The Exploration of Interconnectivity Between Violence and Blocked Care Within a Forensic Residential Childcare Setting

This study explored the interconnectivity between violence and blocked care within a forensic residential childcare setting. This was undertaken by exploring the experiences of residential childcare staff. Using a qualitative design, semi-structured interviews were undertaken with six residential childcare staff. The findings were analysed using thematic analysis (Braun & Clarke, 2006). The findings demonstrated that there is a relationship between the experience of violence and blocked care within a residential childcare setting. The narrative from participants aligns with the literature on blocked care (Golding, Thompson, & Grant, 2024; Hughes & Baylin, 2012). Implications of the research suggest organisational policy and practice need to align with the narratives and experiences of the workforce. Policies should reflect the utility of a trauma-informed approach through the use of therapeutic approaches such as dyadic developmental psychotherapy (Hughes, 2014) and Treisman's (2017) organisational trauma framework. This study contributes to the limited evidence base of the experience of blocked care. It is hoped this will further our understanding into the difficulties faced by this particular workforce and allow for robust support mechanisms within these settings, to ensure better long-term outcomes for young people and those who choose to care.