Journal article
Strengthening recognition in residential out of home care in Australia: ‘We recognized each other through a photo’
British Journal of Social Work, Vol.First online, pp.1-23
28/07/2026
Appears in Recent Faculty of Health Publications
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Abstract
Residential care in Australia serves a small but highly complex group of young people whose experiences of instability, trauma, and disconnection often limit their sense of being loved, respected, and valued. This article applies Honneth’s recognition theory to better understand these experiences and identify pathways for strengthening care. Drawing on interviews with thirty-eight young people in therapeutic residential care in New South Wales, it examines how everyday practices shape experiences across Honneth’s three dimensions of recognition: love, rights, and solidarity. Participants identified caring and consistent relationships, trust, genuine worker interest, opportunities to exercise agency, decision-making participation, and positive peer and community connections as central to feeling seen and valued. However, placement instability, restrictive rules, inconsistent decisions, and institutional constraints undermined recognition and reinforced stigma and isolation. Integrating participant accounts with Ha€kli and colleagues’ concept of ‘positive recognition’, the article reveals that recognition emerges through the interplay of relational practices and organizational environments. Findings demonstrate that recognition operates at both systemic and interpersonal levels. Strengthening relational practice, enabling participation, and opening up recognition-supportive contexts are essential for improving young people’s wellbeing, identity formation, and experiences of safety and belonging in residential care.
Details
- Title
- Strengthening recognition in residential out of home care in Australia: ‘We recognized each other through a photo’
- Creators
- Tim Moore - Australian Catholic UniversityLynne McPherson - Southern Cross UniversityAntonia Canosa - Southern Cross UniversityRobbie Gilligan - Trinity College DublinAnne Graham AO - Southern Cross UniversityKylie Day - Southern Cross UniversityKathomi Gatwiri - Southern Cross University
- Publication Details
- British Journal of Social Work, Vol.First online, pp.1-23
- Publisher
- Oxford University Press; OXFORD
- Grant note
- This research was funded by the Australian Research Council (LP210100177) and the Centre for Excellence in Therapeutic Care (CETC), a division of the Australian Childhood Foundation.
- Identifiers
- 991013390250702368
- Copyright
- © The Author(s) 2026.
- Academic Unit
- Office of the Vice Chancellor; Centre for Children and Young People; Social Work; Gnibi College of Indigenous Australian Peoples; Faculty of Health
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Journal article