As part of my undergraduate thesis, I conducted a qualitative research study entitled "Social Work in the School Counselling Service in Primary Schools in Working with Children with Foster Care Experience. The theoretical section provides an overview of the foster care
system in Slovenia, the concept of complex developmental trauma, and the role of social work within this context. I examined interventions with children navigating between two families, cooperation with biological and foster families, and the role of an individual case planning team. Furthermore, the thesis explores the experiences of children in foster care within the school environment, defines the purpose and principles of school counselling services, and emphasizes the role of social work in primary education. In this context, I highlighted key
concepts of school-based social work and presented an original intervention project designed
to support a pupil with foster care experience.
For the empirical part of the thesis, I employed a qualitative interview method, conducting semi-structured interviews with six participants. The data collection instrument was a set of
interview guidelines. The collected data were analysed using qualitative data processing methods, beginning with open coding and followed by axial coding.
It is essential to recognize that children entering the foster care system are often deeply affected by trauma, and its consequences are reflected across all areas of their lives. Since school constitutes a significant part of a child's daily routine, it often becomes a place where they seek trusting relationships—frequently established with the school counsellor. In working with children in foster care, the professional field of social work serves as an
important source of strength for counsellors. It supports their practice and mandates that interventions be rooted in the child’s voice, thereby co-creating positive experiences that lay
the foundation for the child’s future.
|
