Out of the maze: permanency planning in a postmodern world

This article examines the complexity of planning for children who are 'look ed after' by a Local Authority. It concludes by identifying factors that fa cilitate the conditions in which social workers can effectively attend to d ifficult cases over an extended period of time, and presents lessons for pr actitioners and policy makers. The article is based on research into a Look ed After Children (LAC) project carried out in an inner city, and an analys is of the factors affecting planning for children who are 'looked after'. T his is supported by a description of therapeutic work with one particular c hild. The analysis highlights the inadequacy of attempts to resolve such co mplex situations by policy prescriptions. Emphasising the inability of any single principle, purpose or institution to control the circumstances of th ese young people, the analysis in the article makes use of the links betwee n 'time', 'conflict' and 'reflexivity'. The picture that emerges is closer to a 'postmodem' analysis than that of traditional policy prescription and implementation.