Exploring the complexities in CP work

Caroline Meffan

University of Hertfordshire

c.meffan@herts.ac.uk

The risks

• There are significant risks when working with families

• Hostility towards the social worker

• Misunderstood families

• Misguided social workers

• Why do we continue to question social work intervention in CP work

Terminologies

• Safeguarding children

• Children are the paramount consideration

• At risk

• Protect from harm

• Can we say that they all mean the same?

Significant Studies Undertaken

• Brandon et al (2002)

• Sinclair and Bullock (2002)

• London Serious Case reviews 2006-2009

• Morris et al (2007)

• Rose and Barnes (2008)

• Brandon et al (2008)

• Munro (2011)

Similar issues and outcomes identified

The risk perspective

• The dilemmas posed

• Premise that agencies are working together

• Frustrations inherent in social work practice

• Skills development – risk or uncertainty?

• No one says! (Who needs to know?)

Multiple Problems within Families

• Parental history

• London review – Out of 40 children selected 17% of mothers had experienced sexual abuse themselves

• Chaotic life styles

• Lack of parenting for them

Continued

• Mental health issues

• In the London study 60% of the families had a parent with mental health problems.

• In some instances the SCR found that psychotic illness was only identified after the death of a child

Domestic violence

• DV being seen as a significant problem within families

• In a number of studies (which offered similar statistics) 47% were identified with concerns around domestic violence

• Interestingly looking at the different studies approx 26% included an adult with a history of violence, other than DV

Daphne Project

• EU funded

• Explores Women and their experiences of DV and mental health that has been ignored in recent years

• Programmes for providers of mental health

• How do they identify with the impact on the chil

Legal/policy context

• The Children Act 1989 and 2004

• Human Rights Act

• Adoption Act

• Working together document

• Social Work Task Force

• Munro’s review of social work in CP 2012

UN Convention

• Article 19

• Who says that it works?

• How do social workers engage with the article?

• How does this work alongside the Children Act?

Other issues for the families

• Drug and alcohol problems

• Mobile families

• Children with disabled children

• Issues for those with learning difficulties

• Housing

• Poverty

• Education

Engaging with families

• The hostile family

• Passive aggressiveness

• Passive hopelessness

• Avoidant families

• The manipulative family

Brandon et al

• Continue to offer biennial analysis of SCRs in order to identify where social work and health professionals need to develop

• Outcomes and recommendations are similar and there is then the question of what is effective to safeguard children

Gender issues

• Fixed thinking about men

• Men and male care givers

• Fear of men

• Lack of understanding of women as perpetrators/abusers

• Social workers views on gender considerations

Criminal Behaviour

• More than half of the parents/carers in the cases reviewed by Brandon et al (2008) had a criminal record

• 6 (15%) of primary carers had a criminal record in the Sinclair and Bullock (2002) study and 14 (35%) secondary carers

continued

• In the Owers and Brandon (1999) study 9 out of 10 parents or caregivers had criminal convictions

• Brandon et al (2002) 6 out of 10 parents or secondary carers had a criminal record

• Parental criminality was a feature in 5 of the 12 analysed by Morris et al (2007)

Recent studies

• Brandon et al 2008 - SCRs

• Vincent 2009 protecting YP

• Sidebotham 2011- what do SCRs achieve?

• Sequeli 2012 - Lessons learnt?

• Brandon et al 2011- study of recommendations

• Munro 2011b final report

Themes

• The invisible child

• Chaotic families

• Being overwhelmed

• Overwhelmed, unsupported families

• Family and environmental characteristics

• Overwhelmed professionals

• Lack of professional confidence

Themes continued

• Multiple problems within the family

• Failure to exercise professional judgement

• Silo practice

With these issues to consider and the impact of the work needing to be undertaken, social work is in a particularly difficult position.

Finally

• It would be naïve to think that child abuse and child deaths can be eradicated. However with growing evidence and knowledge perhaps a lesson can be learnt in protecting the vulnerable.

Questions

• How can we truely protect children from violence?

• What skills are needed to work with hostile families?

• How do we recognise abuse in families?

• Is it always the male figure who abuses?

• What has been learnt in your country?