MSc, Occupational Therapy, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand / Infants and toddlers living in residential care facilities are at risk of developmental delay. Environmental factors contributing to this risk are the temporal context (how children spend their time) and social context (how and when caregivers interact with children). This study compared time-use patterns of children living in residential care facilities where caregiver training had previously taken place versus those in facilities where caregiver training had not taken place using a non-experimental, cross-sectional static group comparison study design. Spot observations were used to estimate time-use patterns of infants and toddlers living in residential care in Johannesburg. Results show that caregiver training increased the quantity of time infants spent with their caregivers (temporal context) and the quality of time toddlers spent with their caregivers (social context). Thus caregiver training has the potential to improve the environment in residential care facilities and can be used as an intervention strategy by occupational therapists.

Background: Many interventions aim to alleviate well-documented problems of malnutrition in residential care homes and improve residents’ health and wellbeing. Despite some positive findings, little is known about how and why mealtime interventions might be effective, and in particular, what effects residents’ experiences of mealtimes have on health outcomes. Aim: The aim of this project was to gain an insight into residents’ experiences of mealtimes in order to inform the development of a mealtime intervention. By addressing the issues that impact on residents’ enjoyment of meals, interventions may target improvements in the health and wellbeing of residents more effectively. Methods: This thesis is comprised of three pieces of empirical work conducted using multiple methods. In a systematic review of stakeholder perceptions of mealtimes, five databases were searched from inception to November 2015, followed by thematic analysis of extracted data. In a second study, semi-structured interviews were conducted with eleven residents from four care homes in the South West UK. Thematic analysis was used to derive content and meaning from transcribed interviews. These studies informed the development of a staff-focussed training programme (study three) using the process of Intervention Mapping (IM) as a guide. The feasibility of this intervention was assessed using qualitative surveys and analysed using multiple methods. Fourteen staff from two care homes participated in the feasibility study, which investigated the deliverability of the training programme and the acceptability of its content. Findings: The systematic review and resident interview study revealed that the dining experience was a focal point for residents’ broader experiences of residing in a care home. Whilst meal quality and enjoyment impacted on the dining experience, the provision of care was pivotal in determining mealtime culture and resident agency within the home. This had implications for self-efficacy and social relationships, particularly in the context of transitioning from independent living to a care home community. These findings informed the development of a mealtime intervention, which was found to be deliverable and acceptable to staff. Conclusion: Mealtimes are a mainstay of life in a care home through which residents’ experiences are characterised, exemplified and magnified. Understanding how residents interact with one another, accommodating their preferences and encouraging autonomy may enhance their mealtime experiences. Evidence from the empirical work supports the development of interventions aimed at mealtime staff to improve resident self-efficacy. This thesis has established the necessary groundwork for a pilot trial and future definitive trial to assess resident (and staff) outcome measures including social (e.g., collective engagement) and psychological outcomes (e.g., wellbeing), as well as health outcomes (e.g., nutritional status).

No description available.

Thesis advisor: Thomas M. Crea / About 5.4 million children worldwide live in residential care institutions (also known as “orphanages”), including an estimated 60,000 in Kenya alone (Desmond et al., 2020). Estimates suggest 80% of children in orphanages globally have at least one living parent (Berens & Nelson, 2015; Csáky, 2009; Petrowski et al., 2017), and human rights principles (United Nations General Assembly, 2010) have motivated the Kenyan government to carry out “care reform,” reducing reliance on residential care and prioritizing family-based care for vulnerable children. In this context, many children have reunified with their families after living in residential care. The aim of this dissertation is to examine the experiences and well-being of such children. The first study uses qualitative methods to explore how Kenyan children and young adults who previously lived in residential care describe their lives in residential care and after leaving it. The second study describes the development of a quantitative measure of subject well-being tailored to the priorities of young people who have lived in residential care, and includes an exploratory factor analysis to determine the factor structure of the measure. The third paper uses multivariate analyses to examine how Kenyan reunified children’s subjective well-being may statistically relate to child characteristics, including disability status, when controlling for child gender, age, and time since family reunification. Specifically, I hypothesize that having a disability will be associated with worse subjective well-being and more negative experiences of reunification than children without disabilities. Together, these three studies are designed to address gaps in existing knowledge related to successful transitions of children from residential care into families in Kenya, suggesting promising practices for social workers overseeing children’s reunifications and future directions for research on this population. / Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2022. / Submitted to: Boston College. Graduate School of Social Work. / Discipline: Social Work.

Enligt både svensk och internationell forskning är placerade barns skolgång bristfällig. Syftet med denna studie är att utifrån ett barnperspektiv undersöka hur placerade ungdomar mellan 16- och 20 år har upplevt/upplever sin skolgång och hur samspelet mellan dem och lärarna har sett ut, och även om de har fått särskilt stöd under sin skoltid. Frågeställningarna är följande: Vilka erfarenheter och upplevelser av skolan har ungdomar över 16 år som varit eller är placerade i samhällsvård? Hur har samspelet mellan ungdomarna och lärarna/pedagogerna fungerat under skolgången enligt ungdomarna? Har dessa ungdomar fått något särskilt stöd under sin skolgång och vad berättar de om detta? Denna studie är inspirerad av livsberättelse som metodansats och kvalitativa intervjuer har använts som datainsamlingsmetod. Fem personer har intervjuats med hjälp av semistrukturerade intervjuer. Intervjuerna har transkriberats. Utifrån berättelserna har teman skapats och analyserats/diskuterats utifrån det sociokulturella perspektivet, barnperspektivet och det relationella perspektivet. Huvudresultaten i studien är att läraren i skolan har en viktig roll för placerade barn. Läraren behöver ge stöd, samspela och se ungdomarna som individer oavsett bakgrund eller prestation. Att ha en social tillhörighet och goda relationer med andra elever och lärare har också visat sig vara betydelsefullt. Ungdomarna nämner också att stödet de har fått i skolan har sett olika ut och upplevts både positivt och negativt. Positivt utifrån att de har fått det stöd de behöver men även negativt med skamfyllda upplevelser där ungdomarna känt sig bortvalda vilket i sin tur har lett till störande beteenden eller att de har gett upp hoppet om att lyckas i skolan.

The research was carried out during a time when residential provision for people with learning difficulties in the north of Scotland was changing from being hospital based towards being community centred. The aim was to utilise an understanding of the dynamics of past provision to shed light upon present practice and planning for the future: focussing upon that form of ‘difference’ which has been given the name ‘learning difficulty’. The research utilised records, interviews, narratives and discussion groups to explore the experiences of providers of services, service users and those who were close to them. The research sought to go beyond description; to facilitate respondents in sharing their understanding of the organisation of care services and how it had an effect upon their life chances and self concept. The design of the research, which made use of multiple sources of evidence, was qualitative in its approach. It was undertaken within four ‘sites of interest’:  The archive or the historical record of provision at Lhangbyde Hospital..  Through semi structured interviews with ‘Providers’  A ‘Punters’ discussion forum located within a self advocacy group.  A set of ‘Intimate Narratives’. The method had its roots in constructivist, reflective and post modern currents of thought which confronted the difficulty inherent is making an epistemological distinction between what is out there in the world and the categories of meaning which are resident in the human mind. The goal was to produce texts which promoted dialogue rather than monologue, were evocative rather than definitive, In chapter 8 some ‘Intimate Narratives’ from the researcher’s own life experience as a father and as a facilitator and adviser within a self advocacy organisation were presented directly as stories of everyday experience. In the final two chapters of the thesis an attempt was made to synthesise the overall findings of the research, and to assess their implications for future policy and practice. In chapter 9, under the heading of ‘Reading the Chart: understanding the past and present as a foundation for future planning’ the findings from the four ‘sites of interest’ were gathered together under seven explanatory themes, with the section entitled ‘Gaining a Voice’ achieving an overall pre-eminence.. The last chapter in the thesis (Chapter 10), under the title of ‘The Future Course’ detailed a plan for change and development based on a synthesis of findings. In addition the role of future research in promoting change was examined. The thesis concluded with a ‘plain language’ summary of recommendations.

Thesis advisor: Jacqueline V. Lerner / The current study examines the development of social skills in delinquent adolescents in the context of the care they receive in a residential treatment facility (RTF). Reviews of prevention and intervention programs for delinquency have provided support for parent training and child social skills training as the most promising approaches to treatment. However, for adolescents in an RTF, their primary parental figures have become the care workers with whom they are placed. Based on their caregiving behaviors, these workers could provide an environment that counteracts or exacerbates the effects of the residents' prior experiences. Therefore, three major factors that may influence the social skills outcomes of adjudicated youth will be examined: (1) the prior effect of family life, (2) the current effect of youth workers, and (3) the possible interaction between (1) and (2). Using a sample of 82 delinquent adolescents (aged 13-18 years old at entry) and 41 of their caregivers from a RTF, OLS regression models indicate that several factors at the individual level and in the treatment milieu are important to consider when addressing social skills development for delinquent youth. At the individual level, adolescents identified as early-onset delinquents entered treatment with lower social skills, but also experienced the greatest improvement in these skills while in treatment. In addition, older youth and youth from larger households entered treatment with higher levels of initial social skills on average. When considering the behaviors of care workers, two caregiving measures were surprisingly associated with positive social skills growth - caregiver psychological control and attributions of internality and controllability. The unexpected relationships between caregiving and positive development are discussed with an emphasis on the unique characteristics and context of the present sample. / Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2009. / Submitted to: Boston College. Lynch School of Education. / Discipline: Counseling, Developmental, and Educational Psychology.

This qualitative research aims to explore the daily life experiences of Malaysian unwed teenage mothers inshelter homes. The research is based on the thematic analysis of interviews with seventeen respondents agedfrom 12 to 18 years. Eight sub-themes described the experience of the unwed teenage mothers in the shelterhome and led to three overall themes: rules and regulations, relationship with the staff and relationship with theother girls at the shelter home. The findings indicated that the shelter homes involved were not fulfilling thestandard of the Malaysian national laws and United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. We stronglysuggest that the authorities provide a clear guideline concerning the implementation of Malaysian national lawsand United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.

This study aims to explore parents and treatment personnels experiences of the Marte meo methodat a family treatment home. Three retrospective interviews were made with parents whoexperienced Marte meo treatment, as well as four interviews with treatment personnel. The purposeof the Marte meo method is to develop the interaction between parent and child. Previous resultsfrom studies show that treatment with the Marte meo method could provide positive effects to theparent child relationship. The results in this study have been analyzed by using parts of attachmenttheory, the salutogenic perspective and the term intersubjectivity. The parents in this study all statethat Marte meo treatment strengthened them in their role as a parent. The treatment personnel statethat they have seen positive changes in families living at the family treatment home whoparticipated in Marte meo treatment.

It is very significant to investigate the self-esteem in the young age. Loss of parents or living apart from them, lack of care of the child, lack or absence of close emotional relationship are one of the most important factors traumatizing children, preventing them from feeling self-importance, diminishing their self-evaluation and determining distrust towards themselves and others. The study analyses factors of self-esteem, academic achievements and interpersonal factors. Poor environments and previous limited experience, lack of love, life apart from parents and negative influence of classmates of children from residential care and children living in families. The purpose of this study is to find out peculiarities and differences of self-esteem and academic achievement of children from residential care and children living in full families. The connection between self-esteem and interpersonal factors is also analyzed. 200 children, from the residential home (N=100) and from families (N=100), among 118 girls and 82 boys participated in the research. Self-esteem was measured by the Harvey differential type scale in three difference factors. Interpersonal relationship was measured by sociological research. The investigation showed that children from residential care evaluated themselves as highly as children living in families. But children from residential care have more problems with teachers, theist self evaluate having no good qualities, anything to be proud of, in most of... [to full text]