Planning for accommodated children may often be built around ensuring a secure home. However, it is also important to attend to other domains in children's lives. The promotion of the long-term emotional well-being of children has to be based on information about the factors associated with better outcomes. The findings from research into factors related to resilience in children provide many useful pointers for such practice. Brigid Daniel, Sally Wassell and Robbie Gilligan describe a pilot project aimed at exploring the feasibility of putting ideas from the concept of resilience into action. Through a series of workshops with child care practitioners the domains of secure base, education, friendship, talents and interests, positive values and social competencies were considered. Ideas for mapping levels of current resilience were discussed, as well as suggestions for practice aimed at its promotion.
BensonP L, All Kids are Our Kids: What communities must do to raise caring and responsible children and adolescents, San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers, 1997.
2.
BrooksR B, ‘Children at risk: fostering resilience and hope’, American Journal of Orthopsychiatry64 pp 545–53, 1994.
3.
DanielB MWassellSGilliganR, Child Development for Child Care and Protection Workers, London: Jessica Kingsley, 1999.
4.
DeblingerEHope-HeflinA, Treating Sexually Abused Children and their Non-offending Parents, London: Sage Publications, 1996.
5.
Department of Health, Looking After Children: Assessment and Action Records, London: DoH, 1995.
6.
Department of Health, Focus on Teenagers: Research into practice, London: The Stationery Office, 1996.
7.
Department of Health, The Quality Protects Programme: Transforming children's services, London: DoH, 1998.
8.
FahlbergV, A Child's Journey Through Placement, London: BAAF, 1991 (reprinted 1999).
FergussonD MLynskeyM T, ‘Adolescent resiliency to family adversity’, Journal of Child Psychology & Psychiatry37, pp 281–92, 1996.
11.
GarbarinoJDubrowNKostelenyKPardoC, Children in Danger: Coping with the consequences of community violence, San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers, 1992.
12.
GilliganR, ‘Beyond permanence? The importance of resilience in child placement practice and planning’, Adoption & Fostering21, pp 12–20, 1997.
13.
GilliganR, ‘The importance of schools and teachers in child welfare’, Child & Family Social Work3:1, pp 13–26, 1998.
14.
GilliganR, ‘Children's own social networks and network members: key resources in helping children at risk’, in HillM (ed), Effective Ways of Helping Children, London: Jessica Kingsley, forthcoming.
15.
HartmanA, Working with Adoptive Families Beyond Placement, Washington: Child Welfare League of America, 1984.
16.
Health Committee, Children Looked After by Local Authorities, London: The Stationery Office, 1998.
17.
HoarePEltonAGreerAKerleyS, ‘The modification and standardisation of the Harter self-esteem questionnaire with Scottish school-children’, European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry2, pp 19–33, 1993.
18.
HoweD, Attachment Theory for Social Work Practice, London: MacMillan, 1995.
19.
JacksonS, ‘Education in care: not somebody else's problem’, Professional Social Work, pp 12–13, November 1995.
20.
LutharS S, ‘Vulnerability and resilience: a study of high-risk adolescents’, Child Development62, pp 600–12, 1991.
ParkerRWardHJacksonSAldgateJWedgeP, Looking After Children: Assessing outcomes in child care, London: HMSO, 1991.
23.
QuintonDPicklesAMaughanBRutterM, ‘Partners, peers and pathways: assortative pairing and continuities in conduct disorder’, Development & Psychopathology5, pp 763–83, 1993.
24.
RaundalenM, Care and Courage, Sweden: Rädda Barnen, 1991.
25.
RutterM, ‘Pathways from childhood to adult life: the role of schooling’, Pastoral Care, pp 3–10, September 1991.
26.
SchafferH R, Social Development, Oxford: Blackwell, 1996.
27.
Scottish Office, The Government's Response to the Kent Report on Children's Safeguards Review, Edinburgh: Scottish Office, 1998.
28.
Scottish Office, Social Inclusion — Opening the door to a better Scotland: strategy, Edinburgh: The Scottish Office, 1999.
SmithS, ‘Permanence revisited — some practice dilemmas’, in HillMShawM (eds), Signposts in Adoption: Policy, practice and research issues, London: BAAF, 1998.
31.
TriseliotisJBorlandMHillMLambertL, Teenagers and the Social Work Services, London: HMSO, 1995.
32.
WernerE, ‘Protective factors and individual resilience’, in MeiselsSShonkoffJ (eds), Handbook of Early Childhood Intervention, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1990.
33.
ZimmermanR B, ‘Childhood depression: new theoretical formulations and implications for foster care services’, Child Welfare67, pp 37–47, 1988.
