Placing brothers and sisters in care

At any one time more than 80,000 children and young people in England are in care.

A recent report shows that 37% of children with brothers and sisters are separated when placed into care. However, maintaining relationships between brothers and sisters is extremely important as it can provide support, comfort, and a sense of belonging.

The research: Examining local data on brothers and sisters in care

The Children’s Commissioner report shows very important national findings on the topic of the separation of brothers and sisters. However, local authorities are responsible for delivering care, and in order to support them in improving their care for brothers and sisters, one has to listen to their local stories and examine their local data. Therefore, for my PhD research, I will study placement decision-making and the barriers and facilitators of placing brothers and sisters together in care in England from a local authority’s perspective.

The project uses a mixed-methods design: a quantitative analysis of children’s social work case documentation and interviews with social workers. The aim is to examine decision-making in the placement of brothers and sisters, the factors influencing these decisions, contact arrangements, and facilitators for improving care. This research will be able to provide important follow-up to the Children Commissioner’s report and unravel the topic of the placement of brothers and sisters from a local authority’s perspective.

Children’s Commissioner report

Often it is not just one child, but a group of brothers and sisters that are in need of a care placement. Various studies have shown the positive effects on placement stability and outcomes for children such as permanency, mental health and wellbeing. In addition, the English law (Children Act, 1998) states that local authorities must ensure that brothers and sisters in care are placed together unless this is not in the best interest of a child or not practicable.

Previous international research (mainly from the United States) has identified some factors that complicate placing brothers and sisters together in a care placement, such as the size of the group, the type of foster care placement, whether they enter care at the same time, and the age and the gender of the brothers and sisters.

Based on the analysis of administrative data of 55,000 children in care with brothers and sisters also in care, the Children’s Commissioner recently found that being in a larger group of brothers and sisters, going into care at an older age, and being placed into a children’s home or semi-independent accommodation were associated with a higher probability of being separated from their brothers and sisters in care. Additionally, interviews with children in care, care experienced young people and case studies, showed that a lack of placements for brothers and sisters, in particular for larger groups and older teenagers, was also a reason for brothers and sisters to be separated in care.

Research evidence for policy and practice

The results of this study could benefit children in care, practitioners, policymakers, and researchers. The results could help develop guidance on creative solutions for practitioners to ensure brothers and sisters can live together or where that is not possible, how to enable children to have significant relationships with their brothers and sisters. It could provide the research evidence needed to help practitioners and policymakers make decisions about allocation of time and funding when it comes to improving placement decision-making. Results could also provide the evidence base for developing guidelines on how case file documentation on the placement of brothers and sisters can be used more systemically in research and practice.

How to get involved

A pilot study is being conducted as the first phase of this research. This includes the examination of up to 15 case files and case management data and interviews with one social worker, a social work manager and a data manager.  If your local authority is interested in the topic of sibling placement and you would like to hear more about participating in this pilot study (and the main study), please get in touch for more information.