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Policymakers increasingly emphasize the importance of achieving meaningful participation of children living in residential care. To achieve the goal of participation, children must be adequately informed, have opportunities to express themselves freely and to be heard, and be given the opportunity to influence decisions about their lives. This study investigated the views and experiences of both children and staff with respect to children's participation in residential facilities in Norway. We conducted both focus‐group and individual interviews with 6 children and 18 staff members at different facilities. Qualitative interview data were analysed using the dimensions of meaningful participation: informing, hearing and involving. The study offers three main findings. First, children's initiatives determine if staff inform them of their rights, with two exceptions: children are presented with information by staff when they arrive at a facility and/or after staff use coercion that requires protocols. Second, staff members expressed the importance of listening to children's opinions in a standardized way, following bureaucratic guidelines and structures. Third, several children stated that, no matter what they say, they cannot change the minds of staff members. These findings reveal that the dimensions of meaningful participation (informing, hearing and involving) are not all fully present at these facilities. Further research is needed to determine how to achieve in practice the policy goal of participation of children in residential care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Youth in residential facilities need to perceive that they are safe. Their perceptions of the quality of treatment and care they receive are affected by how staff behave toward and communication with them as well as by the extent to which they can participate in decisions about their daily lives and futures. To better understand how youth perceive safety and experience residential facilities, we conducted a qualitative study involving eight youths between 16 and 18 years of age living in Norwegian public residential facilities. We investigated 1) their perceptions of safety and 2) their experiences of and reaction to staff behaviors and attitudes. Our findings show that these youths perceive safety as related to their own room and to the people around them. They also indicate that the everyday life of youths can vary: it may be characterized by passivity and by waiting for the start of life or of daily activities, such as school. Our findings about staff attitude and behavior point to the need for youth care services to focus on the communication abilities of staff rather than on the problematic behaviors of youth. These findings have implications for facilities that provide care and treatment to youth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In inpatient and residential youth facilities, staff concerns over actual and potential aggression and conflict frequently affect both the quality of care and staff wellbeing. This study investigated 1) staff perceptions of safety at the residential facilities where they work, and 2) staff experiences with the Basic Training Program in Safety and Security, initiated by the Norwegian Directorate of Children, Youth and Family Affairs (Bufdir), to enhance prevention and management of aggression and conflict. We conducted three focus-group interviews at three different public residential facilities with a total of 18 staff members who work daily with youth. Findings show that staff regard safety as essential and perceive enhanced safety as linked to predictability, stability, team coordination, education and training, organizational support, and trusting and supportive relationships. They also indicate that staff regard the training program as having improved their feelings of safety, enhancing awareness of conflict situations before, during and after they occur, and contributing to more systematic work processes and cooperative and coordinated teamwork. These findings have implications for all facilities providing care and treatment to youth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]