Childcare with gloves on: protecting children and young people in residential care

Abuse of young people in out-of-home care has caused international public and professional concern over the last fifteen years. Although research has been undertaken to identify factors that are likely to contribute to a safer environment for young people, little consideration has been given to the impact of abuse scandals on workers' perceptions of what constitutes abusive behaviour. This paper presents the findings of a study undertaken in three residential children's units in one local authority which sought to explore this area and considers two key findings which raise issues for the social work profession. These are, first, that the perception of abusive behaviour was in the main determined in terms of the workforce's own vulnerability to allegations. Secondly, staff found it difficult to conceive of a colleague as a potential perpetrator of abuse. The paper concludes by evaluating recent government policy documents in the light of the study findings.