Research on Special Guardianship and Kinship Care
The research publications listed below draw together key studies on special guardianship and kinship care and include findings from the international literature. At the present time there are important gaps in our knowledge of children’s long-term outcomes following special guardianship, first-hand accounts of children’s experiences and research on contact when compared to adoption. However there is increasing recognition of the importance of addressing these gaps in order to inform practice and policy. We have also included references to some of the major studies on poverty and deprivation as these socio-economic problems can have an important influence on child development and children’s life chances.
Brown, B, Broadhurst, K., Harwin, J. and Simmonds, J (2019) Special guardianship: international research on kinship care, Nuffield Family Justice Observatory
Cleaver H., Rose., W. (2021) Safeguarding Children living with Foster Carers, Adopters and Special Guardians: Learning from case reviews 2007–2019, CoramBAAF
Cleaver H., Rose., W. (2021) Safeguarding Children living with Foster Carers, Adopters and Special Guardians: A guide to reflective practice, CoramBAAF
Harwin, J, Alrouh, B., Golding, L., McQuarrie, T., Broadhurst, K., and Cusworth L. (2019) The contribution of supervision orders and special guardianship to children’s lives and family justice, final report, Lancaster University. .
Harwin, J., Simmonds, J., Broadhurst, K., and Brown, R (2019) Special guardianship: a review of the English research studies, Nuffield Family Justice Observatory.
Hunt J., (2020) Key findings from the last two decades of UK research on kinship care, Family Rights Group
Iyer, P., Boddy, J., Hammelsbeck, R., and Lynch-Huggins, S. (2020). Contact following placement in care, adoption or special guardianship: implications for children’s and young people’s wellbeing Evidence Review
Murray, E., Lacey, R., Maughan, B., Sacker, A. 2020 Non-parental care in childhood and health up to 30 years later: ONS Longitudinal Study 1971–2011 [subscription only], European Journal of Public Health, Volume 30, Issue 6
Nuffield Family Justice Observatory (2020) Contact between children in care or adopted and their families: six key messages from research briefing paper is based on findings from three evidence reviews commissioned by the Nuffield FJO.
Simmonds, J., Harwin, J., Brown., R. and Broadhurst, K. (2019) Special Guardianship: a review of the evidence, summary report, Nuffield Family Justice Observatory.
Wade, J., Sinclair, I., Stuttard, T. and Simmonds, J.(2014) Investigating special guardianship.; experiences, challenges and outcomes, Department of Education
Wellard S., Meakings S., Farmer E., and Hunt J. (2017). Growing up in kinship care: Experiences as adolescents and outcomes in young adulthood. London: Grandparents Plus
Studies on the wider context focusing on the impact of poverty and deprivation on child development
Anda, R., Felitti, V., Bremner, J., Walker, J., Whitfield, C., Perry, B., Dube, S., Giles, W., (2006). The enduring effects of abuse and related adverse experiences in childhood. European Archives of Psychiatry and Clinical Neuroscience 256(3): 174–186.
Bywaters, P., Bunting, L., Davidson, G.,, Hanratty, J.,M Mason, W., & Mccartan, C. & Steils, N., (2016), The relationship between poverty, child abuse and neglect: an evidence review.
Featherstone, B., Morris K., Daniel, B., Bywaters, P., Brady, G., Bunting, L., Mason, W., Mirza, N., (2019), Poverty, inequality, child abuse and neglect: Changing the conversation across the UK in child protection? Children and youth services review, 97, pp.127–133.
Marmot, M., (2020), Health equity in England: the Marmot review 10 years on. Bmj, 368.
McCartan, Claire et al., 2018. Stripping the Wallpaper of Practice: Empowering Social Workers to Tackle Poverty. Social sciences (Basel), 7(10), p.193.
Morris, K. et al., (2018). Social work, poverty, and child welfare interventions. Child & family social work, 23(3), pp.364–372.
Rose, W and McAuley, C. (2019) Poverty and its impact on parenting in the UK: Re-defining the critical nature of the relationship through examining lived experiences in times of austerity. Children and Youth Services Review; 97: 134-141.