to follow for both: visiting companions and case- involved institutions. At the same time, networking should be considered case- dependent and implemented according to the situation of the accompanying people. Networking should have the children´s best interests at heart and not depend on the professionals. Therefore, networking with other relevant institutions as well as other visiting companions involved in the case is relevant to support each other and benefit from each other on a daily basis. Abweichender Titel laut Übersetzung der Verfasserin/des Verfassers Masterarbeit Wien, FH Campus Wien 2022

Reducing the rate of over-representation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in out-of- home care (OOHC) is a key Closing the Gap target committed to by all Australian governments. Current strategies are failing. The ���gap��� is widening, with the rate of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in OOHC at 30 June 2020 being 11 times that of non- Indigenous children. Approximately, one in five Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children entering OOHC each year are younger than one year. These figures represent compound-ing intergenerational trauma and institutional harm to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families and communities. This article outlines systemic failures to address the needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander parents during pregnancy and following birth, causing cumulative harm and trauma to families, communities and cultures. Major reform to child and family notification and service systems, and significant investment to address this crisis, is urgently needed. The Family Matters Building Blocks and five elements of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Child Placement Principle (Prevention, Participation, Partnership, Placement and Connection) provide a trans-formative foundation to address historical, institutional, well- being and socioeconomic drivers of current catastrophic trajectories. The time for action is now.

Die vorliegende Masterarbeit ist vom „Arbeitskreis Berufsverband Besuchsbegleitung Österreich“ (AK BBO) beauftragt worden, findet im Zuge des Forschungsprojekts “Besuchsbegleitung 2.0” statt und befasst sich mit Besuchsbegleitung in Österreich. Der Fokus dieser Arbeit wurde zudem auf die damit zusammenhängende Vernetzung mit fallbeteiligten Institutionen gelegt. Es wird tiefgreifend ein Einblick in die derzeit stattfindende Vernetzung zwischen Besuchsbegleiter*innen und anderen fallbeteiligten Institutionen gegeben und herausgearbeitet, in welchem Ausmaß, mit welchen Inhalten und zu welchem Zweck Vernetzung stattfindet. Der Fokus liegt im gesamten Prozess bei der Wahrnehmung von Besuchsbegleiter*innen aus ganz Österreich und wie diese Vernetzung in ihrer täglichen Arbeit (er)leben. Um dies erforschen zu können wurden fünf Fokusgruppen mit jeweils drei und eine Fokusgruppe mit zwei Besuchsbegleiter*innen gebildet. Für die durchgeführten Fokusgruppen wurden Besuchsbegleiter*innen aus jeweils immer einem anderen österreichischem Bundesland gewählt, um einen bundesländerübergreifenden Einblick zu generieren. Die Fokusgruppenaufteilung beziehen sich auf die Kontexte Fremdunterbringung und Trennung/ Scheidung, da von Unterschieden in den beiden Kontexten ausgegangen wird. Folglich soll daraus ein ganzheitliches Bild entwickelt werden, welches die Relevanz von Vernetzung im Sinne des Kindeswohls aufgezeigt und die Ableitungen für Veränderungen der institutionellen Durchführung von Vernetzung im Zuge von Besuchsbegleitungen ermöglicht. Die zentralen Ergebnisse der empirischen Erhebung zeigen auf, dass für die Besuchsbegleiter*innen besonders Klarheit und Struktur bedeutend sind. Klarheit und Struktur sind allerdings von der Definition bis hin zur Umsetzung von Vernetzung mangelhaft. Somit kann Vernetzung in all ihren Bestandteilen, wie Ablauf, Durchführung, Ausmaß, Inhalt und Entscheidung zur Einbeziehung fallbeteiligter Institutionen als herausfordernd gesehen werden. Außerdem weist Vernetzung eine hohe personenabhängige Umsetzung auf, weshalb Unsicherheit und Unklarheit bei den Besuchsbegleiter*innen verstärkt wird, da es keine standardisierten Abläufe und Anhaltspunkte für diese gibt. Ein weiterer Aspekt ist die teilweise nicht vorhandene Finanzierung von Vernetzung. Einerseits führt dies zu Unabwägbarkeit und Verwirrung in der täglichen Arbeit. Andererseits besteht unter anderem dadurch eine geminderte Bereitschaft, sich zu vernetzen, auch wenn festgestellt wurde, dass es sich positiv auf die Besuchskontakte auswirkt. Folglich kann als Fazit behauptet werden, dass Vernetzung mehr standardisierte Richtlinien benötigt, an welche sich sowohl Besuchsbegleiter*innen als auch fallbeteiligte Institutionen richten können. Gleichzeitig soll Vernetzung fallabhängig betrachtet und individuell, je nach Situation der zu begleitenden Personen im Sinne des Kindeswohls umgesetzt werden. Es sollte nicht von den professionellen Personen abhängig sein. Dafür ist sowohl eine Vernetzung mit anderen relevanten fallbeteiligten Institutionen als auch mit anderen Besuchsbegleitungen relevant, um sich gegenseitig zu unterstützen und für die tägliche Arbeit voneinander zu profitieren. This master thesis has been commissioned by “Arbeitskreis Berufsverband Besuchsbegleitung Österreich” (AK BBO), it is part of the research project "Besuchsbegleitung 2.0" and therefore deals with visit companions in Austria. The focus of this work was placed on the related networking with case-involved institutions. In-depth insight is provided into the current networking between visiting companions and other case-involved institutions. In addition, it is worked out to what extent, with what content and for what purpose networking takes place. Throughout the entire process, the focus is on the perceptions of visiting companions from Austria and how they experience networking in their daily work. In order to be able to explore this, six focus groups were formed, each with three visiting companions. For each of the conducted focus groups, visit companions from different provinces in Austria were selected to generate a cross-provincial insight. The division of the focus groups refers to the contexts of out-of-home care and separation/divorce, as it is assumed that there are differences in both contexts. Consequently, a holistic picture is to be developed, the relevance of networking in terms of the best interests of the child is to be shown and derivations for changes in the institutional implementation of networking during visit companionship can be made. The central results of the empirical survey show that clarity and structure are particularly important for the visit companions. However, these are deficient from the definition of networking to its implementation. Thus, networking can be seen as challenging in all its components, such as process, implementation, extent, content and involvement of case-involved institutions. Networking is highly dependent on the individuals conducted with the case, which increases uncertainties and a lack of clarity among the visiting companions, as there are no standardized procedures and reference points for these processes. Another aspect is the partial lack of funding for networking. On the one hand, this leads to unpredictability and confusion for the daily work. On the other hand this results in a reduced willingness to network in general, even though it was found to have a positive impact on visitation contacts. It can be concluded that networking needs more standardized procedures to follow for both: visiting companions and case- involved institutions. At the same time, networking should be considered case- dependent and implemented according to the situation of the accompanying people. Networking should have the children´s best interests at heart and not depend on the professionals. Therefore, networking with other relevant institutions as well as other visiting companions involved in the case is relevant to support each other and benefit from each other on a daily basis. Abweichender Titel laut Übersetzung der Verfasserin/des Verfassers Masterarbeit Wien, FH Campus Wien 2022

The focus in this thesis is young peoples’ (aged 17–20) experiences of leaving out-of-home care (OHC) and making the transition into adulthood. Prior research shows care leavers as a vulnerable group making the transition to adulthood at younger age, in shorter duration and with less support than their peers. The overarching aim is to gain knowledge of how young care leavers experience and handle their transition from OHC to adulthood, and how their experiences and strategies change over time. The study design is longitudinal with three waves of interviews: when still in care (T1), 6–11 months later when most of them had left care (T2) and another 10–19 months later (T3). Article I focuses the informants’ (n=15) expectations for their future and how these are changing over time (T1–T2). The participants’ short term expectations are characterized by worries (T1) and ambivalence (T2) – their long-term expectations are more optimistic (both T1 and T2) and tend to be guided by normative developmental patterns. The aim of article II is to study care leavers’ (n=20) strategies for handling adversities during their OHC transition. The results show that the participants over time (T1–T2) develop externally oriented strategies by navigating towards available resources, and internally oriented reflexive strategies for re-negotiating the meaning of their earlier experiences. Departing from an agency perspective article III focuses care leavers’ (n=14) transitional patterns of leaving care (T1–T3). Three patterns are identified: one stable long-term future oriented, one unstable short-term future oriented and one ambivalent pattern shuttling between long- and short-term future orientations. The aim in article IV is to study occupational trajectories, i.e. care leavers’ (n=14) paths into education and employment from a theoretical framework of agency vs. structure. The results show three ideal types of trajectories where agency is: (1) facilitated by structure, (2) perceived as free from structural constraints, and (3) hindered by structural constraints. The longitudinal design provides an original contribution the field of study by uncovering how care leavers’ expectations for their future is changing during the process of transition, how increasingly successful strategies are developed over time, and how transitional OHC patterns are influenced by the agents’ time horizons as well as by structural forces. A conclusion from the study is that societal support targeting young care leavers is deficient and needs to be developed and strengthened. Furthermore, the transition could be facilitated by extending the duration of the transition process, by including care leavers as active participating agents in the planning process of their passage out from OHC, and by strengthening the maintenance of care leavers’ relationships to supportive members in their formal and informal network. ”Independence” as the ultimate goal for young people leaving OHC is criticized based on the results showing that interdependent relationships to significant others is an integrated part of care leavers’ perception of adult life. Avhandlingen handlar om ungdomars (17–20 år) erfarenheter av att lämna samhällsvård och göra sin övergång till vuxenlivet. Tidigare forskning visar att dessa ungdomar är en sårbar grupp där övergången till vuxenlivet sker vid lägre ålder, under kortare tid och med mindre stöd än för andra jämnåriga. Avhandlingens övergripande syfte är att få kunskap om hur ungdomar själva upplever och hanterar övergången från samhällsvård till vuxenliv, samt hur deras upplevelser av och strategier för att hantera övergången förändras över tid. Studien är longitudinell med tre intervjufaser: den första i samhällsvård men där utflytt planeras (T1), den andra 6–11 månader senare då de flesta lämnat samhällsvården (T2) och den tredje ytterligare 10–19 månader senare (T3). I artikel I studeras ungdomarnas (n=15) framtidsförväntningar och hur de förändras över tid (T1–T2). Förväntningarna på kort sikt präglas av oro (T1) och ambivalens (T2) – på längre sikt är de mer optimistiska (både vid T1 och T2) och tenderar att följa normativa utvecklingsmönster. I artikel II studeras vilka strategier ungdomarna (n=20) använder för att handskas med svårigheter under övergången från samhällsvården. Resultaten visar att de från T1 till T2 utvecklar strategier där de navigerar med syfte att få tillgång till externa tillgängliga resurser, och reflexiva strategier där de omförhandlar betydelsen av sina tidigare erfarenheter. Med utgångspunkt från ett aktörsperspektiv studeras i artikel III ungdomarnas (n=14) övergångsmönster (T1– T3) för ungdomarnas utflytt från samhällsvården. Tre övergångsmönster identifieras: ett stabilt långsiktigt, ett instabilt kortsiktigt samt ett ambivalent med både kort- och långsiktigt agerande. Artikel IV fokuserar ungdomarnas (n=14) vägar från samhällsvård till sysselsättning i spänningsfältet mellan aktörskap och struktur. Resultaten visar tre idealtypiska trajektorier: en där strukturen möjliggör och underlättar aktörskap, en där aktörskapet upplevs oberoende av strukturella möjligheter eller hinder och en där aktörskapet begränsas av såväl strukturella som individuella hinder. Resultaten från den longitudinella studien skapar ny kunskap om hur framtidsförväntningarna förändras under transitionsprocessen, om hur framgångsrika strategier bland ungdomarna utvecklas över tid och om hur övergångsmönster påverkas av aktörernas tidshorisont samt av strukturella hinder och möjligheter. Övergripande slutsatser från studien är att dagens samhällsstöd behöver utvecklas, att övergången från samhällsvård blir mer gynnsam om den förlängs och sker över längre tid, om ungdomarna görs delaktiga i planeringen av sin egen utflytt samt stärks i att odla och bibehålla stödjande relationer i deras formella och informella nätverk. ”Självständighet” som ett mål för övergången från samhällsvård kritiseras utifrån resultaten som visar att ungdomarnas uppfattning att vuxenlivet inbegriper ett ömsesidigt beroende av viktiga mellanmänskliga relationer.

In dieser Masterarbeit werden inklusionsförderliche Rahmenbedingungen in sozialpädagogischen Wohngemeinschaften, für fremduntergebrachte Kinder und Jugendliche mit unterschiedlichem Unterstützungsbedarf erforscht. Zu Beginn des theoretischen Teils erfolgt eine inhaltliche Auseinandersetzung mit dem Inklusionsbegriff. Dabei wird auch auf entwicklungsförderliche Potenziale inklusiver Bildungssettings eingegangen. Im darauffolgenden Kapitel wird dargestellt, wie Inklusion in pädagogischen Einrichtungen gefördert und umgesetzt werden kann. Neben speziellen Instrumenten für Inklusionsentwicklung, werden in diesem auch inklusionsförderliche Einflussfaktoren in pädagogischen Einrichtungen vorgestellt. Im letzten Kapitel des theoretischen Teils wird Inklusion im Kontext der Wiener Kinder- und Jugendhilfe thematisiert und sozialpädagogische Wohngemeinschaften werden genauer beschrieben. Im methodischen Teil wird auf die Methode der Datengewinnung, das Vorgehen bei der Datenerhebung und auf die Auswertungsmethode eingegangen. Für die Datengewinnung wurden sechs Interviews mit sozialpädagogischen Fachkräften einer inklusiven sozialpädagogischen Wohngemeinschaft geführt. Die Auswertung erfolgte anhand der qualitativen Inhaltsanalyse nach Mayring. Die Auswertung ergab sechs Typen von Rahmenbedingungen die für die Umsetzung von Inklusion in inklusiven sozialpädagogischen Wohngemeinschaften entscheidend sind. Hierbei handelt es sich um Rahmenbedingungen für inklusive Organisationsentwicklung, methodische Rahmenbedingungen, personelle Rahmenbedingungen, bauliche Rahmenbedingungen, strukturelle Rahmenbedingungen der Kindergruppe und externe Unterstützungssysteme. Auf Basis dieser Rahmenbedingung werden Empfehlungen für die Konzeption zukünftiger inklusiver sozialpädagogischer Wohngemeinschaften mit Kindern und Jugendlichen mit unterschiedlichem Unterstützungsbedarf formuliert. In this master's thesis, inclusion-promoting framework conditions in socio-pedagogical residential communities, for children and young people who are placed in out-of-home care and with different support needs are researched. At the beginning of the theoretical part, the content of the concept of inclusion is discussed. The development-promoting potential of inclusive educational settings is also addressed. The following chapter shows how inclusion can be promoted and implemented in educational institutions. In addition to special instruments for inclusion development, it also presents influencing factors in educational institutions that promote inclusion. In the last chapter of the theoretical part, inclusion in the context of viennese child and youth welfare is discussed and socio-pedagogical residential communities are described in more detail. In the methodological part, the method of data collection, the procedure for data collection and the evaluation method are discussed. To collect the data, six interviews were conducted with socio-pedagogical specialists in an inclusive social-pedagogical residential community. The evaluation was based on the qualitative content analysis according to Mayring. The evaluation revealed six types of framework conditions that are crucial for the implementation of inclusion in inclusive socio-pedagogical residential communities. These are framework conditions for inclusive organizational development, methodological framework conditions, personnel framework conditions, structural framework conditions, structural framework conditions of the children's group and external support systems. Based on this framework, recommendations for the conception of future inclusive socio-pedagogical residential communities with children and young people with different support needs are formulated. Abweichender Titel laut Übersetzung der Verfasserin/des Verfassers Masterarbeit Wien, FH Campus Wien 2022

Die vorliegende Arbeit behandelt das Thema Leaving Care, also das Verlassen der stationären Erziehungshilfe, in Bezug auf Soziale Ungleichheiten. Als theoretische Grundlage dienen die Kapitalsorten nach Pierre Bourdieu. Die Fragestellung, die behandelt wird, lautet: Inwiefern sind Careleaver*innen von sozialer Ungleichheit betroffen und wie lassen sich die Benachteiligung anhand der Kapitalsorten erklären? Careleaver*innen zeigen häufig einen Mangel an ökonomischen, kulturellem sowie sozialem Kapital auf, wodurch ihre Benachteiligungen in verschiedenen Lebensbereichen erklärt werden können. In der Fremdunterbringung gibt es Ansätze, welche den Übergang ins eigenständige Leben, erleichtern sollen und auch einzelne weiterführende Angebote. Jedoch braucht es vor allem rechtliche sowie sozialpolitische Änderungen, um die Benachteiligungen der betroffenen Personen zu minimieren. This paper deals with the topic of leaving care in relation to social inequalities. The types of capital according to Pierre Bourdieu serve as a theoretical basis. The question that will be addressed is: To what extent are care leavers affected by social inequality and how can the disadvantages be explained based on the types of capital? Care leavers often show a lack of economic, cultural as well as social capital, which can explain their disadvantages in different areas of life. In out-of-home care, there are approaches that are intended to facilitate the transition to an independent life, as well as individual continuing services. However, legal and socio-political changes are needed to minimize the disadvantages of the persons concerned.

„I know I have siblings 'there' ” Professional ways to shape the relationship between siblings who live in the family of origin and siblings who are placed in out-of-home care This work deals with the professional socio-pedagogical way of shaping sibling relationships, which are characterized by the fact that one part of the siblings lives in an out-of-home placement facility and one part in the system of origin. The focus is on the work with affected sibling groups in the context of ambulant social pedagogical family assistance in the respective family or of stationary social pedagogy in the respective out-of-home placement facility of one or more siblings. This master thesis offers an insight into how the relationship of siblings separated by out-of-home placement can be shaped and strengthened by theoretical and methodological approaches. As it can be read in the theoretical part of this research, sibling relationships are characterized by certain features and sibling needs. Due to the out-of-home situation of one or more siblings, additional or different needs arise regarding to the sibling relationship. The needs for security, information, relationship and contact are to be found in the theory as well as in the eight interviews conducted with experts in stationary social pedagogy and social pedagogical family assistance. The evaluation of the expert interviews confirms that sibling relationships and the shaping of these relationships are an important part of the work with separated siblings. The research of the relevant literature as well as the interpretation of the collected data material show that especially sibling contacts play an important role in shaping sibling relationships according to their needs. However, regular contacts between siblings are often associated with obstacles, since they sometimes depend on the cooperation of the parents. Theoretical and methodical approaches as well as recommendations for action, which include intensive family work, transparent communication and better networking in the system of helpers and more participation of all affected siblings, should reduce obstacles in the relationship of siblings and contribute to the strengthening and promotion of sibling relationships. Abweichender Titel laut Übersetzung der Verfasserin/des Verfassers Masterarbeit Wien, FH Campus Wien 2022

The objective was to examine the impacts of duration of preadoption out-of-home care and adoptive family functioning on later psychiatric morbidity of adoptees with high (HR) and low (LR) genetic risk for schizophrenia spectrum disorders. The study uses nationwide data from the Finnish Adoptive Family Study of Schizophrenia. The study population in this substudy consisted of 43 h adoptees and 128 LR adoptees. Of these adoptees, 90 had spent 0–6 months and 81 over 6 months in preadoption out-of-home care. The family functioning of adoptive families was assessed based on Global Family Ratings and psychiatric disorders on DSM-III-R criteria. The results showed that among the adoptees with over 6 months in preadoption out-of-home care, the likelihood for psychiatric disorders was significantly increased in HR adoptees compared to LR adoptees. In adoptees with 6 months or less in preadoption out-of-home care, an increased likelihood for psychiatric disorders was found among those living in adoptive families with dysfunctional processes. These findings indicate that especially for HR children, a well-functioning early caregiving environment is crucial in terms of subsequent mental wellbeing. The results emphasize that when adoption is necessary, early placement and well-functioning adoptive family environment are beneficial to children.

Die vorliegende Masterarbeit beschäftigt sich mit dem Thema Elternschaft von Menschen mit Lernschwierigkeiten aus der Sicht der betroffenen Eltern. „Menschen mit Lernschwierigkeiten“ ist die selbst gewählte, weniger abwertend empfundene Bezeichnung von Personen, denen eine sogenannte „geistige Behinderung“ zugeschrieben wird. Ihnen wurde Partnerschaft, Sexualität und insbesondere Elternschaft lange Zeit abgesprochen. Mit Ratifizierung der UN-Behindertenrechtskonvention im Jahr 2008 hat sich Österreich verpflichtet, die Gleichberechtigung von Menschen mit Lernschwierigkeiten in allen Belangen des Familienlebens zu gewährleisten und die nötige Unterstützung dafür zur Verfügung zu stellen. Dass es diesbezüglich jedoch Handlungsbedarf gibt, zeichnet sich in der dünnen österreichischen Forschungslage ab. Folglich wurde im Rahmen dieser Masterarbeit der Frage nachgegangen, wie Menschen mit Lernschwierigkeit Elternschaft im Kontext von Kinder- und Jugendhilfe und professionellen Unterstützungsangeboten erfahren und welche Konsequenzen sich daraus für die professionelle Unterstützung dieser Zielgruppe ergeben. Dazu gewährten zwei Elternteile in je drei narrativ angelegten Interviews Einblicke in ihre Erfahrungen und Sichtweisen. Ausgewertet wurden diese mit der Situationsanalyse (Clarke 2012), einem method(olog-)ischen Ansatz aus dem Grounded Theory-Spektrum. In den Ergebnissen zeigt sich, dass die Teilnehmer*innen im Kinder- und Jugendhilfekontext durch vielfältige Barrieren in ihrer Elternschaft „behindert“ werden. Dazu zählen defizitorientierte Haltungen und Zuschreibungen ebenso wie nicht vorhandene oder unpassende professionelle Unterstützung und restriktive Kontaktregelungen in der Fremdunterbringung. Der Kontakt zur Kinder- und Jugendhilfe wird vorwiegend als unberechenbare Bedrohung für das Familienleben wahrgenommen und daher tendenziell vermieden. Die familiären Situationen der Teilnehmer*innen sind durch häufige Konflikte, mangelndes Zutrauen und fehlende informelle Unterstützung durch nahe Angehörige zusätzlich belastet. Aus den erhobenen Daten wurden Konsequenzen für die professionelle Unterstützung von Eltern mit Lernschwierigkeiten im Kinder- und Jugendhilfekontext abgeleitet. This master’s thesis deals with the topic of parenthood of people with learning difficulties from the parents’ perspective. The term "people with learning difficulties" is the self-chosen, less pejorative designation of people labelled with so-called "intellectual disabilities". For a long time, they were denied partnerships, sexuality and especially parenthood. With the ratification of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in 2008, Austria committed itself to ensuring equal rights for people with learning difficulties in all aspects of family life and to providing the necessary support. However, a need for action in this regard is indicated by the thin Austrian research situation. Consequently, this master’s thesis investigates how people with learning difficulties experience parenthood in the context of child and youth welfare and professional support services. Furthermore, it displays the resulting consequences for the professional support of this target group. For this purpose, two parents provided insights into their experiences and perspectives in three narrative interviews each. These were evaluated with the Situational Analysis (Clarke 2012), a method(olog-)ical approach from the Grounded Theory spectrum. The results show that, as concerns their parenthood, the participants are "disabled" by a variety of barriers in the context of child and youth welfare. These include deficit-oriented attitudes and attributions towards the parents, as well as non-existent or inappropriate professional support and restrictive contact regulations in out-of-home care. Contact with child and youth welfare services is mainly perceived as an unpredictable threat to family life and therefore tends to be avoided. The family situations of the participants are additionally burdened by frequent conflicts, lack of trust in their abilities and lack of informal support by close relatives. Conclusions for the professional support of parents with learning difficulties in the context of child and youth welfare were derived from the collected data. Abweichender Titel laut Übersetzung der Verfasserin/des Verfassers Masterarbeit Wien, FH Campus Wien 2022

Die Besuchsbegleitung stellt in Österreich eine wichtige Maßnahme dar, die es Kindern und Jugendlichen, die von konfliktbehafteten Scheidungen, Trennungen oder einer Fremdunterbringung betroffen sind, ermöglicht, Kontakte zu den getrenntlebenden Elternteilen aufrechtzuerhalten. Die Relevanz der Besuchsbegleitung für die Kinder und Jugendlichen kann zwar aus theoretischen Wissensbeständen hergeleitet werden, zum derzeitigen Zeitpunkt gibt es jedoch noch keine Forschung, die sich dezidiert mit dieser Maßnahme auseinandersetzt. Aus diesem Grund sollen im Rahmen des Forschungsprojekts „Besuchsbegleitung 2.0”, welches in Kooperation mit dem Studiengang „Kinder- und Familienzentrierte Soziale Arbeit“ der FH Campus Wien und dem „Arbeitskreis Berufsverband Besuchsbegleitung Österreich“ neue wissenschaftliche Erkenntnisse schaffen. Als Teil dieses Forschungsprojekts widmet sich diese Masterarbeit der Frage, wie die derzeitigen Rahmenbedingungen in der Besuchsbegleitung aussehen, welche Kompetenzen die Besuchsbegleiter*innen einbringen sollten und welche Elemente sich in diesem Zusammenhang als entwicklungsförderlich für die Kinder und Jugendlichen darstellen. Zur Beantwortung dieser Fragen wurde sowohl ein quantitativer als auch ein qualitativer Forschungszugang gewählt. Die Erhebung der Daten erfolgte auf quantitativem Weg über die Aussendung eines Online-Fragebogens an Besuchsbegleiter*innen in ganz Österreich, während im qualitativen Forschungsteil sechs leitfadengestützte Interviews geführt wurden. Aus den Ergebnissen beider Forschungszugänge lässt sich ableiten, dass auf Seiten der Besuchsbegleiter*innen der Wunsch nach einheitlichen Vorgaben und Rahmenbedingungen besteht. Zudem sollten Zugangsvoraussetzungen für das Berufsfeld geschaffen werden, um sicherzustellen, dass die Besuchsbegleiter*innen über eine fundierte Grundausbildung verfügen, um entwicklungsförderlich agieren zu können. Generell zeigen die Daten, dass die Besuchsbegleiter*innen zu einem großen Teil über vielfältige Kompetenzen verfügen, welche sich ebenfalls entwicklungsförderlich auf den Ablauf einer Besuchsbegleitung auswirken. Supervised child access in Austria is an important measure that enables children and young people, who are affected by conflict-related divorces, separations or out-of-home care, to maintain contact with their separated parents. The relevance of supervised child access for the children and young people can be derived from theoretical knowledge, but at the moment there is no research that deals specifically with this measure. For this reason, the research project "Supervised Child Access 2.0", which is being carried out in cooperation with the "Child and Family- Centred Social Work" course at the FH Campus Wien and the "Working Group Professional Association for Supervised Child Access Austria", is intended to create new scientific findings. As part of this research project, this master's thesis deals with the question of what the existing framework conditions in supervised child access look like, which competencies the child access supervisors should bring, and which elements in this context are conducive to development of the children and young people. Both a quantitative and a qualitative research approach were chosen to answer these questions. The data was collected quantitatively by sending an online questionnaire to child access supervisors throughout Austria, while six guided interviews were conducted in the qualitative research part. From the two research approaches, it can be deduced that there is a desire for uniform specifications and guidelines on the part of the child access supervisors. In addition, fundamental competencies for the professional field should be created to ensure that the child access supervisors have a solid basic training in order to be able to act in a way that promotes development. In general, the data shows that the child access supervisors have a wide range of skills, which can also beneficial to the development of visitation guidelines. Abweichender Titel laut Übersetzung der Verfasserin/des Verfassers Masterarbeit Wien, FH Campus Wien 2022

Avhandling (Ph.D.) - Norges musikkhøgskole, Oslo 2022 - Dissertation for the PhD degree Norwegian Academy of Music, Oslo 2022 Summary - This qualitative study explores relationships between adolescents and music therapists in the Norwegian Child Welfare Services (NCWS). Studies and reports on adolescents’ experiences of living in out-of-home care in the NCWS highlight the importance of strong and healthy relationships between adolescents and adult caregivers. The adolescents need adults who listen to them and care about their wellbeing, but challenges related to lack of stability and the complexity of the relational needs of the adolescents can make it difficult to establish such relationships. As a consequence, the development of healthy adolescent–adult relationships is a central focus in music therapy with adolescents in out-of-home care. Yet little research has been dedicated to exploring how adolescents in out-of-home care and music therapists establish and develop relationships through music therapy. With this study, I aim to achieve a greater understanding of how adolescents and music therapists in the NCWS experience and talk about their relationships. Six adolescents in out-of-home care and their music therapists are interviewed in dyads. The interviews are analysed with a dual-focused approach: First, a hermeneutic phenomenological thematic analysis is performed, with the aim of exploring how the adolescents and music therapists experience their relationships. Seven themes are developed through an abductive process, in which phenomenological theory is used as inspiration for interpreting the empirical material. Four of the themes centre on how the informants experience their feelings towards each other, with the other three themes centring on how the informants experience their interactions. Second, a discourse-oriented thematic analysis explores discursive patterns in the informants’ descriptions, with an extended look into how the informants interpret and use the terms ‘music’, ‘therapy’ and ‘relationships’. Among the findings of the two analyses are that the adolescents identify feelings of realness, understanding, acceptance and respect for privacy in the relationships – feelings that are described as lacking in their relationships to other adults. All informants emphasize safety and trust as important feelings, but they also focus on the need for breaking away from safety through challenging themselves. Other findings show that over the course of time, the adolescents and music therapists develop their own, shared ways of talking about and understanding their relationships. However, the adolescents and music therapists also differ in how they describe aspects of their relationships, especially in discussions on concepts like ‘music’, ‘therapy’ and ‘therapist’. Combining the findings of the two explorations, I suggest that the adolescents and music therapists of the study experience and talk about their relationship as one of unique possibilities. The possibilities of the relationship are intentionally kept limited in the earlier phases of the relationships, as the dyads start with focusing on a few activities that are familiar to the adolescents. In these early sessions, feelings of authenticity, normality, safety and trust are of great importance. From there, the relationship develops in two ways. On one level, an implicit understanding develops between the adolescents and music therapists, as seen in how they gradually get to know each other better. On a second level, the relationships develop through interactions marked by creativity and vulnerability, such as music listening, performing, playing and talking together. In these interactions, the informants momentarily open themselves up to each other, to the music, and in some cases, to an audience. The two levels of relational development are interrelated: by becoming more familiar with each other, the adolescents and music therapists are able to challenge each other further and new possibilities become available. By challenging themselves and each other through creative activities, the adolescents and music therapists gain new understandings of who they are and what they can do together, which in turn, lead to greater feelings of safety and trust. Considering the findings in light of discussions in child welfare literature, I suggest that music therapists can be a part of larger networks of support for adolescents in out-of-home care, and possibly, provide forms of support that the adolescents do not experience elsewhere. Furthermore, music therapists working in the NCWS may be able to reach adolescents who are generally sceptical of therapy and the mental health services, in that they offer a service that is perceived as helpful, without necessarily being perceived as ‘therapy’. However, since the study is based on the experiences of only a small number of individuals, more research is needed to gain a satisfactory understanding of relationships between adolescents and music therapists in the NCWS. Oppsummering - Denne kvalitative studien utforsker relasjoner mellom ungdommer og musikkterapeuter i barnevernet. Studier og rapporter om ungdommers erfaringer med å leve på barnevernsinstitusjoner og i fosterhjem vektlegger verdien av sterke relasjoner mellom ungdommer og voksne omsorgsgivere. Ungdommene trenger voksne som hører på dem og bryr seg om deres velvære, men utfordringer rundt manglende stabilitet i bosituasjon og de komplekse relasjonelle behovene til ungdommene kan gjøre det vanskelig å etablere slike relasjoner. For musikkterapeuter som jobber med ungdom i barnevernet er etablering og utvikling av en trygg relasjon derfor et sentralt fokus. Likevel har det hittil vært lite forskning dedikert til å utforske hvordan ungdommer i barnevernet og musikkterapeuter etablerer og utvikler relasjoner gjennom musikkterapi. Med denne studien har jeg som mål å oppnå en større forståelse av hvordan ungdommer og musikkterapeuter i barnevernet opplever og snakker om deres relasjon. Seks ungdommer som bor på institusjon eller i fosterhjem og deres musikkterapeuter har blitt intervjuet i dyader, og intervjuene har blitt analysert med en todelt tilnærming. Den første delen er en hermeneutisk fenomenologisk tematisk analyse som har som mål å utforske ungdommenes og musikkterapeutenes opplevelse av deres relasjon. Syv tema har blitt utviklet gjennom en abduktiv prosess, hvor fenomenologisk teori brukes som inspirasjon for tolkning av det empiriske materialet. Fire av disse temaene fokuserer på hvordan informantene opplever følelsene som oppstår i relasjonen, og de tre andre temaene fokuserer på opplevelser av deres samhandlinger. Den andre tilnærmingen er en diskursorientert tematisk analyse som utforsker diskursive mønstre i hvordan informantene prater om relasjonene, med en utdypende utforskning av hvordan informantene diskuterer og bruker begrepene ‘musikk’, ‘terapi’ og ‘relasjon’. Resultatene fra de to analysene viser blant annet at ungdommene identifiserer følelser av ‘ektehet’, forståelse, aksept og respekt for det private i relasjonene – følelser som mangler i andre relasjoner med voksne omsorgspersoner, ifølge dem selv. Alle informantene understreker verdien av trygghet, men de opplever også et behov for å bryte vekk fra det trygge gjennom å gjøre utfordrende aktiviteter. Andre funn viser at dyadene gradvis utvikler en egen måte å snakke om og forstå relasjonen deres. Samtidig beskriver informantene deler av relasjonen på svært forskjellige måter. Dette er spesielt tydelig i diskusjoner rundt musikk og begrepene ‘terapi’ og ‘terapeut’. Basert på funn fra begge analysene foreslår jeg at ungdommene og musikkterapeutene opplever og snakker om deres relasjon som noe som skaper unike relasjonelle muligheter. I de første fasene av relasjonen er disse mulighetene begrenset, da dyadene starter den musikkterapeutiske prosessen med å fokusere på aktiviteter som er kjente for ungdommene. På dette stadiet står følelser som autentisitet, normalitet og trygghet i fokus. Derfra utvikler relasjonen seg på to måter. På ett nivå, så utvikler ungdommene og musikkterapeutene en implisitt forståelse av hverandre og relasjonen. På et annet nivå, så utvikler relasjonen seg gjennom samhandlinger preget av kreativitet og sårbarhet, som musikklytting, fremføring, samspill og samtale. Disse aktivitetene er øyeblikk hvor ungdommene og musikkterapeutene åpner seg for hverandre, for musikken, og i noen tilfeller, for et publikum. De to nivåene av relasjonell utvikling henger sammen: gjennom å oppnå en større forståelse av hverandre så kan dyadene utvikle seg selv og relasjonen videre – og nye muligheter for samhandling åpner seg. Gjennom å utfordre seg selv og hverandre i kreative aktiviteter oppnår ungdommene og musikkterapeutene en større forståelse av hverandre, hvilket leder til en økt følelse av trygghet i relasjonen. Sett i lys av diskusjoner i barnevernsfeltet så foreslår jeg at musikkterapeuter kan være en del av større støttenettverk for ungdommer i barnevernet, og at de kanskje kan tilby former for trygghet og støtte som ungdommene ikke opplever i andre settinger og relasjoner. Funnene viser også at musikkterapeuter i barnevernet kan nå ungdommer som er skeptiske til terapi og psykisk helsevern, ettersom de tilbyr et opplegg som blir opplevd som hjelpsomt, men ikke nødvendigvis som ‘terapi’. Videre trengs det mer forskning på ungdommers opplevelse av relasjoner i musikkterapi, da denne studien kun gir innsikt i noen få informanters opplevelser.

In recent years, social network analysis has had its own distinctive theoretical and methodological underpinnings. This article proposes a novel method for the application of a fused mixed-methods approach and social network analyses that incorporates the critical aspects of numerous characteristics of children’s social development in a statutory care setting. We collected data from children involved in the Mockingbird Family out-of-home care model, following its implementation in Australia. Our approach involves three steps: social-developmental network indicators, relational dynamics, and social-developmental network narrative. We contend that this approach has the potential to provide powerful data representation that facilitates the understanding of the complexities of children’s social development, the links between different positions and roles of children, and their social network in the Mockingbird family. Using exemplars, we show the potential of the research method to unearth rich data for seeking to understand the system change important for strengthening children’s safe and protective environments. Refereed/Peer-reviewed

The fact that the educational trajectories of children in out-of-home care are deficient is now well established. This phenomenon is significant, persistent and universal. The aim of this research is to explore the explanatory factors which influence the quality of the educational pathways of children in care. This research includes two types of analysis. The first is diachronic and linear, i.e. the evolution of schooling from the period prior to placement until the child leaves care. The second is contextual, systemic and circular, opening up a dynamic dialogue between the different actors involved, throughout the construction of this phenomenon. The aim is to highlight the perspectives of the actors into a set of representations and behaviours that allow the complexity of the phenomenon to be approached more closely. A methodology combining approaches, tools and data-collection methods was chosen: a quantitative approach which uses questionnaires, analysis of legal texts and administrative files, and a qualitative approach which uses individual interviews. The study shows that academic difficulties are present before children enter the system. A low priority given to schooling in care at the institutional level was noted. Measured improvements in schooling situations are noted during the placement in a context of multiple influencing factors. Finally, the perspective of minors and young adults in care highlights that a large majority of them have professional plans but in a context of vulnerability on the eve of leaving the care system.; Le caractère déficitaire des trajectoires scolaires des enfants accueillis en protection de l’enfance est aujourd’hui un fait bien établi. Ce phénomène est significatif, persistant et universel. L’objectif de cette recherche est d’explorer les facteurs explicatifs influençant la qualité des parcours scolaires des enfants accueillis en protection de l’enfance. Cette recherche comprend deux types d’analyse. Le premier est diachronique linéaire, à savoir l’évolution des parcours scolaires de la période antérieure au placement jusqu’à la sortie du dispositif. Le deuxième est contextuel, systémique et circulaire en ouvrant un dialogue dynamique interposé entre les différents acteurs concernés, tout au long de la construction de ce phénomène. Le but est d’éclairer les perspectives des acteurs dans un ensemble de représentations et de comportements permettant d’approcher au plus près la complexité du phénomène. Une méthodologie de combinaison d’approches, d’outils et de modes de recueil de données a été retenue : approche quantitative par questionnaires, analyse de textes juridiques et de dossiers administratifs, et approche qualitative par entretiens. L’étude montre la présence de difficultés scolaires avant l’entrée dans le dispositif. Une faible priorité accordée à la scolarité en protection de l’enfance sur le plan institutionnel est relevée. Des améliorations mesurées des situations scolaires sont notées durant le placement dans un contexte de facteurs d’influence multiples. Enfin, la perspective des mineurs et jeunes majeurs accueillis met en évidence la forte présence de projets professionnels mais dans un contexte de vulnérabilité à la veille de la sortie du dispositif.

The aim of this study was to explore and better understand the enablers and barriers of implementation and how these impact on the organisational successes and challenges of adopting The Sanctuary Model, as perceived by residential care staff. Following ethics approval, three semi-structured interviews and six focus groups were conducted with residential care staff between February and July, 2020. Participants identified a number of enablers, presented in the subthemes: (a) social support systems and resources; (b) shared trauma-informed knowledge and understanding; and (c) leadership and champions. These enablers influenced organisational successes in adopting: (a) the Sanctuary Commitments; (b) the S.E.L.F Framework; (c) Reflective Practice and Supervision; and (d) Trauma Theory. A number of barriers hindering implementation were identified. These were reflected in the subthemes: (a) informal practice; (b) lack of practice-based training; (c) poor introduction to young people; and (d) resources. These barriers impacted on organisational challenges faced in residential out-of-home care including: (a) The Sanctuary Model Toolkit and (b) young people’s behaviour and engagement. Comparisons from this study and previous findings identified by executive and upper management staff (decision makers) are discussed. Key findings indicate that when implementing, sustaining and embedding The Sanctuary Model, organisations need to become trauma-informed rather than ‘do’ trauma-informed care and organisations need to “live and breathe” The Sanctuary Model Commitments, be connected and inclusive of one another, use trauma-informed language and feel safe.

The social educator is the main protective and affective reference for children and adolescents in care. It is essential, therefore, that these professionals are continuously qualified. The objective of this study was to evaluate the viability of Programa Cuida, a program to improve the positive educational practices for social educators in residential care. The program consists of eight-weekly sessions that work on topics such as assertive communication, conflict resolution strategies, emotional self-regulation and self-care practices. The program was applied in two groups, totaling 12 social educators and the feasibility criteria analyzed were: Acceptability/adherence; Observers’ evaluation of the moderator; Participants’ satisfaction with the Program and moderator; Understanding/generalization of contents. Descriptive statistics analyzes and a qualitative data analysis plan were used, based on the records of observers, participants and moderator. The results obtained were satisfactory considering the evaluated criteria and the changes introduced in the program are presented. This study demonstrates the viability of the proposal to proceed to efficacy trial. El educador social es la principal referencia protectora y afectiva para niños y adolescentes acogidos. Es esencial, por lo tanto, que estos profesionales estén continuamente calificados. El objetivo de este estudio fue evaluar la viabilidad del Programa Cuida, un programa de prácticas educativas positivas dirigido a educadores sociales de instituciones de acogida. El programa consta de ocho sesiones que trabajan sobre temas como la regulación emocional, la comunicación asertiva, las estrategias de resolución de conflictos y el autocuidado. El programa se aplicó en dos grupos, totalizando 12 educadores sociales y los criterios de viabilidad analizados fueron: Aceptabilidad/adhesión; Evaluación del moderador por los observadores; Satisfacción de los participantes con el programa y el moderador; Comprensión/generalización de los contenidos. Se realizaron análisis estadísticos descriptivos y un análisis cualitativo basado en los registros de observadores, participantes y moderador. Los resultados obtenidos fueron satisfactorios considerando los criterios evaluados y se presentan los cambios introducidos en el programa. Este estudio demuestra la viabilidad de la propuesta de intervención para proceder a un estudio de eficacia. O educador social configura-se como a principal referência protetiva e afetiva de crianças e adolescentes acolhidos. É fundamental, portanto, que estes profissionais sejam continuamente qualificados. O objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar a viabilidade do Programa Cuida, programa em práticas educativas positivas destinado a educadores sociais de instituições de acolhimento. O programa é composto de oito sessões que trabalham temáticas como regulação emocional, comunicação assertiva, estratégias de resolução de conflitos e autocuidado. O programa foi aplicado em dois grupos, totalizando 12 educadores sociais e os critérios de viabilidade analisados foram: Aceitabilidade/adesão; Avaliação do moderador pelos observadores; Satisfação dos participantes com o programa e com o moderador; Compreensão/generalização dos conteúdos. Foram realizadas análises estatísticas descritivas e uma análise qualitativa a partir dos registros dos observadores, participantes e moderador. Os resultados obtidos foram satisfatórios considerando os critérios avaliados e as mudanças introduzidas no programa são apresentadas. Este estudo demonstra a viabilidade da proposta de intervenção para que siga para estudo de eficácia.