TY - JOUR
T1 - Building a positive group climate together: How monitoring instruments are part of an improvement process in residential care for children
AU - Strijbosch, E.l.l.
AU - Wissink, I.b.
AU - Van der helm, G.h.p.
AU - Stams, G.j.j.m.
PY - 2019/1/1
Y1 - 2019/1/1
N2 - In order to work on qualitatively good residential care it is important to monitor group climate and to act on clients' feedback. The present study describes how two youth care organizations in the Netherlands implemented group climate monitoring instruments for children (GCIC 4–8 and 8–15) as part of the broader ‘You Matter!’ project (in which N = 15 teams, and N = 274 children participated), and aims to answer the question how these monitoring instruments can help to improve group climate when routinely embedded in daily care. The results indicated that, in the age group 8–15 (n = 171), negative group climate aspects diminished over two years using feedback from the children. Evaluating the ‘You Matter’ project, it appears to be worthwhile to invest in the monitoring of group climate. According to the interviewed group workers (N = 5), group climate improvements were instigated most when the feedback was discussed soon after the measurement, when teams were facilitated to reflect together and when they kept working on their shared vision. Trends in children's answers on the open-ended questions of the monitoring instrument provided further important information about how to stay focused on creating a safe and positive context for vulnerable children in residential care.
AB - In order to work on qualitatively good residential care it is important to monitor group climate and to act on clients' feedback. The present study describes how two youth care organizations in the Netherlands implemented group climate monitoring instruments for children (GCIC 4–8 and 8–15) as part of the broader ‘You Matter!’ project (in which N = 15 teams, and N = 274 children participated), and aims to answer the question how these monitoring instruments can help to improve group climate when routinely embedded in daily care. The results indicated that, in the age group 8–15 (n = 171), negative group climate aspects diminished over two years using feedback from the children. Evaluating the ‘You Matter’ project, it appears to be worthwhile to invest in the monitoring of group climate. According to the interviewed group workers (N = 5), group climate improvements were instigated most when the feedback was discussed soon after the measurement, when teams were facilitated to reflect together and when they kept working on their shared vision. Trends in children's answers on the open-ended questions of the monitoring instrument provided further important information about how to stay focused on creating a safe and positive context for vulnerable children in residential care.
U2 - 10.1016/j.childyouth.2018.11.051
DO - 10.1016/j.childyouth.2018.11.051
M3 - Article
SN - 0190-7409
VL - 96
SP - 266
EP - 277
JO - Children and Youth Services Review
JF - Children and Youth Services Review
ER -