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Part Two: Interviews with key stakeholders
Chapter One: Introduction
2.1.1 The purpose of the interviews with key stakeholders was two-fold: to learn from the experience of key people in the field and to explore their views on key issues, particularly those raised in the literature.
2.1.2 It was agreed that the sample would be drawn from across the UK and encompass service providers, academics and key others with a specific interest or relevant experience. Among service providers it was agreed that there would be approximately equal representation from local authority staff and the voluntary sector. For the most part, service managers were included, but within two Scottish local authorities, views were also obtained from first line managers who had more direct experience of the service.
2.1.3 Selection of agencies was based on a number of factors. Within Scotland, two local authorities with a fairly long standing service were selected with the help of Children 1 st. Also interviewed were four Children 1 st members of staff, an FGC co-ordinator from Edinburgh City Council and a manager from an authority in the process of planning an FGC service. In Wales, the selection of agencies was guided by information obtained in the course of initial interviews, resulting in the inclusion of the local authority with the largest FGC service and a small voluntary organisation which had trained a wide range of people from the community as co-ordinators. Within Northern Ireland interviews were held with the FGC managers for four health and social services Trusts, while in England two local authorities with well large, well-established FGC services were included, alongside a voluntary organisation specialising in working with families affected by domestic violence. All four academics interviewed had completed or were currently working on research on FGC.
2.1.4 A total of 28 stakeholders were interviewed, 21 service providers, 4 academics and 3 others (listed in Appendix 1). With the exception of two face to face contacts in the initial stages of the fieldwork, interviews were carried out by phone, sometimes supplemented by information sent by e-mail. Calls were arranged in advance and usually lasted an hour. With the interviewees consent, about a third were tape-recorded and transcribed. For the remainder, detailed notes were taken during the call. Analysis included collating responses to individual questions and identifying key themes which emerged across the topics discussed. Copies of the interview schedules are at Appendix 2.
2.1.5 Given the numbers involved, the diversity of experience and the ad hoc way in which interviewees were recruited, this could only be an exploratory study, so no claims are made for the generalisability of the findings. In addition, since most interviewees were working in FGC, they were likely to be enthusiastic about its possibilities. Nevertheless, key themes and issues emerged repeatedly, suggesting that certain features of FGC and its relationship with mainstream services are similar across the differing contexts in which FGC services are currently delivered. This indicates that understanding the structures and dynamics which underpin the operation of FGC is an important element in assessing its potential.
2.1.6 Part two continues by highlighting key elements of these underpinning structures, before summarising responses to key questions covered in the interviews. In the conclusion, Part 3, key messages from the literature review and interviews are considered together and their implications highlighted.
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