Dr. Valerie Richardson

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Dr. Valerie Richardson

• School of Applied Social Science
• University College Dublin
• Belfield, Dublin 4
• Ireland
• valerie.richardson_at_ucd.ie

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Childrens views on personal and social issues

• Support services within and outside school

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Outline of Presentation

• Background to the study
• Aims and objectives
• Ethical issues
• Methodology
• Findings
• Conclusions

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Neighbourhood of School

• 50 families on State Benefits
• 27 parents no formal educational qualifications
• 10 unemployment rate
• 33 lone parent households
• 57 in social housing
• 25 houses inadequate heating

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AT RISK CARE PROGRAMME Emotional/Behavioural
Difficulties and Special Educational Needs
Home School Liaison Officer
Art Therapist
SCHOOL CARE TEAM
Special Educational Needs Teacher
Personal tutor
Career Guidance Counsellor (teacher)
School Chaplain
Statutory Child WelfareServices Educational
Welfare Officer School Psychological Services
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• Request for the research aims and objectives
• Statutory Child Welfare System
• Child Care Act 1991
• Children Act 2001
• Educational (Welfare) Act 2000
• Social Work in Schools
• School in which study undertaken
• 499 pupils aged 12 18 years
• Mixed gender and multi-cultural

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Ethical Issues

• Key principles
• Involvement of the children in the research
  childrens voices
• Consent and choice
• Possible harm or distress
• Privacy and confidentiality

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Consents Required

• School Principal
• Board of Governors of School
• Teachers
• Parents opt in/opt out
• Pupils

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Methodology

• Scoping exercise with teachers
• Information on 499 students
• Semi-structured questionnaire
• Junior Cohort 31 boys and 31 girls
• average age 14 years
• Senior Cohort 17 boys and 33 girls
• literacy problems

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Self Esteem Behavioural Problems Bereavement
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Problems with Attendance and Bullying
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Crime and Poverty
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Abuse and Self Harm
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Serious Physical and Mental Illness
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Substance Abuse and Drug Misuse
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The Family Environment
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FAMLY ISSUES

• 17 Experienced family breakdown
• 8 dysfunctional
• 8 alcohol abuse in family
• 2 drug misuse within family
• 6 families with serious physical or mental
  illness
• 9 children in foster care
• 4 children acting as carers

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Multiple Issues of Concern
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Conclusions

• Students avoided care team within the school
• Students preferred to talk to non-professionals
  outside the school
• Lack of clear communication of role and purpose
• Lack of trust teacher/counsellor role
  incompatible?
• Attitudes to Authority
• Outcome recommendation for a school counsellor
• Importance of listening to children
• Need to progress with Focus Groups listen to
  children