Understanding Early Permanence

Project Dates

June 2019 - April 2021

Funder

Barnardos, Caritas Care and Adoption Matters

Project Summary

The Centre for Child and Family Justice Research has been commissioned to undertake a small-scale mixed methods research study by a consortium of agencies (Barnardos, Caritas Care and Adoption Matters) delivering early permanence services in three areas of England (The North West, Yorkshire and Humber, and Staffordshire/Stoke).

The following research questions underpin the study:

1)     What does the national published data tell us about the use of early permanence nationally and regionally?

2)     What are the key messages from national and international research literature relating to early permanence approaches?

3)     What are the key messages from wider adoption literature regarding indicators for stability and child health and wellbeing in adoptive placements, and how might these be helpful in the development and delivery of early permanence approaches?

4)     What do we understand about local authorities’ decision-making and strategic direction in relation to early permanence pathways?

5)     What is understood about differences and similarities between Concurrent Planning and Fostering for Adoption in policy and practice and in what ways are these differences evident in practice delivery?

The findings from this study will inform both current early permanence practice and development. It is also hoped that this small-scale mixed methods study will form the first stage of a larger-scale research project, should future funding be secured.

Research Team

Claire Mason (Principal Investigator) is a Research Fellow at The Centre for Family Justice at Lancaster University. Claire has practiced and researched in the field of children and families’ social care for more than 20 years and has a particular interest in the interface between research and practice and on supporting practice change. Claire has worked on a range of research projects at local, regional and national level including a national project investigating the issue of women in recurrent care proceedings and most recently the Born into Care series of work focussing on newborns in care proceedings.

Rebecca Brown (lead researcher) is a researcher and PHD student at Lancaster University. Rebecca has 15 years experience of research to inform policy and practice within the children’s social care field. Rebecca is particularly interested in decision-making and outcomes for very young children in, or on the edges of, care. Alongside Rebecca’s role at Lancaster University, she also provides consultancy for the NSPCC, Department for Education and Research in Practice.

Contact

For further details contact Rebecca Brown (r.brown14@lancaster.ac.uk)