First published in 1998, this volume recognises that, despite the plethora of benign welfare approaches to troubled and troublesome adolescents, a small proportion find themselves locked up. Who are they, why is it thought necessary to contain them and what effect does it have? This Dartington study tries to answer these questions by scrutinising the lives of 204 young people admitted to long-stay secure treatment units. It charts their experiences from their point of entry until two years after they leave. It also looks at equally difficult youngsters whose behaviour is dealt with in other ways. With such a varied group, it is difficult to be categorical about the value of security but, by employing a 'career' perspective that takes account of the interaction between life routes and process, the relationship between young people's background characteristics, treatment and subsequent experience becomes clear. In fact, the research found considerable predictability amid the apparent chaos, a feature that should help practitioners and managers to fashion more effective approaches.

This book was originally published in 1998, when over 6,000 children lived in residential homes in England and Wales. The fact that some children's homes are better than others is well established, but why should this be so? Past answers have tended to be tautologous - rather on the lines of 'a good home is one where children do well; children do well because they are in a good home.' This study examines various aspects of children's homes and explores the connections between them in an attempt to break down the old circular argument. Structures are discernible in the relationship between different types of goals - societal, formal and belief; the variable balance between these goals determines staff cultures, which, in turn, shape the child cultures that develop. Such relationships are important because of their close association with outcomes - whether the children do well, whether the homes prosper. The model described in the book provides a conceptual framework and a set of causal relationships that should help professionals to plan and manage residential care better and so meet the needs of vulnerable children more effectively.

First published in 1998, this Darlington child care study looks at the return experiences of children looked after by local authorities. It shows that although the great majority of children go back to their families and home communities, little is known about the process. How can professionals and carers make the transition as easy as possible? The book takes forward ideas first reported in the Dartmouth publication, going home: The return of children separated from their families and tested in subsequent research. It charts patterns of separation and return, considers the experiences of those involved and highlights factors associated with the likelihood of return and its success. Because the factors described in the earlier research have since been confirmed in a blind prospective study they are among the most robust indicators available.

First published in 1998, this volume recognises that, despite the plethora of benign welfare approaches to troubled and troublesome adolescents, a small proportion find themselves locked up. Who are they, why is it thought necessary to contain them and what effect does it have? This Dartington study tries to answer these questions by scrutinising the lives of 204 young people admitted to long-stay secure treatment units. It charts their experiences from their point of entry until two years after they leave. It also looks at equally difficult youngsters whose behaviour is dealt with in other ways. With such a varied group, it is difficult to be categorical about the value of security but, by employing a 'career' perspective that takes account of the interaction between life routes and process, the relationship between young people's background characteristics, treatment and subsequent experience becomes clear. In fact, the research found considerable predictability amid the apparent chaos, a feature that should help practitioners and managers to fashion more effective approaches.

First published in 1998, this Darlington child care study looks at the return experiences of children looked after by local authorities. It shows that although the great majority of children go back to their families and home communities, little is known about the process. How can professionals and carers make the transition as easy as possible? The book takes forward ideas first reported in the Dartmouth publication, going home: The return of children separated from their families and tested in subsequent research. It charts patterns of separation and return, considers the experiences of those involved and highlights factors associated with the likelihood of return and its success. Because the factors described in the earlier research have since been confirmed in a blind prospective study they are among the most robust indicators available.

This book was originally published in 1998, when over 6,000 children lived in residential homes in England and Wales. The fact that some children's homes are better than others is well established, but why should this be so? Past answers have tended to be tautologous - rather on the lines of 'a good home is one where children do well; children do well because they are in a good home.' This study examines various aspects of children's homes and explores the connections between them in an attempt to break down the old circular argument. Structures are discernible in the relationship between different types of goals - societal, formal and belief; the variable balance between these goals determines staff cultures, which, in turn, shape the child cultures that develop. Such relationships are important because of their close association with outcomes - whether the children do well, whether the homes prosper. The model described in the book provides a conceptual framework and a set of causal relationships that should help professionals to plan and manage residential care better and so meet the needs of vulnerable children more effectively.