In March 2020, the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic hit Italy and had dramatic and unforeseen consequences for millions of schoolchildren. Students with special educational needs or disabilities (SEND) were faced with drastic changes to their local environment caused by the lockdown. This impacted their ability to function in ways in which they…

Across the UK, child protection social workers are routinely called upon to assess the likelihood of future significant harm to children. Yet making consistently accurate judgements about what may or may not happen in future can be a difficult task. In a previous study, we tested social workers' abilities (n = 283) to forecast the likelihood of…

To date, there is a lack of suitable assessment tools specifically for the looked after child population. Such assessments, often completed by foster carers, help to provide an overview of a child's presenting level of emotional and behavioural need, and are evidential in offering a pathway to further provision and services for young people in…

We have observed that as the theoretical landscape in behavioral science continues to proliferate and diversify, it is not uncommon that distance between subspecialties emerge, artificially accentuating differences between camps. This may occur at the risk of losing sight of the common ground, and worsening communication between subspecialties. In…

It's been more than two years and the world is still struggling with the COVID-19 pandemic, which has tested the health and education system of almost every country and has resulted in the worst crisis ever. Children and youths all over the world have suffered the most due to partial and or complete closure of schools and will remember this…

The paper presents results of a phenomenological longitudinal qualitative study undertaken with mentors associated with the Big Brothers Big Sisters programme in the Czech Republic. Ten mentors were interviewed during the first month and after 5 and 10 months of their mentoring involvement employing phenomenological in-depth semi-structured…

My personal experience as a foster child in various extended family households in southeast Nigeria is something I wish to document in my adult life. My research engagement with study participants on informal foster care practice is also a story I aspire to share in a social work evidence-based journal. This paper therefore is not focused on…

Poor mental health--compared to that of the neurotypical child population--is a serious concern for many autistic children and young people around the world. In the UK, we have an increasing number of autistic young people receiving care in NHS funded in-patient mental health facilities. While sensory processing differences have now been added to…

This article presents the findings of a qualitative study of foster carers' and multidisciplinary practitioners' perceptions of foster carers' needs and existing practices in foster care in Ireland. This study explored participants' perceptions of the development of a trauma-informed care (TIC) psychoeducational intervention for foster carers.…

Objectives: The impact of psychosocial factors and social support in the transmission of trauma related to migration and the mother-child dyad has not yet been amply explored. This article examines this impact and the role that psychosocial factors may have in the transmission of the traumatic experiences of migrant mothers to their children.…

Objective: In Northern Ireland, it is widely agreed that mental health service provision for children and young people is inadequate and that there is a need for much greater prioritisation and strategic planning in this area. Successive Governments have made commitments to improve services, and although progress has been made, considerable reform…

Critical moments from a youth transitions' point of view, narrative turning points from a life course perspective, and biographical crisis from a subjective and reflexivity approach have been of interest for those concerned in biographical approaches, life histories, and social trajectories. It has been rightfully associated with qualitative…

The purpose of this paper is to present a reading of child protection and welfare practice in the recent COVID-19 pandemic, with reference to several popular concepts in social work. The focus is on the relevance of these concepts to the contemporary circumstances in which child protection and welfare social workers often now find themselves. The…

Autobiographical memory supports three functions of remembering past, the self, social, and directive. Previous studies undertaken with adults recalling their play experiences have identified three aspects: the ages between 7 and 12 years are key; there are significant adults involved in the play and location that play talks place. This paper,…

Contact from the police to advise a parent that their child has come into conflict with the law can be devastating. Of the 904 individuals formally referred to youth justice services in Northern Ireland during 2020-21, one-quarter were reoffences. Most will involve boys' aged 15 plus years with numbers reflecting the wider UK prevalence. Whilst…