| Description | This study examined the attitudes to a range of design interventions in four residential care homes for children in South Lanarkshire. The project set out to identify the benefits and disadvantages to young people and staff of a change in approach to the design of interior spaces. |
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| ISBN | (Web Only) |
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| Official Print Publication Date | |
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| Website Publication Date | June 02, 2006 |
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3 Research Methods
3.1 A variety of research methods was employed during this pilot study. Interviews were undertaken with children and young people in residential child care, residential child care staff, social work managers and design professionals. Relevant documentation relating to the approach adopted by South Lanarkshire Council was studied. A survey of design professionals and social work managers in local authorities across Scotland was carried out.
3.2 Information on the rationale for the change in approach to the design of care facilities, the process for implementation, issues encountered and the resulting benefits of this new system were gathered through face-to-face interviews with key staff involved in the design of care homes for children in South Lanarkshire.
3.3 A national survey of 32 Scottish local authorities was conducted to establish best practice relating to the design of children's homes among design and social work professionals. The questionnaire combined both open and closed questions and addressed four key issues: current best practice in the design of children's homes; the level and impact of consultation throughout the design process; the requirement for design guidance; and issues around site selection. A total of 22 local authorities submitted 38 completed questionnaires.
3.4 Forty-five residential child care staff members took part in one-to-one, group or telephone interviews; representing 60% of the staff working in the four residential care homes. The themes covered in interviews included: what worked and did not work in relation to the design features; the impact on feelings and working relationships of the design features; consultation; and recommendations for the future.
3.5 The participation of children and young people living in the four homes was a central part of the research. Two research approaches were employed: facilitated participatory workshops; and face-to-face interviews. A total of 22 out of a possible 29 young people participated in the workshops; twelve took part in interviews. Participatory workshops were activity-focused, highly visual and relatively informal and were facilitated by an experienced design educator. Each participant was given a workbook for recording their activities which they retained at the end of the project. Workshop 1 focused on drawing, cutting and pasting of preferred designs for an ideal house; workshop 2 on design features in the house, and involved taking digital images of spaces and objects that were liked and disliked; and workshop 3 explored in more detail the likes and dislikes based on the digital images. Face-to-face interviews allowed further information to be collected to augment the workshop information. The interview themes mirrored those of the staff interviews.
3.6 While direct comparisons between the homes was not possible due to a lack of common factors concerning the interior of each home, common themes have been identified. A case study was devised for each home highlighting information on the overall appearance of the house; the extent of design interventions and the reactions from young people and staff; and suggestions for the design of care homes for children and young people in the future. However, the material generated highlights the complexity of such evaluations. The design interventions are only partial and are constrained by other factors including architecture, health and safety, and broader organisational and management issues. In this context, broader themes have been identified and discussed in relation to their impact on the post-occupancy evaluations.