The under-representation of Pakistani children looked after: do the beliefs of parents and social workers play a role?

The aim of this study was to ascertain if the beliefs of White British and Pakistani parents and social workers play a role in the under-representation of Pakistani children Looked After by Local Authorities. Semi-structured interviews with 8 parents (4 Pakistani and 4 White British) and 8 social workers (4 Pakistani and 4 White British) were conducted to explore their beliefs in regards to safeguarding vulnerable children and working with Pakistani families, respectively. Content analysis of the interview transcripts revealed more differences than similarities between the beliefs of both parents and social workers of each ethnicity. For the Parents' group the main differences in beliefs were in relation the Pakistani community's attitudes and attributes (for example, a fear of stigmatisation), the lack of Pakistani foster carers available, Pakistani children's unwillingness to disclose abuse or neglect and beliefs about whose responsibility it is to safeguard children. For the Social workers' group, the main differences in beliefs were in relation to the inadequate practice of Social Services with Pakistani families, the Pakistani community's lack of understanding of the role of Social Services, the attitudes and attributes of the Pakistani community (for example, different social norms), Pakistani children's coping ability in adverse circumstances and the hidden nature of domestic violence in the Pakistani community. The extent to which these differences in beliefs could play a role in the under-representation of Pakistani children Looked After was considered with reference to wider social psychology theories and relevant literature. Implications arising from the findings included a need for educating members of the Pakistani community, more effective training for social workers and recruiting more Pakistani foster families. The findings were considered to make a significant contribution to the literature given the lack of existing research in this area. The limitations of the study were discussed and recommendations for further research were made.

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