Title: Dr. Valerie Richardson
1Dr. Valerie Richardson
- School of Applied Social Science
- University College Dublin
- Belfield, Dublin 4
- Ireland
- valerie.richardson_at_ucd.ie
2Childrens views on personal and social issues
- Support services within and outside school
3Outline of Presentation
- Background to the study
- Aims and objectives
- Ethical issues
- Methodology
- Findings
- Conclusions
4Neighbourhood 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
5 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
6 - 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
7Ethical Issues
- Key principles
- Involvement of the children in the research
childrens voices - Consent and choice
- Possible harm or distress
- Privacy and confidentiality
8Consents Required
- School Principal
- Board of Governors of School
- Teachers
- Parents opt in/opt out
- Pupils
9Methodology
- 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
10Self Esteem Behavioural Problems Bereavement
11Problems with Attendance and Bullying
12Crime and Poverty
13Abuse and Self Harm
14Serious Physical and Mental Illness
15Substance Abuse and Drug Misuse
16The Family Environment
17FAMLY 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
18Multiple Issues of Concern
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23Conclusions
- 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