Approaches to Supporting Young People in Out-of-Home Care Who ‘Self-Place’ in Unapproved Locations: Perspectives of Statutory Child Protection Practitioners

The responsibilities of statutory child protection practitioners (SCPPs) include supporting the care and protection needs of young people in out-of-home care. SCPPs face challenges in responding to young people’s preferences and rights to self-determination within child protection systems that are often risk averse. This article considers SCPPs’ approaches to working with young people who leave approved placements to stay in other, unapproved locations. This phenomenon is referred to as ‘self-placing’ in Queensland (Australia), where this study was conducted. These young people are often disconnected from support, at increased risk of homelessness and exploitation, have increased contact with the justice system, disengage from education, face barriers to mental and physical health care and experience ongoing trauma and crisis. We draw on data from seven focus groups conducted with twenty-six practitioners from Queensland’s child protection authority to explore how they work with this cohort. Our findings highlight the discomfort that SCPPs experience, due to concerns about risk and a lack of formal practice guidelines. Despite sharing concerns for the safety of young people, SCPPs adopt different approaches to manage the complexities of this work. Understanding these practices can assist in developing more responsive policies and practices for supporting this cohort.