Zainab Yousif: Evidence-Based Practice in Kinship Care for FACS Cases

This report presents a case study of Sarah, a 65-year-old woman caring for her three grandchildren, Bill, Mona, and Ahmed, and explores evidence-based practices in kinship care. The author, a student on placement with FACS, investigates the research question: "What are the evidence-based best practices for social workers working with children reported with inappropriate care and risk-taking behaviour?" The report summarizes findings from clinical databases like CINHAL and Medline, focusing on studies by Fuentes-Peláez et al. (2014), Coakley et al. (2006), and Irizarry et al. (2016) to determine effective interventions, including the importance of social support, understanding family dynamics, and addressing cultural issues. The report emphasizes the need for social workers to develop communication skills, build trust, and provide training and support to handle the complexities of kinship foster care, ultimately promoting family resilience. The author also discusses the challenges encountered during the evidence-based inquiry and the applicability of the findings to the case study, offering practical recommendations for social work practice.

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Assessment 2. Evidence Based Practice Communication
My name is Zainab Yousif and I am a student on placement working with FACs caseworkers
and social workers. I have been given the role to give a case presentation on the process
and lessons of searching for best practice and interventions.
The presentation is the outcome of the personal role as social worker dealing with the case
study of Sarah, a 65-year-old lady living with three grandchildren, Bill, Mona, and Ahmed.
The case is up taken by the Family & Community Services (FACS). The aim of the
presentation is to communicate the process and results of doing an evidence-based inquiry
into Kinship Care. For my evidence-based inquiry, I have focused on the research question,
"What are the evidence-based best practices for social worker working children reported
with inappropriate care and risk-taking behaviour?” The rationale for the question is Mona
engaging in self-ham and risk-taking behaviour, Ahmed involved in antisocial work and
Sarah neglecting care due to prescription medication abuse as evident from the records of
FACS. Therefore, the research question was focused on kinship care by social workers.
To start with my work I have conducted research to extract evidence from the clinical
databases like CINHAL and Medline. I have extracted three reliable sources, and I would like
to discuss the usefulness of these evidence in the social work practice.
Firstly, Fuentes-Peláez et al. (2014) focused on the need of social support to improve family
resilience irrespective of informal or formal in kinship foster care. Based on the evidence, it
can be concluded that the family should be able to look for support, solution and formal
support network. Further family resilience also develops if the care given to foster children
is socially recognised. In my second evidence, by Coakley et al. (2006) highlighted the
perception and believes of the kinship foster families about the familial factors and beliefs
that inhibit or promote successful fostering. It was evident from the result that dealing with
kinship foster parents involves complex dynamics. The factors that promote successful
fostering are commitment to children, family support, good parenting abilities, faith, and
church involvement. On the other hand, it can be concluded from the evidence that strained
relationships, poor resources are factors inhibiting the development of adequate foster care
for children's behavioural, emotional, and physical problems. In my third evidence by
Irizarry et al. (2016), it was emphasised that kinship carers and staff must be able to address

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the unique community; family cultural issues and must possess diverse knowledge to
facilitate stable kinship care. It is necessary to establish the mutual trust and respect to
work in child and family’s best interest. It will help overcome the challenges put by parents
and children.
These results are feasible to implement as it aligns with the study of Kiraly and Humphreys
(2016). It explains the extent of family contact required to facilitate kinship care. It
emphasises on positive contact and the contact negatively affecting the children’s well being
and safety such as aggressive response. It should be taken into consideration by social
worker to promote positive parental contact. Ferguson (2016) emphasised on the required
interactive skills, communication skills and relational capacities required by social worker to
facilitate the kinship care. It was emphasised that such skills would help establish trust with
children and family. In another study by Octoman et al. (2014) the challenges that could be
encountered by social works when dealing with experience of neglect are discussed. It
implies development of intervention to tackle such challenges considering family
perspectives. All the results in short focus on best practice for facilitating kinship care in
children at risk of harm due to neglect and needing care. Thus these results address the
research question very well.
In regards to my results from evidence-based inquiry I would like to discuss what works
best for the social worker dealing with children. Effective interaction and communication
with family to detect changes in kinship care and identify the family beliefs and perceptions
about the child growth and kinship so that interventions can be designed appropriately. It
will develop interventions that are cultural, socially, ethically appropriate. It will help build
trust and respect with family. The social worker may be able to identify the parents
perception about that the value of the kinship. One may as well as take into consideration
the issue of under resources and complex alternatives to foster care. The social worker must
understand and acknowledge that the kinship care requires a different approach from that
of foster care.
The questions that I still have about undertaking an evidence-based inquiry; to learn what
works best in practice is the model that sorts the complex research information for its
application in personal practice such as assessment, planning and intervention. There is
need to overcome the conceptual and definitional limitations such as downplaying

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importance of theory. The other inquiry is the model that can eliminate the stereotyping in
social work. Considering the fact that social workers practice in uncertain and ambiguous
environment, it is effective to strictly apply empirical or theoretical knowledge as it guides
intervention development (Petersén and Olsson, 2014). It is also not clear if the social work
can be governed by mixed paradigm? This would be focus of future evidence-based
practice.
My results are transferable for the practitioner in the case study. For instance, the social
worker can inspect the children's bedroom in the case study and spend adequate time with
them instead of focusing only on Sarah. The social worker when dealing with Mona and
Ahmed can focus on communication skills, comfort and playfulness. The professional may
avoid agile working arrangements when dealing with risk-taking behaviour of Mona.
Further, the social workers may devise strategies to overcome the challenging behaviour
that is likely to be presented by the children with the experience of neglect like Mona, Bill
and Ahmed in the case study. The practitioner must identify and address cognitive
abnormalities, controlling behaviour in children, anxiety and aggression. Such skills and
relational capacities are necessary for building the meaningful relationship with children. It
will better help promote resilience of family. In regards to the results from evidence-based
inquiry, it is recommended that there is a greater need of training and support for the social
workers to handle the complex dynamics of kinship foster care and enhance resilience.
My evidence-based search experience was harder than I thought. I found formulating a
research question very difficult initially, especially finding evidence to cater to my research
question. Although it was difficult at the beginning, once I found reliable sources I was then
able to make appraisals of results of my inquiry. These evidences are able to guide practice
planning, and working with the family in the case study.

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Reference List
Coakley, T.M., Cuddeback, G., Buehler, C. and Cox, M.E., 2007. Kinship foster parents'
perceptions of factors that promote or inhibit successful fostering. Children and
Youth Services Review, 29(1), pp.92-109.
Ferguson, H., 2016. What social workers do in performing child protection work: evidence
from research into face to face practice.‐ ‐ Child & Family Social Work, 21(3), pp.283-
294.
Fuentes Peláez, N., Balsells, M., Fernández, J., Vaquero, E. and Amorós, P., 2016. The social‐
support in kinship foster care: a way to enhance resilience. Child & Family Social
Work, 21(4), pp.581-590.
Irizarry, C., Miller, K. and Bowden, M., 2016. Kinship care: Child safety or easy option? Staff
and carers’ perspectives. Journal of Family Social Work, 19(3), pp.199-219.
Kiraly, M. and Humphreys, C., 2016. ‘It's about the whole family’: family contact for children
in kinship care. Child & Family Social Work, 21(2), pp.228-239.
Octoman, O., McLean, S. and Sleep, J., 2014. Children in foster care: What behaviours do
carers find challenging?. Clinical Psychologist, 18(1), pp.10-20.
Petersén, A.C. and Olsson, J.I., 2014. Calling evidence-based practice into question:
Acknowledging phronetic knowledge in social work. The British Journal of Social
Work, 45(5), pp.1581-1597.