Some obstacles to the effective investigation and registration of children at risk—issues gleaned from a worker's perspective

Abstract

How can front-line practitioners be helped to c a r y out their responsibilities for child protection? This paper outlines and discusses some of the findings which emerged from interviews with 20 social workers about their involvement in regktration decisions. In particular it considers obstacles io effective investigation and decision making, highlighting factors associated with the cases, the workers' knowledge base and the professional support available.Our findings suggest a scenario in which social workers face a challenge as much to their integrity as to their knowledge, skill and understanding and in which they must manage their own emotions, ethical uncertainties and knowledge-based judgements in the pursuit of wise and just decisions. In a climate in which an increasingly elaborate procedural edifice is established to direct practice, we suggest that agency systems must provide workers with a professional support network which takes seriously the emotional and ethical components of the professional task as well as encouraging the worker's ability to achieve informed and thoughtful assessments.

Maintaining front‐line workers in child protection: a case for refocusing supervision

“…Given the existence of a wealth of good practice guidance about how to be an effective supervisor and the evidence that supervision is such a critical forum through which the high levels of anxiety inherent in the work can be confronted and contained, it is disturbing to find such a preponderance of evidence which suggests many workers are receiving insufficient supervision and that they are dissatisfied with the quality of what they get (Gibson et al, 1989; 'Evidence suggests many workers are receiving insufficient supervision and they are dissatisfied with the quality of what they get' Marsh and Triseliotis, 1996;Auditor General's Report, 1996). Rather than concentrating on the development of effective supervision structures to assist workers to function in such a personally and professionally demanding world, the literature indicates that public child welfare organizations have concentrated more on the issue of accountability, with the proliferation of policies and procedures being the predominant response (Howe, 1992;Bingley Miller and Fisher, 1992;Hough, 1995). Without suggesting that policies and procedures have no value, Bingley Miller and Fisher (1992, p. 136) point out that they cannot usually assist with the impact of emotion on workers' perceptions and actions or gaps in their knowledge and skill.…”

“…A lack of attention and response to the often unconscious defence mechanisms adopted by individuals to survive in the face of 'Often unconscious defence mechanisms adopted by individuals to survive' high levels of anxiety and distress become damaging to those individuals, and potentially dangerous for the children and families who come within the remit of protective services (Dale et al, 1986;Bingley Miller and Fisher, 1992;Stanley and Goddard, 1993;Fitzgerald and McGregor, 1995).…”

The child protection conference: A study of process and an evaluation of the potential for on-line group support

“…is the chair's ability to facilitate the expression of dissent when it is hovering in the air but has not been articulated. ' (p. 234) One possible explanation for the lack of disagreement may stem from the difficulties faced by social workers in being 'judgemental' at case conferences (Miller and Fisher, 1992). Pecora (1991) concluded that formal risk assessment could be an important tool in improving decision-making, perhaps pointing to the need for training in risk assessment, as well as the development of practical methods.…”

Time, Institutional Support, and Quality of Decision Making in Child Protection: A Cross-Country Analysis

“…In short, in time-constrained environments, child protection staff need institutional support for reasoned decision making. Such support may take the form of organizational structures and/or emotional scaffolding upon which staff can rely (Miller & Fisher, 1992) and be held accountable.…”

“…In short, in time-constrained environments, child protection staff need institutional support for reasoned decision making. Such support may take the form of organizational structures and/or emotional scaffolding upon which staff can rely (Miller & Fisher, 1992) and be held accountable.Accountability is a central concern in child protection in part because of the gravity and consequences of these public actors' decisions; the power interplay between child protection staff and the typically marginalized populations served by child welfare; and the contested nature of interventions into the private sphere. Accountability is commonly used as a standard for good governance (Bovens, 2007) and includes concepts such as transparency, legitimacy, trustworthiness, responsiveness, and justice (Bovens, 2007;Mulgan, 2000).…”