Last Resort or Best Interest? Exploring the Risk and Safety Factors That Inform the Rates of Relocation for Young People Abused in Extra-Familial Settings

Abstract

When young people are harmed in extra-familial settings children’s services may place them into care at a distance from their home authority to remove them from contexts in which they are considered ‘at risk’. Guidance and regulation suggest such intervention be used as a last resort and only in a child’s best interests. Using survey and interview data, this article examines how relocations are used in response to extra-familial harm (EFH) in thirteen children’s services departments inEngland and Wales—exploring the extent to which they are intended to mitigate risk, or build safety, for young people. Findings demonstrate that rates at which relocations were used varied across participating services. Interview data suggest that variation may be informed by the strategic position a service takes on the use of relocation, the goal(s) of interventions used in cases of EFH, and the target of these interventions. In considering each of these factors, the authors recommend further study into the national (varying) rates of relocation and the role of those who review care plans for relocated young people; both intending to create conditions in which young people can safely return to their communities should they choose to do so.

Holding It Together? Professional Perspectives on the Role of Relationships when Relocating Young People due to Extra-familial Harm

“…Survey returns and transcribed interview data was initially analysed to report the rate of, and associated rationale for, relocations in cases of EFH in participating sites (Firmin, Wroe and Bernard, 2021). To achieve this, sites were organised into three groups -those whose survey returns evidenced that they relocated less than 5% of all young people they were supporting due to EFH in September 2019; those who relocated 5-10% of young people; and those who relocated over 10%.…”

When Helping Hurts: A Zemiological Analysis of a Child Protection Intervention in Adolescence—Implications for a Critical Child Protection Studies

“…This paper applies a 'zemiological' lens to data from the second phase of a three-year, mixed methods study exploring when, why and how frequently the UK child protection system uses 'out of area' placements ('relocations') to safeguard adolescents from harms they have experienced in contexts beyond their families. Data from phase one of the research have been previously published (Firmin et al 2021). Here, data are analysed 'zemioloigcally' using the typology proposed by Canning and Tombs (2021).…”

“…Relocation of adolescents is a common child protection response (Firmin et al 2021) to harms such as peer-on-peer abuse and sexual and criminal exploitation, known in the UK context as 'extra-familial harm' (EFH herein, HM Government 2018). Relocation can rely on the full legal force of child protection legislation to remove children from their families and place them in the care of the state at a significant distance from their communities (Firmin et al 2021). In many cases, relocating young people involves statutorily, or at least practically, depriving them of their liberty (Roe 2022;Firmin et al 2021).…”

“…Relocation can rely on the full legal force of child protection legislation to remove children from their families and place them in the care of the state at a significant distance from their communities (Firmin et al 2021). In many cases, relocating young people involves statutorily, or at least practically, depriving them of their liberty (Roe 2022;Firmin et al 2021). To date, analysis of when, how and why relocations are used to safeguard adolescents has concerned itself with dilemmas of professional decision making in multi-disciplinary professional contexts and the extent to which the intervention achieves safety for young people (Firmin et al 2021).…”

“…In many cases, relocating young people involves statutorily, or at least practically, depriving them of their liberty (Roe 2022;Firmin et al 2021). To date, analysis of when, how and why relocations are used to safeguard adolescents has concerned itself with dilemmas of professional decision making in multi-disciplinary professional contexts and the extent to which the intervention achieves safety for young people (Firmin et al 2021). The recent 'Case for Change' interim findings from the Independent Review into Children's Social Care in England (MacAlister 2021) suggest that relocations indicate a failure to safeguard adolescents in extra-familial contexts, and participatory research with professionals involved in the relocation of adolescents indicates that relocations are often felt to be the only means of keeping young people safe whilst they are ambivalent about their use (Firmin et al 2021).…”