4 Rethinking the concept of institutionalisation in child protection
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Francesca Maci
Abstract
This chapter explores institutionalisation in child protection, in the context of developing ‘sense and sensibility’. Despite the commitment to deinstitutionalisation in Italy, as mandated by Law 149/2001, to ensure children’s rights to a family environment, institutionalisation persists due to managerialism and bureaucratisation in social services.
Here, institutionalisation refers not to removing children from families but to the exclusion of families from decision-making in social services. Such decision-making often lacks transparency, participation, timely interventions, clear objectives and measurable outcomes.
The chapter is structured in three parts. The first part provides a historical overview and literature review on institutionalisation, highlighting its key challenges. The second part introduces the Italian Programme of Intervention to Prevent Institutionalisation (P.I.P.P.I.), which adopts a participatory approach that integrates ‘sense and sensibility’ into social work. This approach emphasises co-creation, support rather than control and strength-based interventions, actively involving families and their networks.
The final section presents a case study from the P.I.P.P.I. programme, demonstrating how these principles enhance family participation, support positive parenting and prevent the resurgence of ‘institutionalisation 2.0’ in child protection.
Abstract
This chapter explores institutionalisation in child protection, in the context of developing ‘sense and sensibility’. Despite the commitment to deinstitutionalisation in Italy, as mandated by Law 149/2001, to ensure children’s rights to a family environment, institutionalisation persists due to managerialism and bureaucratisation in social services.
Here, institutionalisation refers not to removing children from families but to the exclusion of families from decision-making in social services. Such decision-making often lacks transparency, participation, timely interventions, clear objectives and measurable outcomes.
The chapter is structured in three parts. The first part provides a historical overview and literature review on institutionalisation, highlighting its key challenges. The second part introduces the Italian Programme of Intervention to Prevent Institutionalisation (P.I.P.P.I.), which adopts a participatory approach that integrates ‘sense and sensibility’ into social work. This approach emphasises co-creation, support rather than control and strength-based interventions, actively involving families and their networks.
The final section presents a case study from the P.I.P.P.I. programme, demonstrating how these principles enhance family participation, support positive parenting and prevent the resurgence of ‘institutionalisation 2.0’ in child protection.
Chapters in this book
- Front Matter i
- Contents ix
- List of figures and tables xi
- Notes on contributors xii
- Introduction 1
-
Sense and Sensibility as epistemology for social work
- Reflections on the possibilities and challenges offered by a social model of protecting children 19
- The virtuous cycle of using supportive measures to reduce red tape and meet families’ needs 35
- The potential of practice research to advance a framework for protective support and supportive protection (PS-SP) with children, young people and families 51
- Rethinking the concept of institutionalisation in child protection 69
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Sense and Sensibility as practice
- Towards a collaborative and innovative practice improvement paradigm in child protection? 93
- Participative and Transformative Evaluation: children, families and practitioners as co-researchers through ‘reflective thinking’ processes 114
- Community mapping as a participative tool to enhance informal social support: possible pathways for practitioners 134
- The training of trainers as a way to share sense and sensibility in the P.I.P.P.I. programme 156
- Care leavers in the Italian child protection system: from action research to advocacy of more inclusive policies and relationships 174
- A mind for learning and innovation 191
- Communication as the backbone of intervention with group programmes in the child protection system: exploring challenges and tools 214
- Epilogue 231
- Index 234
Chapters in this book
- Front Matter i
- Contents ix
- List of figures and tables xi
- Notes on contributors xii
- Introduction 1
-
Sense and Sensibility as epistemology for social work
- Reflections on the possibilities and challenges offered by a social model of protecting children 19
- The virtuous cycle of using supportive measures to reduce red tape and meet families’ needs 35
- The potential of practice research to advance a framework for protective support and supportive protection (PS-SP) with children, young people and families 51
- Rethinking the concept of institutionalisation in child protection 69
-
Sense and Sensibility as practice
- Towards a collaborative and innovative practice improvement paradigm in child protection? 93
- Participative and Transformative Evaluation: children, families and practitioners as co-researchers through ‘reflective thinking’ processes 114
- Community mapping as a participative tool to enhance informal social support: possible pathways for practitioners 134
- The training of trainers as a way to share sense and sensibility in the P.I.P.P.I. programme 156
- Care leavers in the Italian child protection system: from action research to advocacy of more inclusive policies and relationships 174
- A mind for learning and innovation 191
- Communication as the backbone of intervention with group programmes in the child protection system: exploring challenges and tools 214
- Epilogue 231
- Index 234
