Child welfare inequalities: new evidence, further questions

Cheung

et al. 2015

Br J Soc Work

Very few UK studies make use of longitudinal general population data to explore social service contact for children and young people. Those that do only look at specific interventions such as care placements. This paper seeks to address this gap by asking to what extent do structural, neighbourhood, familial and individual characteristics predict social service contact? We provide an empirical answer by analysing the Longitudinal Survey of Young People in England, which includes data on social service contact in connection with young people's behaviour. Our findings indicate that social class, gender, ethnicity, stepfamily status and special education needs are all significant predictors of social service contact. Difficult parent-child relationships, frequent arguments and parents' lack of engagement with school meetings also matter, as does young people's own risktaking behaviour. We conclude with a discussion of the limitation of the data for social work research and the implications of the findings.

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Predictors of Social Service Contact among Teenagers in England

Henderson¹,

Cheung

et al. 2015

Br J Soc Work

“…We had previously identified three main kinds of limitations in the administrative data sets currently produced by the four UK governments (Bywaters et al, 2016a(Bywaters et al, , 2016b(Bywaters et al, , 2017a. First, there are large gaps in the data that are collected.…”

Section: Data Gaps and Comparabilitymentioning

confidence: 99%

Child welfare inequalities in the four nations of the UK

Bywaters

Ct³

et al. 2018

Journal of Social Work

Self Cite

Comparative International data on patterns of inequality in child welfare interventions, for example, the proportion of children about whom there are substantiated child protection (CP) concerns or who are in out-of-home care (CLA), are far less developed than data about inequalities in health. Few countries collect reliable, comprehensive information and definitions, methods of data collection and analysis are rarely consistent. The four UK countries (England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales) provide a potential 'natural experiment' for comparing intervention patterns. This study reports on a large quantitative, descriptive study focusing on children in contact with children's services on a single date in 2015. It found that children's chances of receiving a child protection intervention was primarily related to family socio-economic circumstances, measured by neighbourhood deprivation, within all four countries and in every local area. There was a strong social gradient which was significantly steeper in some countries than others. Ethnicity was another important factor underlying inequalities. While inequalities in patterns of intervention between the four countries were considerable, they did not mirror relative levels of deprivation in the child population. Inequalities in intervention rates result from a combination of demand and supply factors. The level and extent of inequity raise profound ethical, economic and practical challenges to those involved in child protection, the wider society and the state.

“…Some disparities are associated with social inequalities in access to welfare services (Bywaters, Brady, Sparks & Bos, 2014;Davies & Ward, 2012).…”

Section: Background Social Services In Englandmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Effects of Social Service Contact on Teenagers in England

Henderson

Research on Social Work Practice

Cheung

et al. 2014

ObjectiveThis study investigated outcomes of social service contact during teenage years. MethodsSecondary analysis was conducted of the Longitudinal Survey of Young People in England (n=15,770), using data on reported contact with social services resulting from teenagers' behavior. Outcomes considered were educational achievement and aspiration, mental health, and locus of control. Inverse-probability-weighted regression adjustment was used to estimate effect of social service contact. ResultsThere was no significant difference between those who received social service contact and those who did not for mental health outcome or aspiration to apply to university. Those with contact had lower odds of achieving good exam results or of being confident in university acceptance if sought. Results for locus of control were mixed. ConclusionsAttention is needed to the role of social services in supporting the education of young people in difficulty. Further research is needed on the outcomes of social services contact.