Abstract
A care order represents one of the most significant state interventions in England and Wales. The end of the care order is equally important, often meaning a withdrawal of statutory support and monitoring, and children returning home to birth parent(s), living with kinship carers or living independently. Despite its importance, little is known about the discharge of care orders. This paper reports on the findings of the first study of the discharge of care orders in England and Wales. Casefile data from 323 children’s records were analysed using descriptive and bivariate statistical analysis. Qualitative data from the same records were collected and analysed thematically. Interviews and focus groups were also held with 41 professionals involved in discharge. Based on the findings, the paper reports on a new typology of discharge applications. The typology represents six distinctly different types of application varying on: process and application outcome; length of proceedings; applicant motivation; and age and views of the child. The typology developed indicates that differentiated legal and social work processes may be needed to better meet the needs of children and families. The paper concludes by presenting recommendations for policy, practice and research in this field.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Article number | bcae081 |
| Pages (from-to) | 3096-3115 |
| Number of pages | 20 |
| Journal | British Journal of Social Work |
| Volume | 54 |
| Issue number | 7 |
| Early online date | 28 May 2024 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | E-pub ahead of print - 28 May 2024 |
Bibliographical note
Publisher Copyright:© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The British Association of Social Workers.
Research Groups and Themes
- SPS Centre for Gender and Violence Research
- SPS Children and Families Research Centre
Keywords
- Children’s social care
- Children and families
- Care Orders
- Care Proceedings
- Casefile Data
- Discharge of Care Orders
- Family Court
- Mixed-method
- Special Guardianship Orders
- Supervision Orders
Access to Document
- Supplementary information PDF
This is the accepted author manuscript (AAM) of the article which has been made Open Access under the University of Bristol's Scholarly Works Policy. The final published version (Version of Record) can be found on the publisher's website. The copyright of any third-party content, such as images, remains with the copyright holder.