‘Both/And’ Not ‘Either/Or’: Reconciling Rights to Protection and Participation in Working with Child Sexual Exploitation

Lefevre, Michelle; Hickle, Kristine; Luckock, Barry

doi:10.1093/social/bcy106

Cited by 11 publications

(19 citation statements)

References 23 publications

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“…However, the shift to co-productive and participative approaches (Beresford and Carr, 2012; Scie, 2015), now well-established in adults’ social care through research-led organisations and lobbying groups in the health and disability charity sector (such as Think Local Act Personal [2] and Research in practice for adults [3]) have yet to materialise at scale in children’s social care (La Valle et al , 2019), despite efforts by children’s charities and rights organisations (Action for Children and New Economics Foundation, 2009; Institute of Public Care, 2019). Lefevre et al (2019, p. 1837) describe the profound ontological, ethical, emotional and intellectual dilemmas experienced by social care practitioners in reconciling young people’s rights to voice, privacy and autonomy with their rights to safety, guidance and protection. Hood et al (2020, p. 98) note that the rhetoric of partnership, strengths and relationships sits uneasily with the experience of most families at the sharp end of intervention and that these ways of working are not enough on their own to shift the prevailing dynamic of the system, which remains one in which limits are set on the power and choice of young people and families both in the decisions about their lives and in shaping the service provision available to them. Cultural attitudes to risk.…”

Section: The Characteristics Of Social Care Innovationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Towards a framework for ethical innovation in children’s social care

Hampson

Goldsmith

Lefevre

2021

JCS

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Purpose Substantial government investment has accelerated innovation activity in children’s social care in England over the past decade. Ethical concerns emerge when innovation seems to be propelled by a drive for efficiency and over-reliance on process output indicators, as well as, or even instead of, improving the lives of children, families and societies. No ethical framework exists at present to act as a check on such drivers. This paper reviews the literature with the aim of considering how best to address this gap. Design/methodology/approach This paper draws on a review of innovation in children’s social care, conducted as part of an Economic and Social Research Council-funded project exploring innovation in services for young people exposed to extra-familial risk and harm. Findings This study proposes a new conception of “trustworthy innovation” for the sector that holds innovation in children’s social care to the standards and principles of the code of ethics for social work. This study offers an ethical framework, informed by the interdisciplinary school of organisational ethics, to operationalise this extended definition; the analytic framework guides policymakers and the practice sector to question at every stage of the innovation process whether a particular model is ethically appropriate, as well as practically feasible within a specific context. Implications for local decision-making and national policy are set out, alongside questions raised for future research. Originality/value This paper is the first to offer an ethical framework for innovation in children's social care. The conception of “trustworthy innovation” offers a guide to policymakers and the practice sector, which they can use to ethically test every stage of the innovation process and make decisions about whether a particular model is ethically appropriate, as well as practically feasible within a specific context.

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Section: The Characteristics Of Social Care Innovationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Towards a framework for ethical innovation in children’s social care

Hampson

Goldsmith

Lefevre

2021

JCS

Self Cite

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“…Young people in/at risk pose a challenge to child welfare services. Their age and maturity implies the right to be heard in matters regarding placement and other interventions, while their risk behavior calls for protective measures that potentially violate their autonomy and freedom rights (Lefevre et al, 2019). Secure placement is a last resort, which applies when all other options are assessed insufficient to safeguard the young person.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Studies document a tendency to get stuck in the ‘deep end’ of child protection and criminal justice (Cox, 2018; McAra and McVie, 2007), and that secure placement entails increased risk of crime, negative socialization, and poor mental health (Bengtsson, 2012; Henriksen, 2017; Nowak, 2019). While balancing their right to autonomy, care and protection is not an easy task, methods are being developed to safeguard young people through partnerships (Lefevre et al, 2019). The further development of these partnerships is vital for increasing young people’s participation in care plans and even care orders.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“It’s my life they are talking about” – On children’s participation in decision-making for secure placement

Henriksen

2021

Qualitative Social Work

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In Denmark, secure institutions are the most intrusive form of out-of-home placement. This article explores how children and young people experience participating in decisions involving secure placement. The analysis draws on a qualitative study, which includes interviews with young people, their case manager and case file data. The young people have all been placed in a secure institution for either observation or on grounds of being a danger to themselves or others, typically defined as a range of behavioral problems like absconding, abuse of drugs, transactional sex and/or crime involvement. Young people’s experiences of participating in these decisions provide important insights for understanding the barriers and factors, which facilitate participation for some of the most vulnerable children and young people in the child welfare system. Drawing on a three-dimensional definition of participation inspired by Kloppenborg and Lausten, the analysis shows that young people in the ‘deep-end’ of child welfare services navigate an adult-centered system of assessment and decision-making, which curtails their possibilities to have a voice and influence decisions. The analysis contributes to a limited research field studying case work practices in relation to care orders, restrictive measures and the confinement of children and young people, where young people’s perspectives are largely missing. Their voices provide important insights for the development of a child-centered approach to service provision, that balances their right to participation, protection and care.

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“…Children’s and young people’s right to express their views, be heard and exert agency in matters affecting their lives is enshrined in Article 12 of the 1989 United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UN, 1989), alongside their right to protection from harm, including sexual exploitation (Articles 31 and 35). Despite commitments to involving young people both in policy making and practice development (HM Government, 2018), multiple studies document the difficulty of achieving this in practice (Tisdall, 2013; Brodie et al , 2016; Lefevre et al , 2018). Recognised by participants and stakeholders as a successful participatory project, this paper describes the process undertaken to bring together police officers and young people affected by sexual violence and related forms of harm in adolescence to co-create solutions to improving professionals’ safeguarding responses to young people.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Reconciling young people’s rights to participation and protection is, however, a challenge for many professionals, with multiple studies reporting a tension between young people’s right to participate and current safeguarding processes (Gilligan, 2015; Lefevre et al , 2017, 2018; Warrington and Brodie, 2018). Furthermore, evidence shows that young people may resist professional intervention and support for a variety of reasons, including a lack of trust in professionals, a lack of faith in the child protection system and fear of the consequences following disclosure of sexual abuse (Beckett and Warrington, 2015; Lefevre et al , 2017).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Young people and police making “Marginal Gains”: climbing fells, building relationships and changing police safeguarding practice

Factor

Ackerley

2019

JCS

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Purpose The purpose of this paper is to describe a youth work model of participatory research practice which utilises a range of methods within non-traditional research settings, highlighting the importance of trust, risk-taking and the creation of mutually respectful and non-hierarchical relationships. The paper suggests that such methods enable the development of new insights into previously intractable challenges when working with adolescents needing a safeguarding response from professionals. Design/methodology/approach The paper reflects on the challenges and successes of a project which brought police officers and young people together to develop solutions to improving safeguarding responses to young people affected by sexual violence and related forms of harm in adolescence. In particular, this paper focuses on a residential held in October 2016 in the Lake District involving 7 officers and 15 young people. Findings Despite a number of ethical challenges throughout the project, this paper makes the case that potentially high-risk participatory research projects can be supported and managed by university research centres. However, for these to be successful, staff need to work in trauma-informed ways, and possess high-level expertise in group work facilitation. Transparency, honesty, constancy and a range of different and creative activities, including mental and physical challenges, all contributed to the success of the project. Originality/value By detailing the empirical steps taken to develop, support and realise this project, this paper advances a youth work model of participatory research practice, filling an important gap within the methodological literature on participatory work with young people affected by sexual violence.

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‘Both/And’ Not ‘Either/Or’: Reconciling Rights to Protection and Participation in Working with Child Sexual Exploitation

Abstract: Article (Accepted Version) http://sro.sussex.ac.uk Lefevre, Michelle, Hickle, Kristine and Luckock, Barry (2019) 'Both/and' not 'either/or': reconciling rights to protection and participation in working with child sexual exploitation.

Cited by 11 publications

References 23 publications

Towards a framework for ethical innovation in children’s social care

Towards a framework for ethical innovation in children’s social care

“It’s my life they are talking about” – On children’s participation in decision-making for secure placement

Young people and police making “Marginal Gains”: climbing fells, building relationships and changing police safeguarding practice

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