Family Support: Policy, Practice and Research into the Future Dr. John Canavan Child and Family Research Centre

Presentation Structure 1. Introduction 2. Framework 3. Individual Components and Challenges 4. Summary

RIGHTS OUTCOMES POLICY, SERVICES, PRACTICES THEORY AND KNOWLEDGE

CHALLENGE 1 EMBRACE THE COMPLEXITY OF FAMILY SUPPORT – IT IS YOUR JOB!!!

RIGHTS Fundamental UNCRC Family Support Complex and Tension-filled Competence/rationality and due-weight Rights of children and parents in conflict Role of the state Current representations Monageer and Ryan A Referendum

CHALLENGE 2 USE A RIGHTS ORIENTATION TO GUIDE YOUR WORK – TEST IT OUT !!!

OUTCOMES Relationship to rights and needs Underpinning Forces Benefits Risks Good enough outcomes

CHALLENGES 3-5 TEST OUT THE OUTCOMES APPROACH SEE WHAT COPING / MANAGING OUTCOMES LOOK LIKE TRY OUT SOME ADVOCACY WORK

POLICY, SERVICES and PRACTICES Family Support Policy Targeted and Universal Social Investment State or Ethic of Care? Commission on the Family Revisited ? Family Support Services and Practices The Agenda for Children’s Services Neglected Areas Diversity – e.g. ethnic and racial, disability Family Conflict, Separation, and Divorce Negotiated Decommissioning

CHALLENGES 6-8 DEVELOP AND TEST A FAMILY SUPPORT POLICY FRAMEWORK IMPLEMENT AND EVALUATE THE AGENDA FOR CHILDREN’S SERVICES STOP DOING SOMETHING THAT ISN’T WORKING

THEORY Family Support Theories Social Support / Social Capital Resilience Reflective Practice and Extending the Range Civic Engagement and Young People Sociology of Childhood Emotional Labour..

CHALLENGE 9 HELP THE RESEARCHERS FIND OUT MORE ABOUT FAMILY SUPPORT THEORIES

KNOWLEDGE What counts as evidence for Family Support knowledge? Existing frameworks Veerman and Van Yperen (2007) Levels of evidence: Descriptive, Theoretical, Indicative, Causal Tensions Qualitative and Quantitative Rights and Participation Reflective Practice Mixed methods, ‘Depth Outcomes’ and Realist Evaluation

CHALLENGE 10 CREATE AN AGREED FRAMEWORK FOR EVIDENCE IN FAMILY SUPPORT

SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS Joining up the Dots … Four levels: Rights Outcomes Policy, Services and Practices Theory and Knowledge We all need to think about all of the issues ….

CHILD RIGHTS OUTCOMES POLICY SERVICES PRACTICES THEORY AND KNOWLEDGE

SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION The Challenges 1.EMBRACE THE COMPLEXITY OF FAMILY SUPPORT 2.USE A RIGHTS ORIENTATION TO GUIDE OUR WORK 3.TEST OUT THE OUTCOMES APPROACH 4.SEE WHAT COPING / MANAGING OUTCOMES LOOK LIKE 5.TRY OUT SOME ADVOCACY WORK

SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION The Challenges 6.DEVELOP AND TEST A FAMILY SUPPORT POLICY FRAMEWORK 7.IMPLEMENT AND EVALUATE THE AGENDA FOR CHILDREN’S SERVICES 8.STOP DOING SOMETHING THAT ISN’T WORKING 9.HELP THE RESEARCHERS FIND OUT MORE ABOUT FAMILY SUPPORT THEORIES 10.CREATE AN AGREED FRAMEWORK FOR EVIDENCE IN FAMILY SUPPORT