Re-Designing Secure Children’s Homes Through a Child-First Lens
This article explores existing learning gaps concerning optimal ways to support children within and beyond secure care in England and Wales, with a specific focus on Secure Children’s Homes (SCHs). Insights from key stakeholders working in SCHs are often omitted from research despite being fundament...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2024-10-01
|
| Series: | Societies |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4698/14/11/217 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1850266482898894848 |
|---|---|
| author | Caroline Andow Stefan Kleipoedszus Rachel Dunn Nicola Wake Raymond Arthur Adeela Shafi David Gibson |
| author_facet | Caroline Andow Stefan Kleipoedszus Rachel Dunn Nicola Wake Raymond Arthur Adeela Shafi David Gibson |
| author_sort | Caroline Andow |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | This article explores existing learning gaps concerning optimal ways to support children within and beyond secure care in England and Wales, with a specific focus on Secure Children’s Homes (SCHs). Insights from key stakeholders working in SCHs are often omitted from research despite being fundamental to understanding both challenges and best-practice initiatives. The Children’s Residential Care Research Network, which is a collaboration between the authors, aims to develop novel research with stakeholders working across the secure children’s estate and expand the extant literature to inform the design and build of future Secure Children’s Homes (SCH) through a Child-First lens. The research presented here involves a mixed-methods approach gathering rich qualitative data from participants across the sector. Fifty-three participants engaged in participatory methodologies, focus groups, and interviews, which led to a large data set. Thematic analysis identified three key themes to inform the design and build of new SCHs. SCHs should (i) be close to home to enable family involvement and continuity of care, (ii) feel like a home, and (iii) be flexible and adaptive to changing needs. These findings are feeding into the design of two new homes in England as well as the refurbishment of existing provision and can also influence future expansion of the secure estate. The research also contributes to knowledge about how the Child-First tenets can be engaged to improve outcomes for children deprived of their liberty, both in and outside the youth justice system. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-834fccfac405437ab923f2b968b52b7a |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2075-4698 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-10-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Societies |
| spelling | doaj-art-834fccfac405437ab923f2b968b52b7a2025-08-20T01:54:08ZengMDPI AGSocieties2075-46982024-10-01141121710.3390/soc14110217Re-Designing Secure Children’s Homes Through a Child-First LensCaroline Andow0Stefan Kleipoedszus1Rachel Dunn2Nicola Wake3Raymond Arthur4Adeela Shafi5David Gibson6Department of Social Sciences & Social Work, Bournemouth University, Poole BH12 5BB, UKDepartment of Social Sciences & Social Work, Bournemouth University, Poole BH12 5BB, UKLeeds Law School, Leeds Beckett University, Leeds LS1 3HE, UKSchool of Law, Northumbria University, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 8ST, UKSchool of Law, Northumbria University, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 8ST, UKEducation in Youth Justice, University of Gloucestershire, Cheltenham GL50 2RH, UKSchool of Law, Northumbria University, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 8ST, UKThis article explores existing learning gaps concerning optimal ways to support children within and beyond secure care in England and Wales, with a specific focus on Secure Children’s Homes (SCHs). Insights from key stakeholders working in SCHs are often omitted from research despite being fundamental to understanding both challenges and best-practice initiatives. The Children’s Residential Care Research Network, which is a collaboration between the authors, aims to develop novel research with stakeholders working across the secure children’s estate and expand the extant literature to inform the design and build of future Secure Children’s Homes (SCH) through a Child-First lens. The research presented here involves a mixed-methods approach gathering rich qualitative data from participants across the sector. Fifty-three participants engaged in participatory methodologies, focus groups, and interviews, which led to a large data set. Thematic analysis identified three key themes to inform the design and build of new SCHs. SCHs should (i) be close to home to enable family involvement and continuity of care, (ii) feel like a home, and (iii) be flexible and adaptive to changing needs. These findings are feeding into the design of two new homes in England as well as the refurbishment of existing provision and can also influence future expansion of the secure estate. The research also contributes to knowledge about how the Child-First tenets can be engaged to improve outcomes for children deprived of their liberty, both in and outside the youth justice system.https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4698/14/11/217Child-Firstdeprivation of libertydesign and buildSecure Children’s Homesthematic analysis |
| spellingShingle | Caroline Andow Stefan Kleipoedszus Rachel Dunn Nicola Wake Raymond Arthur Adeela Shafi David Gibson Re-Designing Secure Children’s Homes Through a Child-First Lens Societies Child-First deprivation of liberty design and build Secure Children’s Homes thematic analysis |
| title | Re-Designing Secure Children’s Homes Through a Child-First Lens |
| title_full | Re-Designing Secure Children’s Homes Through a Child-First Lens |
| title_fullStr | Re-Designing Secure Children’s Homes Through a Child-First Lens |
| title_full_unstemmed | Re-Designing Secure Children’s Homes Through a Child-First Lens |
| title_short | Re-Designing Secure Children’s Homes Through a Child-First Lens |
| title_sort | re designing secure children s homes through a child first lens |
| topic | Child-First deprivation of liberty design and build Secure Children’s Homes thematic analysis |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4698/14/11/217 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT carolineandow redesigningsecurechildrenshomesthroughachildfirstlens AT stefankleipoedszus redesigningsecurechildrenshomesthroughachildfirstlens AT racheldunn redesigningsecurechildrenshomesthroughachildfirstlens AT nicolawake redesigningsecurechildrenshomesthroughachildfirstlens AT raymondarthur redesigningsecurechildrenshomesthroughachildfirstlens AT adeelashafi redesigningsecurechildrenshomesthroughachildfirstlens AT davidgibson redesigningsecurechildrenshomesthroughachildfirstlens |