How do special guardians view the educational experiences of the children in their care

: a qualitative exploration using reflective thematic analysis

Abstract

Special guardianship is a permanent care option for children who cannot remain in the care of their birth parents yet would benefit from remaining in the care of a family member or another adult who has previously cared for the child. Children subject to special guardianship orders are identified by various professional bodies as a vulnerable group who frequently experience significant adversity in relation to changing care circumstances. There is currently limited research concerning outcomes for special guardianship children and no research has been published focusing on the cohort’s educational experiences.
The current study aimed to explore the educational experiences of children subject to special guardianship orders through the accounts of experience offered by special guardians. It presents findings from semi-structured interviews with eight special guardians, all of whom are grandmothers to the children in their care. Interviews concerned how participants viewed their grandchildren’s educational experiences and their needs within schools, how children’s needs were shaped by changes to care placements and which factors were seen to inhibit or encourage positive experiences of education.
Participants reported mixed experiences of education for their grandchildren. The most common area of need for children was in relation to the emotional barriers they faced in their learning and development. Using reflexive thematic analysis, data was organized into four core themes with 15 subthemes. Core themes concerned: the challenges faced by guardianship families through care transitions; the importance of understanding children’s needs in relation to their care histories; and the value of the normalcy and predictability of school.
Findings are discussed in relation to three psychological theories: socioecological theory, attachment theory and resilience theory. Implications for educational psychology practice and further recommendations for research are discussed.

Date of Award	2 Dec 2021
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	University of Bristol
Supervisor	Dan P O'Hare (Supervisor) & Dinithi Nisanka Wijedasa (Supervisor)