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Title of Systematic narrative
Review
To improve communication
between children and their birth
parents about the reason they
are in care
Abstract
Context
Children in care need a coherent understanding of their experiences if they
are to psychologically adjust to their circumstances. This review examines
the evidence base available for therapeutic interventions to support
adjustment through improving communication between children and their
birth families about why they are in care. This review appraised the
research available from the extrapolated; the findings conclude what
factors support this communication to occur. This will inform the model of
communication developed within the Therapeutic Team for Looked After
and Adopted Children (TT-LAAC), with the aim of promoting better
outcomes for children in care.
Methods employed in the review
A search strategy was formulated to identify the relevant empirical research
using core concepts of 'Looked after Children' AND 'Birth Parents' AND
'Communication'. The databases selected for most relevance were
CINAHL Plus, PsycINFO and Social Care Online. Using
a narrative synthesis, 16 relevant articles concerning the importance of
communication between children and parents on difficult and emotive
issues were extracted and synthesised.
Findings
The 16 studies retrieved did not prove an exact match for the review
question however the synthesis highlighted pertinent findings that broadly
address this. These finding were considered thematically and suggest that
interventions to aid communication between children and parents on this
difficult and emotive issue should be considered within and across the
child's support system if their psychological adjustment is to be promoted.
Conclusions
The review highlights the lack of empirical research on this topic area.
Open honest communication between children and families on difficult and
emotive issues and the importance of systems around them to manage this
has been a central tenet of this review. Further research is warranted in
this area if outcomes for children and their families are to be improved.