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This paper describes a model of multi-agency consultation created for social workers and other allied professionals working with Looked After Children. THINKSPACE is based on a reflecting team model as developed by Andersen (1987). This paper describes some of the dilemmas and solutions faced when implementing the model and incorporates feedback from those providing and using the service.THINKSPACE has had a significant impact on creating a shared understanding of a child’s behaviour and needs across agencies, containing the system’s anxiety about a case, and at times ensuring that the relevant agencies are informed and appropriately involved in a child’s care plan. It is a successful example of the Government’s drive for multi-agency working and has allowed professionals to work together effectively across agencies to support some of the most vulnerable Looked After Children. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Amy Taylor, Rachel Swann and Fiona Warren report on a study that aimed to explore foster carers' beliefs about the causes of foster children's emotional and behavioural difficulties (EBD), with a view to creating a theory to explain how this particular group of people make sense of these problems. Fourteen foster carers, with either past or present experience of caring for foster children with EBD, volunteered to take part in an interview to discuss their views. The interviews were transcribed and the data analysed using Grounded Theory methodology (Glaser and Strauss, 1967). Nine major causal categories emerged from the data and a theoretical model was constructed to help explicate these categories and the links between them. The results demonstrated that foster carers believed that much of foster children's difficulties were caused by early experiences of adversity (eg abuse) or inadequate care (eg neglect) prior to being fostered. However, there seemed to be a sense that these difficulties could be exacerbated by subsequent experiences within the care system itself. The clinical implications of these findings and future research directions are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]