CYP Now - NCB Now: Childcare workers report on morale

Despite their very different circumstances, residential childcare workers in Northern Ireland report higher levels of morale than their counterparts in England, according to interim findings from NCB research.

Eighty five per cent of residential staff who took part in the study said that morale was "high" or "OK" compared to 74 per cent in England.

Childcare workers in Northern Ireland were also asked about the impact of community relations and sectarianism on staff morale. The great majority of staff said that tensions within the community did not affect their relationships with children and young people, despite the fact that over half said that young people in residential care had been threatened by paramilitaries.

The research has been funded by the Social Education Trust, which is also supporting comparable studies in Scotland and Wales. It follows an NCB survey within the residential childcare sector in England, published in the 2003 report Better than you think: staff morale, qualifications and retention in residential care, by Amanda Mainey.

Register Now to Continue Reading

Thank you for visiting Children & Young People Now and making use of our archive of more than 60,000 expert features, topics hubs, case studies and policy updates. Why not register today and enjoy the following great benefits:

What's Included