Developing a positive living group climate in residential youth care: A single case study

Abstract

In residential youth care, a positive living group climate is one of the main pillars for having a child grow up and develop optimally. Despite its importance, the development of a positive living group climate seems to be “under pressure,” due to recent evolutions in residential youth care all over the world. This article describes what could be learned from a project focused on monitoring the living group climate in a residential youth care service in Flanders, Belgium. The objectives were (a) to investigate the implications of this project specifically aimed at improving the living group climate, and (b) to discuss the opportunities and challenges of this process, in relation to the particular service and staff, and residential youth care in general. The outcomes indicate that group workers perceive the monitoring process as a constructive tool for discussing outcomes in establishing a positive living climate. Furthermore, the findings show that the living group climate is perceived as a complex context, with many interactions that are difficult to measure or capture—therefore, discussion about the outcomes is an essential part of improvement processes. This study provides insight into the key factors and tensions in the development of a positive living group climate.