Developing Interagency Child Protection Work: Report of a Cross Agency Audit Dr Pam Green Lister

1
Developing Interagency Child Protection Work
Report of a Cross Agency Audit Dr Pam Green
Lister
2
Historical Context

• DOH 1991 Report of Child Abuse Inquiries in 1980s
• Butler Sloss 1988
• Clyde 1992
• DOH 1995 Messages from Research
• Hammond 2001
• Laming 2003
• O Brien 2003
• Scottish Executive 2005
• Herbison 2006

3
Scottish Executive Policy Documents

• 2001 For Scotlands Children
• 2002 Its Everyones Job ..
• 2003 Getting Our Priorities Right
• 2004 Protecting Children and Young People,
  Charter and Framework
• 2004 Hidden Harm
• 2005 Getting it Right for Every Child
• 2005 Protecting Children and Young
• People Child Protection Committees

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The Audit

• Aim
• to analyse the effectiveness of interagency
  working at the early stage of the child
  protection process
• Objectives
• to identify the features of interagency working
  where there is concern about a child before child
  protection procedures may have been invoked
• to examine this stage of concern from the
  perspective of the core agencies involved
• to analyse what assists the development of good
  interagency practice and what inhibits such
  practice

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Methodology

• 40 children identified by GCCP where cause for
  concern in timeframe of 1st August to 31st
  October 2004
• 10 provided by Social Work, Police, Health and
  Education
• 1 child named by 2 agencies
• Total 39 children
• Documentary Analysis of agency files
• Questionnaires
• Interviews

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Documentary Analysis

• 1st Stage Analysis of Referral Documentation
• Health Cause for Concern Referrals
• Education Circular 57 Forms
• Police Incident Reports and Files
• Social Work Care First and Paper Files
• Total 39
• 2nd Stage Analysis Cross referencing of
  Documentation
• Police 24 Incident Reports and Files
• Social Work 38 Care First and 30 Paper Files

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Audit Tool

• Referring agency
• Date and nature of referral/ incident
• Sex, ethnicity, age
• Alleged perpetrator
• Referral category
• Registration
• Summary of previous involvement
• Immediate response to the referral
• Post referral activity

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Questionnaires Education and Health

• Contact with the family prior to the referral
• Contact with other agencies prior to the referral
• Contact with other agencies with regard to this
  specific referral
• Health 16 health visitors 17 school nurses
• Education 7 head teachers

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Interviews

• 14 follow up interviews semi structured
• Discussion of the specific case
• Issues in interagency work with the other three
  agencies
• General interagency issues
• Intra agency issues
• What assists interagency work
• Social Work ( 5), Police (3) Health (3) Education
  (3)

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Findings Documentary Analysis

• Issues raised from the nature of the files made
  available
• The immediate response by lead investigative
  agencies
• Previous interagency activity

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Issues Arising from Agency Files

• Social Work
• The advantages and disadvantages of CareFirst
  files
• The recording of opinions and the why question
• The use of research to inform practice
• Importance of explicit identification of aims,
  evidence base, planning and evaluation
• Police
• Detailed recording and monitoring
• Health
• Comprehensive what was done
• Separate notes for children and parents
• Importance of explicit identification of aims,
  evidence base, planning and evaluation

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Factors Affecting Responses Physical Injury

• Seeing the child
• Immediate harm
• Nature of physical injury
• Current or historical
• 3. Medical
• Presence / severity injuries
• Previous exposure to examination

• 2. Joint interview
• Communication needs
• Consistency
• Adult witness of abuse
• Availability of JIT trained social worker
• Availability of police surgeon

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Factors Affecting Responses Sexual Abuse

• Seeing the child
• Allocated social worker
• Receipt other services
• Current or historical abuse
• Nature of allegation
• Alleged perpetrator outwith the home

• Joint interview
• Factors related to seeing the child
• Availability of JIT trained Social Worker
• Medical examination
• Factors related to seeing the child and joint
  interview
• Child accommodated

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Factors Affecting Responses Neglect

• Child in immediate danger
• Allocated social worker
• Accumulation of concerns
• Range of agencies providing services

• Communication between workers
• Different thresholds

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Previous Interagency Activity

• Currently registered 3
• Previously registered 1
• Sibling previously registered 1
• Currently accommodated 2
• Previous CP investigations 5
• Previous CP concerns 10
• Previous serious CC concerns 7
• No/ low level involvement 10

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Interviews Social Workers Perspectives

• Examples productive relationships all agencies
• Health Visitors high tariff cases
• JIT interviews
• Head teachers regular feedback
• Areas of Concern
• Timescale and JIT led by police
• Teachers professional responsibility
• Differing thresholds health visitors
• Other agencies understanding of social work legal
  remit
• Other agencies understanding of role of reception
  and duty
• Attendance at core groups
• Legislative timescale leaving children in limbo

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Interviews Police Perspectives

• Examples of positive co-working all agencies
• Good understanding roles of police and social
  work
• JIT training and interviewing
• Health Visitors untapped resource
• Head teacher child communication difficulties
• Areas of Concern
• Difficulty accessing some social workers
• Non JIT trained social workers in interviews
• Some head teachers not understand role in CP
• Legislative timescale/ Reporter response

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Interviews Health Visitors Perspectives

• Examples of positive co-working all agencies
• Complex child care work with Social Workers
• Good liaison nursery teachers
• Well organised professional case conferences
• Areas of Concern
• Difficult initial access to social work
• Absence of qualified social worker
• Patchy ongoing communication social work
• Less preventative work
• Lack of knowledge health visitor professional
  role
• Lack of statutory powers health visitors

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Interviews Head Teachers Perspectives

• Examples of positive co-working all agencies
• Coordinated support asylum seekers
• Case conferences and core groups
• Co-work health visitors
• Areas of Concern
• Access to social workers
• Less preventative work
• Role of school nurses

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Themes from Interviews

• Understanding of professional role
• Communication and accessibility
• Continuity of contact and feedback
• Informal and formal agency forums
• Joint Training
• Possible co-location

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Areas for Consideration

• Social Work
• File organisation and index
• Rationale for decisions
• Reception / Duty Services / Access
• JIT trained workers
• Neglect cases
• Review of files

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Areas for Consideration

• Police
• Arrangements for JIT interviews
• Staffing
• Education
• Reaffirmation of roles and responsibilities
• Role of head teachers in joint interview

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Areas for Consideration

• Health
• File organisation
• Explicit rational for activity
• Evaluation of files
• Explicit risk assessment
• Provisions of written report

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Areas for Consideration

• General Interagency
• Delays in children hearing system
• Panel member training
• Continued interagency training
• Knowledge all professional roles
• Co-location
• Monitoring attendance of core groups

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References

• Butler- Sloss, E. (1988). Report of the Inquiry
  into Child Abuse in Cleveland 1987, presented to
  the Secretary of State for Social Services by the
  Right Honourable Lord Butler Sloss DBE. London
  HMSO.
• Clyde, Lord (1992). Report of the Inquiry into
  the Removal of Children from Orkney February
  1991. London HMSO.
• Department of Health (1991). Child Abuse. A Study
  of Inquiry Reports 1980-1989. London HMSO.
• Department of Health (1995). Child Protection
  Messages from Research. London HMSO

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References

• Hammond, H. (2001). Child Protection Inquiry into
  the Circumstances Surrounding the Death of
  Kennedy McFarlane. Commissioned by Dumfries and
  Galloway Child Protection Committee.
• Herbison, J. (2006). Danielle Reid Independent
  Review into the Circumstances Surrounding Her
  Death
• Scottish Executive (2001). For Scotlands
  Children. Edinburgh Scottish Executive
• Laming, Lord (2003). The Victoria Climbie
  Inquiry. Report of an Inquiry by Lord Laming. The
  Stationery Office London
• O Brien S. QC (2003). Report of the Caleb Ness
  Inquiry Commissioned by the Edinburgh and
  Lothians Child Protection Committee.
• Scottish Executive (2002). Its Everyones Job
  to Make Sure Im Alright. Edinburgh Scottish
  Executive

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References

• Scottish Executive (2003). Getting our Priorities
  Right-Good Practice Guidance for Working with
  Children and Families affected by Substance
  Misuse. Edinburgh Scottish Executive.
• Scottish Executive (2004a). Protecting Children
  and Young People the Charter. Edinburgh
  Scottish Executive.
• Scottish Executive (2004b). Protecting Children
  and Young People The Framework for Standards.
  Edinburgh Scottish Executive.
• Scottish Executive (2004c). Hidden Harm.
  Edinburgh Scottish Executive.