Child Protection and Disabled Children - Rights at Risk

Prof Kirsten Stalker, Dr Pam Green Lister,

Jennifer Lerpiniere, Katherine McArthur

University of Strathclyde

Study Aims

to scope current knowledge about child protection and disabled children

to review current social policy and practice in the field in the UK

to pilot ways to seek disabled children's views about child protection services

Methods

literature review

policy analysis – England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland

10 ‘key informant’ interviews at national level

interviews with four disabled children using child protection services

Headlines from Literature Review

incidence of abuse 3.4 times greater for disabled children

those with communication impairments, behavioural ‘disorders’, learning disabilities and sensory impairments most at risk

Literature Review contd

evidence of under-reporting in UK and other countries

increased vulnerability factors for disabled children

unhelpful myths & stereotypes

indications that disabled children get lesser treatment in UK safeguarding systems

Child Protection Policy: England

mainstreaming approach

generic guidance highlights implications for disabled children

separate guidance re disabled children 2006; updated 2009

social exclusion/ social model of disability focus

wide-ranging + substantial policies cross-referenced between disability and safeguarding arenas

Child Protection Policies: Wales

Wales: tends to follow English lead although no dedicated guidance

has addressed CP/ disabled children systematically, often in detail

social exclusion/ social model of disability focus

Child Protections Policies:Northern Ireland

• no dedicated guidance

• balance between including disabled children in generic guidance and highlighting their vulnerability/ support needs

• new legislation has potential to put them at the forefront of CP practice.

Child Protection Policy: Scotland

2002 CP Reform Programme – very littler attention to disabled children

‘mainstreamed’ to near invisibility in a series of documents

new draft guidance has 3 pages on risks for disabled children and some references in generic sections

Key Informant Views

under reporting of abuse

communicating with disabled children

differential treatment in CP system

joint working

Implications for Policy and Practice

governments should publish nos. of disabled children on CP registers

closer joint working between children’s teams in social work, and across social work, health, education, police and vol orgs

joint training at all levels with involvement of disabled people

Implications for Policy and Practice contd.

a child protection system more accessible to disabled children and sensitive to needs

safety training, sex education and rights awareness for disabled children

need more preventive and therapeutic work

inspection processes to pay particular attention to disabled children