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Jill Manthorpe looks at research in two areas where social services work in partnership with parents and children to take difficult decisions.

The decision whether to send a disabled child to a residential school exposes strongly held opinions among social workers. Until recently little has been known about the numbers of children involved or their needs and opinions. This deficit has been considerably reduced by new research into the situation throughout England. A recent article focuses on the role of social services departments in making decisions about placements.¹

The researchers found that the social workers who knew the families considering a residential place for their disabled child often gave them advice or support "off the record". Such social workers were often sympathetic to the families' needs although many did not know much about the residential school sector. However, managers were less inclined to see residential schools as a positive option and focused on the cost. The researchers considered their attitudes to families as being frequently negative.

Many of those working in social services voiced opposition to residential schools and this was evident to parents. Some parents felt they were being criticised or bullied. This was despite numerous shortfalls in local services. The researchers note that these may become more severe as there are increasing numbers of children with very high support needs for whom local services are not always sufficient or adequate. They conclude that there is a need for greater support for families and more clarity about working in partnership with them to secure the best interests of the individual child.

Further research on working with parents and children in partnership comes from a study of children's understandings and coping strategies in response to domestic violence.² The authors note that the effects of domestic violence on children have only recently been acknowledged (outside the refuge movement), still less responded to. Policy and services are emerging, together with greater knowledge of the links between domestic violence and child abuse.

The report is based on findings of a survey of 1,400 schoolchildren aged 8-15. Most knew about domestic violence, with boys less likely to recognise that it is common, difficult to escape from and unjust. Researchers then spoke to a group of 54 children whose mothers had experienced domestic violence. For many this was traumatic but the children also demonstrated reliance, ways of coping and strength.

The interviews revealed that most children had known about the domestic violence, even when their mothers thought that they had not. Children often reported wanting to be informed of what was going to happen to the family, especially when this might involve leaving home. Many children revealed a complicated way of coping with the domestic violence they had seen, including getting help or protecting themselves, their siblings or mother. Rather than seeing the children as passive, the researchers argue that the children thought about what was happening and tried to reduce the harm.

This involvement was evident in children's advice to other children who might be in a similar position. They emphasised that it was not the child's fault and that the child should tell another adult. However, the researchers found that, despite this strength, many children did not have good access to community support structures. Their main source of protection was their mother, and the researchers conclude that social workers need to build on this important attachment to promote the safety of both.

¹ D Abbott, J Morris and L Ward, "Disabled children at residential schools and the role of social services departments", Practice, 14 (1), 2002

² G Hague, A Mullender, L Kelly, U Iman and E Malos, "How do children understand and cope with domestic violence?", Practice, 14 (1), 2002

Jill Manthorpe is reader in community care at the University of Hull.