Professional proximity in perceiving child sexual abuse in residential care: The closer the better?

Abstract

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‘They became my second family’: Children's relational lives and relationship‐based practice in residential care in the Philippines

“…The UN (2010) 'Guidelines for the alternative care of children' instructs that attachments and supportive relationships for children while living in care are imperative. These relationships improve the quality of care (Coady, 2014;Timmerman et al, 2017), provide children and young people with a secure base to navigate the challenges of residential care (Zegers et al, 2006), and work to model future adult relationships (Zegers et al, 2006).…”

“…For staff in RCS, a lack of continuity, limited personal involvement with children and young people in day-to-day life, poor practice skills and experience, and administrative burdens can limit relationship-based practice (Degner et al, 2010). Risk-averse practices, including those that restrict relationships between workers and children and young people, can also inadvertently reduce the depth and quality of relationships (Timmerman et al, 2017;Timmerman & Schreuder, 2014). These circumstances are frequently reported by children and young people in the literature on residential care (Roche, 2019a).…”

Sticking with us through it all: The importance of trustworthy relationships for children and young people in residential care

“…The fundamental importance of positive worker-youth relationships has been stressed within the general residential care literature as a marker of quality (Coady, 2014: Moore, Moretti & Holland,1997Timmerman, Schreuder & Kievitsbosch, 2017). Zegers, et al (2006, p58), for example, argue that "Alliance with a trusted staff person is at first a secure base to deal with residential experience and then later becomes a model for future relationships".…”

“…Although the literature related to the protective role of workers in residential care is scarce, studies point to the importance of young people developing trustworthy relationships with both front-line and other professionals in residential care. Front-line workers have ongoing contact with children and young people, while professional staff (such as therapists) are more likely to pick up signs of sexual abuse and are often better equipped to provide effective responses (Degner, Henriksen & Oscarsson, 2010;Timmerman et al, 2017).…”