Daisybank 1983–1989. An audit of a residential home preparing adolescents for permanent placements

Abstract

This paper describes the evaluation of a small children's home, Daisybank, set up to prepare adolescents, who had been in care for several years, to live in permanent placements. The home seemed largely to fail in this explicit task, but appear to succeed in helping a majority of its residents make substantial progress in coming to terms with their deprived and disrupted lives. It provided them with genuine care and commitment, which they acknowledged and appreciated. We believe that the success of the home needs to be judged by these criteria, since for young people in mid‐ to late adolescence the search for new permanent parental homes probably conflicted with other psychosocial tasks relating to adolescence. On the other hand, Daisybank seemed unable adequately to resolve the problems of a subgroup of adolescent males with serious conduct problems who were responsible for the not infrequent physical abuse of several female staff.

Outcome measurement in work with children: Comparing plans in the UK with experience in the US

“…It may be that outsiders have to be employed to collect the outcome information in order to avoid the bias involved when workers collect outcome data themselves. In some child care settings, small residential homes for example, outside help might prove less costly and more revealing (Levinson and Minty, 1992). If measures are regularly employed in monitoring exercises, however, and if the client completes some of the scales, and if there is a wide range of outcome measures in use, then the danger of bias may be reduced.…”

From Boys Town to Oliver Twist: Separating fact from fiction in welfare reform and out-of-home placement of children and youth.

“…These personal testimonials mirror positive outcome data on out-of-home care. For example, Levinson and Minty (1992) interviewed a number of current and former residents, staff members, and foster care or adoptive parents about their experiences in or with a residential home. Residents perceived that staff and the home had indeed helped them make sense of their painful historic experiences and to move on with their lives.…”

Staff looking after children in local authority residential units: the interface with child mental health professionals

“…Most notably, residential units cater predominantly for adolescents, with most authorities identifying foster homes as the placement of choice for younger children. Amongst these adolescents are some remanded to care in court proceedings for offences, and many with serious emotional and behavioural difficulties (Department of Health, 1992;Levinson and Minty, 1992;Kahan, 1994).…”