Looking after the teachers: exploring the emotional labour experienced by teachers of looked after children

Whilst outcomes for looked after children (LAC) have been extensively discussed, less attention has been paid to the experiences of teachers of this group of children. It is accepted that Emotional Labour (EL) is commonplace in the teaching profession but no research has investigated how, and to what extent, teachers experience emotional labour during interactions with LAC. Fourteen Key Stage Two teachers of LAC participated in the current study by completing semi-structured interviews. Results indicate that participants experience emotional labour during interactions with LAC and that this may be mediated, to a degree, by factors including role constructions, perceptions of support and self-perceived role facilitators such as perception of a professional duty. The potential benefit of educational psychologists understanding better, and supporting, the impact of emotional labour on teachers of LAC is subsequently discussed.