Abstract copyright UK Data Service and data collection copyright owner.

This qualitative study focused on vulnerable families with child care problems who did not receive social work support. It examined the ways mothers, who generally take primary responsibility for care of their children, cope with child care problems without this support. The researchers interviewed 99 mothers who were the subject of consecutive referrals to two district social services child care teams, but who were seen only briefly and not taken on for longer term help. The researchers collected their accounts of how they sought to cope with their problems. The study was concerned with different ways women try to cope with child care difficulties. What kinds of actions did they take? How did coping efforts vary with different kinds of circumstances, such as degree of stress, sense of control over their lives, and people available to help them? What were their own judgements of their coping efforts, in particular, how efficacious did they consider them to be? At a theoretical level these data are of interest to the processes of prevention in child and family care. At the policy and practice level the data are relevant to understanding more about vulnerable families.

Main Topics:

Reasons for approaching social services, child and other problems, coping strategies, appraisal of coping strategies and social supports available.

Purposive selection/case studies

Face-to-face interview