Equity and pragmatism in judgement-making about the placement of sibling groups

This paper considers the influences on professional judgements about large sibling group placement. The paper attempts to explain how social workers’ awareness of the significance of sibling relationships operates in the process of making judgements and decisions about placement. It undertakes a detailed phenomenological analysis of the process in five cases involving large sibling groups. Drawing on philosophical theories of equity and pragmatism, it proposes a theoretical approach to addressing the issues in practice.