Thesis (M.A. (Social Work))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2008.

Thesis (M.A. (Social Work))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2008.

Thesis (M.A. (Social Work))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2008.

Paper 1 - Integrated Working and the Personal Education Plan: An Exploration of the Transition into Care for Young People in Key Stage 4: The Social Care and Education systems have undergone major reform in recent years, papers such as the Every Child Matters (DfES, 2003) and The Children’s Plan (DCSF, 2007) have acted as political drivers for the identification of children in care as an vulnerable group within education. In addition, the need for effective integrated working has been identified as a key area of development in terms of professional practice. The Personal Education Plan has been identified as a vehicle for raising attainment and promoting integrated working, however, the process of engaging in the Personal Education Plan has remained relatively unexplored. This study reports a qualitative exploration of integrated working in the support of young people entering care in Key Stage 4. The study specifically explored transition, integrated working and the application of psychology within this process. Data was collected using focus groups and interviews to elicit the views of the professionals who engage in supporting young people entering care. Data was analysed using Thematic Analysis (Braun & Clarke, 2006). The findings of the study identify the successive nature of changes experienced by the young person entering care as potentially detrimental to him/her and the supporting professionals. Findings from the study suggest that professionals supporting young people in care experience ambivalence regarding the usefulness of the PEP Personal Education Plan. The competent management of change, acknowledgement of psychosocial implications and effective group working were identified as areas of development for young people entering care and for the professionals supporting them. In addition, the study found that the knowledge and experience of Educational Psychologists’ is an under utilised but potentially valuable resource. Paper 2 - Inclusive Education and the Personal Education Plan: An Exploration of the Support for Young People Entering Care in Key Stage 4 Abstract The education system has undergone major reform in recent years, papers such as the Every Child Matters (DfES, 2003) and The Children’s Plan (DCSF, 2007) have instigated a re-evaluation of the process and context of the education system. One of the major implications of this reform has been the need to identify any groups within the population who underachieve educationally with the intention of providing additional support. The role of designated teacher and use of the Personal Education Plan has been established within school settings, however, the process of supporting young people entering care within college settings has remained relatively unexplored. This study reports a qualitative exploration of core subject teachers in the support of young people entering care in Key Stage 4. The study specifically explored professional engagement in the Personal Education Plan, classroom practice and support of young people entering care. Data was collected using focus groups to elicit the views of the professionals who teach young people entering care. Data was analysed using Thematic Analysis (Braun & Clarke, 2006). The findings of the study suggest that teaching staff identify individual need in response to conflict (in the form of response to presenting behaviour within school). The nature of additional need identified within the study was predominantly psychosocial. Additional support is therefore reactive. The dichotomy between inclusive legislation and practice is explored Teachers identified the need for a proactive response to supporting young people in care as an area for development at both the individual and systemic level. Future considerations for the application of psychology and research are identified.

The sharing of personal information among health and social service organisations is a complex issue and problematic process in present-day England. Organisations which provide services to children face enormous challenges on many fronts. Internal ways of working, evolving best practice, data protection applications, government mandates and new government agencies, rapid changes in technology, and increasing costs are but a few of the challenges with which organisations must contend in order to provide services to children while keeping in step with change. This thesis is an exploration into the process of sharing personal information in the context of public sector reforms. Because there is an increasing emphasis of multi-agency collaboration, this thesis examines the information sharing processes both within and among organisations, particularly those providing services to children. From the broad principles which comprise a socio-technical approach of information sharing, distinct critical factors for successful information sharing and best practices are identified. These critical success factors are then used to evaluate the emerging national database, ContactPoint, highlighting particular areas of concern. In addition, data protection and related issues in the information sharing process are addressed. It is argued that one of the main factors which would support effective information sharing is to add a timeline to the life of a dataset containing personal information, after which the shared information would dissolve. Therefore, this thesis introduces Dynamic Multi-Agency Collaboration (DMAC), a theoretical model of effective information sharing using a limited-life dataset. The limited life of the DMAC dataset gives more control to information providers, encouraging effective information sharing within the parameters of the Data Protection Act 1998.

The sharing of personal information among health and social service organisations is a complex issue and problematic process in present-day England. Organisations which provide services to children face enormous challenges on many fronts. Internal ways of working, evolving best practice, data protection applications, government mandates and new government agencies, rapid changes in technology, and increasing costs are but a few of the challenges with which organisations must contend in order to provide services to children while keeping in step with change. This thesis is an exploration into the process of sharing personal information in the context of public sector reforms. Because there is an increasing emphasis of multi-agency collaboration, this thesis examines the information sharing processes both within and among organisations, particularly those providing services to children. From the broad principles which comprise a socio-technical approach of information sharing, distinct critical factors for successful information sharing and best practices are identified. These critical success factors are then used to evaluate the emerging national database, ContactPoint, highlighting particular areas of concern. In addition, data protection and related issues in the information sharing process are addressed. It is argued that one of the main factors which would support effective information sharing is to add a timeline to the life of a dataset containing personal information, after which the shared information would dissolve. Therefore, this thesis introduces Dynamic Multi-Agency Collaboration (DMAC), a theoretical model of effective information sharing using a limited-life dataset. The limited life of the DMAC dataset gives more control to information providers, encouraging effective information sharing within the parameters of the Data Protection Act 1998.

This thesis examines the interaction of criminal justice policy and social policy within the Prolific and Priority Offenders Scheme (PPOS), a government initiative which aims to reduce offending by persistent offenders. The research on which this thesis is based takes an interpretative approach to social inquiry and employs a qualitative methodology. It examines the operation of four PPO Schemes in the Thames Valley through semi-structured interviews with 22 practitioners and 16 offenders, and participant observation of over 45 multi-agency meetings. The interaction between crime and social policy is explored through examination of three aspects of the PPOS: the coercion of offenders within the Schemes; the working practices and roles of the police and probation officers seconded to the Schemes; and the way in which information and intelligence is used and generated within the Schemes. The central argument of this thesis is that the widely-accepted idea that social policy is being ‘criminalised’ provides an inadequate account of the relationship between criminal justice and social policy in the PPOS. Rather, this Scheme evidences a merger of criminal justice and social welfare agendas, which includes elements of the ‘socialisation’ of crime policy in addition to elements of ‘criminalisation’ of social policy. Whilst the ultimate aim of the PPOS is to reduce crime, and whilst social welfare services such as health, housing and benefits are provided in pursuance of this aim, the ways in which these services are provided accords with the ethos and values of social policy. The idea of a merger of criminal justice and social policy has relevance beyond the PPOS, providing a framework for analysis of other contemporary criminal justice policies, and contributing to broader debates in criminology which have for so long been dominated by the ‘criminalisation’ thesis.