This qualitative study explored adolescent girls' perspectives and programme needs as they transition from two institutions in Highfield, Harare, Zimbabwe. The study was guided by the sustainable livelihood and feminist theoretical frameworks. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 32 adolescent girls (16 inside and 16 outside) from…

During imprisonment, fathers are separated from their families and contact is limited. When delivering a prison based parenting programme, providing an opportunity to rehearse newly acquired parenting skills can be key for mastering the performance of these skills and using these skills to improve father-child relationships. This paper takes an…

Qualitative methods (i.e. semi-structured interviews) were used in this micro-research to explore the different ways in which young people and social and residential workers perceive the outcomes of the residential care experience. By comparing the participants' points of view, it was possible to investigate different ways of thinking about…

Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) remains a leading cause of infant death in the United States, and in Virginia. We sought to gauge the perceptions among community-identified stakeholders regarding community resource needs to reduce SIDS. Snowball sampling identified important community stakeholders to be interviewed as key informants. A…

The Norwegian Correctional Service offers a program called "Fathers in Prison", aimed at helping incarcerated fathers to have better contact with their children during their sentence and after release. On the basis of 38 semi-structured interviews with prisoners who have completed the program, we would argue that there is reason to…

There is a dearth of research on the experience of motherhood within the Irish prison system. This paper considers the specific issue of facilitating contact between incarcerated mothers and their children. It is based on a study which explores the views of practitioners working directly with mothers in prison on how the mother-child relationship…

Semi-structured interviews were conducted with boys and young men who have Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), a severe, degenerative condition that only affects boys. The main focus of the interviews was to explore how the participants thought they might make a decision to take part in medical research. To better understand this, aspects of the…

This article presents the findings of a qualitative study of parents' perceptions of a video-modelling assisted group-based parent training programme, the Parents Plus Children's Programme (PPCP). PPCP was developed in Ireland and is culturally sensitive to the Irish context. PPCP aims to reduce emotional and behavioural difficulties in children…

Family members of children with disabilities have become more involved in their children's care and have adopted the role of primary caregiver. Due to the varying degrees of the condition, children with cerebral palsy (CP) often require greater involvement from their caregivers. Fifteen caregivers for children with CP residing in rural communities…

Ten per cent of young people experience mental health difficulties at any one time. Prevention and early intervention leads to better prognosis for young people's mental well-being in the short and long term. Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) must be able to provide swift and effective interventions for a range of difficulties to…

Research in the area of working with ethnic minorities in the care system remains limited. The primary objective of this study was to consider the volume of cases referred to the Northern Ireland Guardian Ad Litem Agency (NIGALA) from ethnic minority families in 2013/14 and to generate knowledge from the cases about cultural competency in the…

Looked-after and accommodated children are at higher risk of poor mental health and behavioural difficulties and experience high levels of emotional and psychological distress. Consultation plays a pivotal role in providing indirect support to vulnerable children and young people. The aim of this study was to explore the experience of consultation…

Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is an inherited, progressive and life-limiting neuromuscular disease that affects boys. During their lives, they experience a series of medical and surgical interventions. Research reported in this paper took place in England with 37 young men living with DMD and their families and explored their experiences of…

Although leaving statutory out-of-home care can be a challenging time for many young people, it is recognised that young people who have multiple or complex needs find this transition particularly difficult. This study aims to gain a deeper understanding of the challenges faced by care leavers who have complex needs, as well as to identify some of…

In 1992, Ireland committed to the right of children to participate in decision-making that impacts on their lives. The extent to which this right is upheld for young people in the care of the State who live in residential childcare centres is unknown. A small qualitative case study was carried out in four such centres in the West of Ireland in…