Towards the privileging of care experienced children and young people’s educational and other ‘life chances’ within social work practice and education

Carey, Malcolm (2023) Towards the privileging of care experienced children and young people’s educational and other ‘life chances’ within social work practice and education. Critical and Radical Social Work. ISSN 2049-8608

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Abstract

Care experienced children and young people (CECYP) frequently face adverse ‘life chances’ when compared to their peers. Their life course trajectories typically include numerous personal, structural and culturally determined challenges set from a young age. Social workers in the UK now play a minimal role in direct support for young people, and are instead encouraged to focus on short-term priorities, safeguarding investigations, and monitoring ‘risky’ working-class parents. This article considers some explanations and evidence offered for educational and other inequalities experienced by CECYP, and highlights specific issues regarding ongoing neoliberal reforms of social care. Case examples relating to criminal justice, asylum-seeking children, and sexuality are then briefly discussed. The conclusion draws from evidence to identify some recommendations which may help improve CECYP’s full learning potential. This includes moving away from the current neoliberal inspired short-term focus placed on managing risk and towards the provision of more contextual and meaningful support.

Item Type:	Article
Additional Information and Comments:	This is the author accepted manuscript version of an article that was accepted for publication in Critical and Radical Social work. The final version is available from: https://doi.org/10.1332/20498608Y2023D000000002
Faculty / Department:	Faculty of Education and Social Sciences > School of Social Sciences
Depositing User:	Malcolm Carey
Date Deposited:	19 Oct 2023 11:01
Last Modified:	19 Oct 2023 11:01
URI:	https://hira.hope.ac.uk/id/eprint/4038

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