Improving safeguarding outcomes after adoption or special guardianship

This project aims to improve long-term outcomes for children after adoption or special guardianship order.  

Why this research is important

Children placed for adoption or subject to Special Guardianship Order frequently experience abuse, neglect, and loss. This trauma increases the likelihood of poor long-term outcomes, such as emotional and behavioural difficulties.  

Special Guardianship Orders were introduced as an alternative to adoption where children are placed under the legal guardianship of they have an existing relationship with. There is some evidence that children in such kinship care may be at higher risk of neglect compared to those placed with unrelated foster carers.  

Research on well-being and safeguarding issues following adoption is limited. Many families need timely, effective intervention to support children’s development and achievement, to avoid children becoming isolated, exploited, or themselves exploitative.  

The project team seeks to identify systemic and individual factors which, if addressed, could help families.

How the research will be carried out

A mixed methods approach will be used to answer four research questions: 

1. Are there any statistically significant associations between background factors and outcomes? 

2. What are the relationships between background child and family factors, type of safeguarding concern, and support?  

3. What are adoptive parents’ and special guardians’ experience of their child’s difficulties leading to safeguarding concerns, their reflections on the source of these difficulties, their experiences of requesting and receiving support, and their experience of the child protection system?  

4. What are professionals’ experience of responding to safeguarding in children following adoption or Special Guardianship Order and how this may differ from responding to concerns in birth families?  

The research will be completed in three stages. The first will involve the review and analysis of case files of children with safeguarding concerns following adoption or Special Guardianship Order from five Local Authorities. During stage two, semi-structured interviews will be conducted with parents and special guardians to understand their experiences. Lastly, interviews will be held with Local Authority and adoption agency staff about their experience of responding to safeguarding concerns about children following adoption or Special Guardianship Order.  

Project findings

The findings will be disseminated in a public report and nationally themed briefings.

Specific materials will be produced for adoptive and Special Guardianship Order families, reflecting their different needs.