Working Ethically in Child Protection

Lonne, Bob; Harries, Maria; Featherstone, Brid; Gray, Mel

doi:10.4324/9781315851020

Cited by 30 publications

(28 citation statements)

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“…While issues such as domestic violence, mental health and drug misuse have been highlighted as major issues in child protection previously (Darlington, Feeney, & Rixon, 2005;Lonne, et al, 2015), there was a sense that these issues were now more entrenched. Working with complex cases also makes the practice context for practitioners themselves more dangerous, and increases the risks for children.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Other concerns include risk-adverse cultures, overburdened staff and the burgeoning costs of the system (Carmody, 2013;Collins-Camargo, Ellett, & Lester, 2011;Glisson, Dukes, & Green, 2006). Added challenges are the intersection of child protection issues with other concerns such as domestic violence, drug and alcohol misuse and mental health issues, and a lack of effective service collaboration due to often fragmented, siloed and competitive health and human services systems (Lonne, Featherstone, Gray, & Harries, 2015). Working in an overloaded and scrutinised system, child protection practitioners can feel 'compromised in fulfilling the moral and emotional dimension of the job as a result of the demands of a neoliberal state' (Smith et al, 2016, p. 973).…”

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confidence: 99%

“…One of the report recommendations was to adopt a safety-oriented approach to child protection through a program 'signs of safety' (Carmody, 2013). The 'signs of safety' approach is grounded in Appreciative Inquiry and action research practice, which requires practitioners to develop a comprehensive risk assessment framework to explore concerns, strengths and next steps (Lonne, et al, 2015). However, for this approach to be effective, it would be useful for practitioners to be able to use, access and engage in research to facilitate their adoption of a stance conducive to Appreciate Inquiry and to the development of skills that are essential for risk assessments within an action research practice framework.…”

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confidence: 99%

“…Research-informed practice improves the professionalism and reflexivity of practitioners, is important for evaluation and for the improvement of service user outcomes, and service quality (Lonne et al, 2015;McBeath & Austin, 2015).…”

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confidence: 99%

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Five years after Carmody: practitioners’ views of changes, challenges and research in child protection

Zuchowski

2019

Children Australia

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Child protection work is a complex and difficult area of practice, one that is closely scrutinised and criticised, and impacts on the lives of many children. In Australia, child protection systems are overloaded, and increasing numbers of children and families receive child protection interventions each year. This study explored the views of North Queensland practitioners who work in the child protection field, examining changes and challenges in this field of practice, and their suggestions for the future research that is needed in child protection. The study took place 5 years after the 2013 Queensland Carmody inquiry into child protection intervention, which recommended sweeping changes to the child protection system. Twenty-two practitioners participated in this study. Respondents reported an increase in the complexity of cases, a gap in legislation change/practice frameworks and practice, and the application of trauma-informed practice. They highlighted the intersection of child protection, domestic violence and family law and observed that women and children continue to be exposed to violence because of Family Law Court orders. Respondents identified a number of areas where research is needed.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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confidence: 99%

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confidence: 99%

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confidence: 99%

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Five years after Carmody: practitioners’ views of changes, challenges and research in child protection

Zuchowski

2019

Children Australia

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“…However, redistribution, recognition, and representation are important aspects, in accordance with Fraser's theory of social justice (Fraser 2007;Fraser and Honneth 2003). These concepts are not new for social work theory, and several voices are suggesting the need for a social and radical change in child welfare (Bywaters et al 2015;Bywaters and Sparks 2017;Davidson et al 2017;Gillies et al 2017;Lonne et al 2016). Briskman (2017, p. 134) argued that it is necessary to address and manage the harsh neo-liberal policies by addressing social justice and emotions in social work practice.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Social Class and Child Welfare: Intertwining Issues of Redistribution and Recognition

2018

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By the end of the 20th century, social class appeared to be an old-fashioned and outdated concept. Serious doubts were expressed about the theoretical and empirical relevance of social class in understanding inequalities in contemporary society. However, experiences from completing research with children and families receiving support from child welfare services shows that applying a class perspective is useful. The purpose of our study was to explore the redistributive and cultural dimensions of social class in the context of child welfare. The data include survey interviews with 715 families in contact with the Norwegian child welfare services (CWS). We found that social class is important but with different effects compared with the industrial society. Our analysis highlighted the problems children and families involved with CWS face, associated with social inequalities based on class differences. We argue that social class is part of the social dynamic of late modern societies, and that this dynamic intertwines with the lives of families in CWS and the problem complexes they encounter in everyday life.

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Child Protection Investigations in Scotland: A 33 Per Cent Increase in Two Years

Bilson

2021

Child Abuse Review

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The Scottish government plans a more preventive and partnership‐oriented approach to child protection. However, it has not recently published statistics on the number of child protection investigations. This paper analyses data from a request for information from government. It shows a rate of 153 investigations per 10 000 children aged 0–17 in 2017/18. There were wide variations in rates of investigations across Scottish local authorities. Almost three‐quarters of investigations in 2017/18 did not lead to the child being placed on the child protection register. A small association between investigation rates and local authority deprivation suggests that factors other than deprivation at the local authority level are at play in decisions to investigate child protection. There has been an increase of investigations by one‐third in the last two years with no change in the numbers starting a child protection plan. These trends raise the possibility that concerns about the preventive approach net‐widening and leading to more rather than less children drawn into the formal child protection system may have some basis. The limited nature of published statistical data in Scotland means that policies and activities, which are carried out with large amounts of public funding, receive limited public scrutiny. Key Practitioner Messages One investigation was conducted for every 65 children in Scotland in 2017/18. One child in 23 was investigated before the age of four. Rates of investigation vary widely between local authorities. One in four investigations are likely to lead to a child protection registration. There was a 33 per cent increase in investigations in the most recent two years with no change in child protection registrations. Investigations harm families and lessen the chances of engaging them with support.

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Working Ethically in Child Protection

Cited by 30 publications

References 0 publications

Five years after Carmody: practitioners’ views of changes, challenges and research in child protection

Five years after Carmody: practitioners’ views of changes, challenges and research in child protection

Social Class and Child Welfare: Intertwining Issues of Redistribution and Recognition

Child Protection Investigations in Scotland: A 33 Per Cent Increase in Two Years

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