Policeman or Friend? Dilemmas in Working with Homeless Young People in the United Kingdom

This qualitative, phenomenological study examined the relationships between residents and staff in hostels for homeless young people in the UK. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 12 homeless youth (residents) and 10 hostel staff (keyworkers). The interviews focused on how participants perceived and experienced the keyworker relationship. Qualitative data analysis yielded three core themes, or dimensions, describing central features of the relationship: enforcement versus support, emotional involvement versus distance, and resident-centered versus staff-centered practice. The findings highlight some dilemmas and tensions experienced by both residents and staff, and point to effective ways of working with homeless youth. Issues arising in the relationship between keyworkers and homeless young people are considered in the context of other types of helping relationships .     

Gendering Indicators of Health and Well-being: Is Quality of Life Gender Neutral?

The addition of social indicators and quality of life measures to the raft of traditional health indicators used to assess health and well-being has certainly provided a much-needed contextual understanding of health outcomes. However, most quality of life measures remain undifferentiated by gender. Outcomes can be disaggregated along age, class, ethnic, racial and gender dimensions but few quality of life measures (or social indicators for that matter) are sensitive to the subtle effects of gender socialization on health and well-being. Both social epidemiology and quality of life measures need to be gendered and differentiated to fully capture the diversity of womens and mens health experiences.     

A preliminary review of the parenting assessment and skill development service: A 10-day residential service for families at risk of child maltreatment

Tweddle's Parenting Assessment and Skill Development Service (PASDS) is a 10-day residential programme for families at risk of child maltreatment. The service aims to conduct a comprehensive parenting capacity assessment to inform case management and improve parenting practices. The aims of the study were to (1) describe the psychosocial functioning of parents taking part in PASDS, (2) describe the key parenting assessment outcomes, and (3) explore parents' experiences of participation in PASDS including (a) perceived barriers and enablers of participation and (b) perceived outcomes for their family. Participants were 18 parents who participated in Tweddle's PASDS in Melbourne, Australia. A mixed methods study comprising a case file review and qualitative interviews was conducted. Parents accessing PASDS had experienced adverse childhood events, and many were experiencing mental health difficulties. Interviews with parents revealed perceived benefits of PASDS in improving parenting knowledge and skills, family relationships, and parenting confidence. At the time of discharge, 33% of families were assessed as unable to provide independent care for their child. The current findings have important implications for the further evaluation of evidenced-based services which can improve the accuracy of parenting capacity assessments, aiding in child protection decision-making related to child placement and safety.