Watch the research team talk about the project in this short video
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Why this research? There is currently very little research on how Safeguarders form their judgements and conclusions, analyse information, engage with children and families and formulate their recommendations. The project aims to address this gap by exploring Safeguarders’ sense-making process in the context of complex and contested child welfare cases.
What is it about? The research is a two-year project which will involve Safeguarders from across Scotland. It aims to follow Safeguarders’ decision-making process, ideally from the point at which they have accepted a case through to the final report/recommendation stage. We are looking to interview individual Safeguarders in 3 online or face-to-face interviews (or a combination), with each interview taking between 20 and 40 minutes at most. We are happy to fit around your commitments, and the interviews can take place in the evenings or on weekends.
Why take part? Taking part provides Safeguarders with an opportunity to share their views and experiences, and contribute to research. This will help address the gap in knowledge about Safeguarders and what they do. Safeguarders’ decisions will change a child or young person’s life and shape their future, yet despite this, there is hardly any research into this important role. Further, participation can contribute towards Practice Standard 7, which involves a commitment to reflection, critical self-evaluation and continuing professional development as a means of improving practice and broadening knowledge.
What impact will the research have? The research aims to generate knowledge to improve the quality of decision-making for children and young people in the Children’s Hearings System. It will provide a rich description of decision-making processes which are inherently individual, subjective and therefore hard to study. Ultimately we hope the research will contribute to the ongoing development of policy and training for judgement and decision-making, providing Safeguarders and the Safeguarders Panel Team with data upon which to build professional practice through feedback, critical reflective, objective reporting and rigorously derived findings.
What is the research not about? The research is not about scrutinising Safeguarders’ performance, and does not involve looking into the details of specific cases that Safeguarders are assigned to. The researchers will not have any contact with the children and families. Rather, the focus is on the process of how professional judgments are formed and decisions are reached.
What about confidentiality and ethical issues? See: Getting involved: info for Safeguarders
What themes/questions will the research address?
•Independence – how might this be maintained or influenced? • “Best interests” of the child – how do Safeguarders understand and construct this? • Speak to who is appropriate – how do Safeguarders decide who is “appropriate” to speak to? Who/How/when/where? •Views of the child – how do Safeguarders seek views? What methods are used? •Recommendation to decision-maker – how are competing truth claims and recommendation options appraised?
Who funds and oversees this research? The project is being undertaken by a research team from the University of Stirling (About the Research Team) and is funded through a grant from the Sir Halley Stewart Trust. An Advisory Group has been established to provide advice and guidance to the project team. The Advisory Group comprises representatives from Scottish Government, Children 1st and the research team. We are currently inviting Safeguarders to participate in the Advisory Group and are looking to involve children and young people with experience of the Children’s Hearings system. Ethical approval has been awarded by the University of Stirling’s General University Ethics Panel.
Get involved If you are a Safeguarder who is interested in taking part in the research, would like to join the Advisory Group, or want to find out more about the project, please contact Barbara Schuler, Research Fellow b.a.schuler1@stir.ac.uk