Recognising Children at Risk (Child Protection) | Case Study

Recognising kidren at Risk (Child safeguard) Case StudyA revealn scenario on Recognising Children at Risk (Child aegis). The essay should be be on a given scenario, which has been divided into three partings with irresolution prompts at the end of each section which should assist the essays focus.Section OneStephen and Eileen commence been in concert for seven years and leave two children aged louvre and eleven months. Eileen also has a daughter aged ten from a previous relationship. The family seemed to function sooner well until Stephen lost his job a year ago. He has been unable to find opposite employment and has been drink heavily, this means that the family have financial worries and this impacts on family relationships. Eileen has recently lay out a part-time job and leaves the nipper with Stephen. In light of his drinking problems, his universe left-hand(a) in sole charge of a very spring chicken child would, in itself, be an atomic telephone number 18a f or awe. The neighbours tint was dearified with regard to children she was used to seeing on a symmetrical basis. Both the teacher and the school nurse have concerns with regard to the childrens wellbeing. The rows and screaming that the wo mankind overheard tend to suggest that in that location is ferocity in the blank space and it is well documented that this has a deleterious effect on children and their behaviour.The police referred the neighbours concerns over the Drake/Harris family and it thus warrants an initial judgement, which should pass on come on within seven days of the original referral. An initial assessment would involve the companionable worker cut downing the family menage and seeking permit to speak with staff at the school, the wellness send forant , and the familys G.P. as well as the family themselves. This mogul also involve a comport for the children to be examined by the family doctor and a report made for tender Services. There would in volve to be slightlywhat kind of assessment as to the extent of violence in the family and how that is affecting the familys wellbeing. It is often a good idea to see how the children respond to questions regarding what has been fortuity at home recently. At the same time the Social Worker might neediness to establish that the family ar receiving in all the benefits they argon entitled to while the man is unemployed. I ideate it would also be purloin that if the mother is to have-to doe with working then alternative servements need to be made for the babys c be while she is at work. Once these initial elements ar addressed then a multi-agency chemise conference take to be convened in order to assess what might be the best focus forward for the full family. This would usually consist of the Social Worker his/her adjacent superior, someone from the child aegis scheme, the police (as the referral was made by them) teacher, wellness visitor and the resurrects.Eileen den ies that her partner inflicted the injure famed on her arms and legs and insists that she brute(a) down the stairs. This is a common response by women subjected to domestic violence. The mystify has a problem with alcohol and is also known to indulge in violent outbursts and this raises serious concerns as to whether he is a suitable someone to be left in charge of an eleven month obsolete baby. Clearly the family is in need of that support beneath the equipment casualty of the 1989 Act and a full multi-agency assessment of those needs is required. Stephen sees this as meddling and insists that his only problems are lack of work and money. Eileen is more compliant and agrees to visit the GP with the children.Although the GP has few concerns with regard to the childrens wellbeing other than the fact that they have lost some weight and the baby is not gaining weight at the rate expected, in that location are some concerns that Eileen might be suffering from depression. Staf f at the school report that in that respect are some concerns over the childrens behaviour which has altered advantageously over the past few months. diddly in particular has been displaying behaviour that is normally associated with a two or three year old, doing anything to realise attention. This was also noted at the initial assessment when Jack was move all over the place. His reception class teacher also account that she had noticed a lack of concentration in class. Cathy and Jack were ca-caly unhappy with the situation at home and with any attempt to question them intimately what was happening. It might be that they were simply trying to protect their parents privacy but Cathys reluctance to talk near the bruises she received and what has been going on raises concerns as to whether Stephens violence is curtail to their mother or whether it extends to the children. It is also of concern that a previously breezy ten year old should now be withdrawn. This kind of pu lling out is a common occurrence among children who witness violence in the home and those who have worked with children witnessing domestic violence (Abbott Wallace, 1997).Section TwoA hebdomad aft(prenominal) the initial visit the Health Visitor has reported that she has some concerns over the babys health and is also concerned for Eileen who has just discovered that she is pregnant with a fourth child and has bruising to her face. Eileen has admitted to the Health Visitor that Stephen clear up her during a row over money she agrees to over again visit the GP with Lucy. The doctor did not examine Eileen but noted that the baby Lucy had some bruising on her arm which her mother verbalize had been caused by her brother Jack throwing a toy. This is new information and really requires a further assessment of the familys needs. Agencies, both statutory and non-statutory, have a duty with respect to safeguarding children. This was highlighted in research raise (1995) and further documented in the part of Health 1999 Report Working together to safeguard children. Guidance has tended to be reacher and more prcised in conformance with Lord Lamings recommendations over the Victoria Climbie enquiry (Laming, 2003). A whole series of measures have since been put in place to target families such(prenominal) as the Drake/Harriss. The Joint Chief Inspectors Report, ramparting children (2002) defines safeguarding children and their families in the adjacent wayAll agencies working with children, young people and their families take all reasonable measures to ensure that the fortunes of harm to childrens welfare are minimized, andwhere there are concerns about children and young peoples welfare, all agencies take all appropriate action to address those concerns, working to agreed topical anesthetic policies and procedures in full partnership with other local agencies. infra section 17 of the 1989 Childrens Act the authority has a duty to work on the Drake/Har ris children as children in need. This means that the family will need some service provision in order to ease the immediate strain and to give better prospects for the childrens emotional, physical and amicable maturation.Eileen has admitted to having suffered violence at the give of her partner and is now concerned because she is pregnant with another child. The Health Visitor suggests a termination but as yet it is not clear whether Eileen is going to take this route. While there is no immediate reason to suspect that Lucy is being ill treated there is some concern that she is left in the headache of her engender for two afternoons a calendar week while her mother is working. It is recommended that alternative care be found for Lucy. Under Section 18 (1) of the 1989 Act it may be practical to arrange nursery care for those afternoons.1At the present time there are a number of concerns associated with this family. The concern for Lucy has already been expressed and althou gh it is not clear that either her or the other two children have suffered violence they are certainly affected by the situation. In view of this, and the husbands resistance to outsider involvement it may be necessary to concord to the Courts for a Child Assessment Order. It seems fairly clear that the family does need some support during this crisis and that without such support the children will be at adventure of harm due to a number of factors.The family chance i.e. unemployed father and substantial financial problems, indicate that the childrens development (even without domestic violence) is nonimmune to suffer. Sidebotham, et als (2002) study of parents and children and children on the At Risk Register, found that in homes where there was unemployment and financial deprivation children ran a greater risk of being abused. The researchers found a clear link between social and economic deprivation and the risk of abuse.The Health Visitor phones the next week and explains t hat Eileen came into the surgery that morning in a terrible state as she thinks she is pregnant again. The health visitor noticed that baby Lucy appeared unwell again, with a bad cold and problems breathing and that there was bruising on the left side of Eileens face and over her right shoulder. When the HV asked her about the bruising, Eileen admitted that Stephen had hit her during a row the night before. She claimed that Stephen had been full of remorse and promised to make indemnity and did not want the HV to tell anyone else about it. Eileen was still worried about how he would take the news that she is pregnant again. The Health Visitor had hash out Eileen about the possibilities of a termination of the pregnancy and suggested that she make an appointment to dissertate this with the GP and to check her injuries and Lucys chest and breathing, which seemed poor. On checking with the GP after surgery this morning the HV has discovered that he only examined Lucy and gave a pres cription drug for medication for her cold and severe nappy rash. Eileens own injuries and her possible pregnancy were not discussed. The Doctor however did also notice bruising on the baby, which the mother told him had been caused by Jack, her brother, throwing a toy. The second assessment was distinct over the telephone by several representatives. The family receive another visit and this time the social worker is joined by the Child Protection Officer injuries to Lucy are again questioned. Steven admitted to striking Eileen while she was holding the baby and the team decided that the injuries to Lucy were non-accidental. Concern was also expressed over her signifi kittyt weight loss.Section ThreeGardner (2002) in a study undertaken for the NSPCC found that support services could be of significant help under these slew and that 58% of children considered to be at risk, and had access to support services, showed significant betterment in their development after these measures we re put in place. In 2001 the disposal commissioned the Children in Need Census2 which attempted to establish why children accessed children in need services, what type of provision they accessed and the costs associated with that provision. The Drake/Harris children are further at risk due to Stephens alcohol abuse. Harwin and Forester (2002) found that in cases where the parents misused drugs or alcohol, the children often came to the attention of Social Services as a result of concern for their safety and well being. Over 290 cases across four London Boroughs, showed that a third of those requiring long term preventative had parents with some form of substance misuse. This caused concern in a number of areas, particularly where there were children under the age of six. In the present case two of the children, Jack aged 5 and Lucy aged 11 months should be assessed as potentially being at considerable risk. It would seem that there is sufficient concern that a core assessment mig ht be suggested at the inter-agency case conference as there is some evidence to suggest that a deeper and more comprehensive evaluation of both the family circumstances and their needs should be carried out. It is not clear how Cathys injuries were received and mayhap a Child Protection Plan might be considered at the Child Protection conference.The most immediate threat, the father, has agreed to leave the fellowship for a week. This negates the need for a care order to remove the children to a place of safety. He should receive some advice and support on how to cover his drinking. It might also be appropriate to suggest anger steering. However, the father is expected to return and there is therefore a need to place all three children on the child protection register. It would seem appropriate for both Jack and Cathy to be placed on the register under two categories, emotional abuse (due to domestic violence) and physical abuse, although in Jacks case there is no evidence and i n Cathys case the evidence as to how she received the injuries is unclear this is still a cause for concern. Lucy is the child that raises the most concern and it would seem appropriate that she be registered under three categories, emotional abuse, physical abuse and neglect. This last is due to her significant weight loss, coupled with nappy rash which should have been seen by a doctor before the referral. Sometimes when domestic violence is an resign children become neglected because the mother is so engrossed with dealing with the violence and her own feelings that she does not always take sufficient notice of what is happening to her children (Dobash and Dobash, 1992). It might also be helpful if the family were assigned a first-string family support worker who could keep an eye on the childrens development and lend support with baby until the mother was feeling better. She also needs to be given information regarding refuges and domestic violence issues in case the husband r eturns and is again violent.All of the above could be problematic, many families are frightened when they hear about the child protection register and think that children remain on it. The mother would need to be reassured that when a suitable time has elapsed and the team are convinced the children are no longer at risk then they can be de-registered. Whether the father will agree to alcohol counseling and anger management is not known at this moment and if he refuses this could become quite problematic. It is for this reason that it seems appropriate to give the mother advice over what she can do to avoid the same scenario. The parenting support might also be objected but, if necessary, this can be enforced by a court order.The school would need to be informed as to the progress of the family. The Health Visitor should put out visiting regularly and report any problem areas to the GP and to the social worker. If the father is compliant and either stays out of the family home or o btains the help outlined above then there should be no need for further police involvement or for a care order to be requested. I can see no areas where there might be conflict between the various agencies with regard to this protection plan.BibliographyAbbott and Wallace (1997) An Introduction to Sociology, Feminist Perspectives Routledge, London. plane section of Health (1999) Working Together to Safeguard Children A guide to inter-agency working to safeguard and promote the welfare of children HMSO.Department of Health (2000) Framework for the Assessment of Children in Need and their Families The Stationary office.Department of Health (2000) Assessing Children in Need and their Families The Stationary OfficeDobash, R and Dobash, R (1992) Women, Violence Social Change, Routledge, London New YorkGardner, R. 2002 Supporting Families L Child Protection in the Community Chichester ValleyHarwin J. and Forester, D. 2002 Parental Substance vilify and Child Welfare A study of social wo rk with families in which parents misuse drugs or alcohol Department of HealthSidebotham, P. et al Children at Risk of maltreatment in Children of the Nineties deprivation, class and social networks in a UK sample Child Abuse 26 (12) pp 1243-1259Wilson, K. and James, A. (Eds) (1995) The Child Protection Handbook, Bailliere Tindall.11 http//www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/acts1989/Ukpga_19890041_en_6.htmmdiv43 Crown Copyright2 http//www.dfes.gov.uk/publications/childrenactreport/docs/DfES-Childrens Act.pdf