That Difficult Age: Developing a More Effective Response to Risks...

24 Nov 2014 in Safeguarding and Child Protection > Safeguarding & Child Protection >

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That Difficult Age: Developing a more effective response to risks in adolescence

ADCS and Research in Practice

This piece of work, exploring the research and practice evidence around adolescence and risk, was instigated by the ADCS Families, Children and Young People Committee in the spring of 2014. It reflects a growing sense from the sector that the current child protection system is not working effectively enough for many adolescents. As with the work undertaken by ADCS in 2013, ‘What is Care For?’, this work aims to challenge our thinking and encourage us to focus on what we know rather than continue to be constrained by the systems we have.

It is now widely acknowledged that, as a nation, we do not adequately understand, identify, prevent or effectively reduce the significant risks that some adolescents experience (ADCS, 2013). This is despite some excellent practice at local level. The purpose of this Evidence Scope is to explore key dimensions to adolescent risk and resilience (including the ways in which choice and behaviour can play a role in both) and consider the implications of all of this for current practice and service design. It calls for a system-wide rethink of how adolescent risk is identified, understood and responded to.

Visit the Research in Practice website to view the report

N.B. In addition to the main resource you can also download from this page a summary, a full list of references, an Appendix of Practice Submissions and a table summarising Seven principles to improve responses to adolescent risk.