Continuity and change in child protection: challenges in research and practice

 

I am pleased to announce that the latest issue of Child Abuse Review is now published and available online. Six research papers and a freely accessible editorial focus on continuity and change in child protection.

Last year’s special issue on domestic abuse and safeguarding children generated an unprecedented number of submissions to the journal. This emphasises just how crucial the issue is for children’s safety and wellbeing. In their editorial for that issue, Cathy Humphreys and Caroline Bradbury-Jones identified seven key principles in relation to safeguarding and domestic abuse, relating to focus, response and intervention (Humphreys and Bradbury-Jones 2015). In this issue of Child Abuse Review we pick up on those, with two papers exploring interventions with violent fathers, drawing on Humphreys and Bradbury-Jones’ assertion that risk assessment and risk management of the perpetrator should be a focus of intervention.

 

To reduce the prevalence and impact of domestic violence, we need to engage both with those affected by it (the women and children) and with the perpetrators

 

We include two papers which consider some specific vulnerable situations for young people: those who run away or go missing from home; and those who are involved in gang membership. They present some challenging and perhaps surprising results. We include an analysis of national data on under 5 mortality rates in the former Soviet Union, and a nationwide survey of teams providing medical evaluations for possible sexual abuse in the USA.

 

Young people consistently cited family difficulties as the main issue influencing their decision to run away from home, including difficulties in parental that management of their child’s behaviour, and significant family stresses. They also identified problems at school and the young person’s own emotional health as key underlying factors.

 

Young people who go missing want to be heard, to be treated with respect, to be able to exercise autonomy, and to feel that someone cares (Taylor, Bradbury-Jones et al. 2014).

 

Read the full editorial here.

 

List of Contents

Gray      “I’m working towards getting back together”: Client accounts of motivation related to relationship status in men’s behaviour change programmes in New South Wales, Australia

McConnell and Taylor Evaluating programmes for violent fathers: challenges and ethical review

Hill ‘No-one runs away for no reason’ Understanding safeguarding issues when children and young people go missing from home

Cepeda et al Childhood Trauma among Mexican-American Gang Members and Delinquent Youth: A Comparative Exploratory Study

Pritchard and Mirza Under-fives Child Mortality and Child-Abuse-Related-Deaths in the former USSR: Is there an under-reporting of abuse related deaths?

Greeley et al A Nationwide Survey of Peer-Review Practices on Child Maltreatment Teams

 

Book reviews: Critical Perspectives on Child Sexual Exploitation and Related Trafficking edited by M. Melrose and J. Pearce; Child Maltreatment and High Risk Families by J. Taylor and A. Lazenbatt; Safeguarding and Protecting children, Young People and families: A Guide for Nurses and Midwives by Gill Watson and Sandra Rodwell

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

References

Humphreys, C. and C. Bradbury-Jones (2015). “Domestic Abuse and Safeguarding Children: Focus, Response and Intervention.” Child Abuse Review 24(4): 231-234.

Taylor, J., C. Bradbury-Jones, H. Hunter, K. Sanford, T. Rahilly and N. Ibrahim (2014). “Young People’s Experiences of Going Missing From Care: A Qualitative Investigation using Peer Researchers.” Child Abuse Review 23(6): 387-401.

 

Pathways to harm, pathways to protection: a triennial review of Serious Case Reviews

 

 

Our long-awaited triennial review of Serious Case Reviews has now been published by the Department for Education and is available, along with a number of other resources, on the Research in Practice SCR website.

Over the past year Professor Marian Brandon from University of East Anglia and I have been working with a small team of researchers to review all 293 Serious Case Reviews undertaken by Local Safeguarding Children Boards between 2011 and 2014.

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A Serious Case Review is a local enquiry carried out where a child has died or been seriously harmed and abuse or neglect are known or suspected, and there is cause for concern about professional working together. This study is the fifth consecutive analysis of Serious Case Reviews in England undertaken by our research teams dating back to reviews from 2003-2005, and represents one of the largest national analyses of serious and fatal child abuse and neglect anywhere in the world.

I have been really inspired by this research which I feel gives us some extremely helpful insights into the nature of severe child maltreatment and what we – as professionals and as a society can do to help prevent it and to intervene where appropriate to protect children and support families.

 

No increase in child maltreatment fatalities in spite of huge increases in child protection activity

The data demonstrate that there has been an increase in the number of Serious Case Reviews carried out since 2012. However, this does not reflect any increase in actual numbers of fatal cases and is set against a backdrop of a steady year-on-year increase in child protection activity. There has been no change in the number of child deaths linked directly to maltreatment and a reduction in the fatality rates for all but the older adolescent age group.

 

Serious case reviews 2005-14:

fatal and non-fatal cases by year

number of SCRs barchart

 

The research found an average of 66 deaths per year fatality rates by agein all age groups, compared to 73 deaths per year in the previous study from 2009-2011. Fatality rates had fallen from 4.67 to 3.78 per 100,000 in infants, but had risen from 0.31 to 0.65 per 100,000 in those aged 16-17. In the same time period, the numbers of referrals to children’s services in this country had risen from 609,000 per year to 619,000 per year.

 

 

 Children falling below the threshold

As we explored these data in detail, it became clear that only a small proportion of those children suffering severe or fatal abuse and neglect were subject to child protection plans at the time of their death or serious injury (just 12%). However, over two thirds were or had been known to children’s social care at some point prior to the incident. These findings, along with our detailed qualitative analysis, suggest that once children cross the threshold for child protection services, they tend to be well protected, and that we have good child protection systems in place for managing some of these complex cases. However, there are large numbers of children and families who simply do not meet those thresholds, yet nevertheless are vulnerable.

 

“Throughout our review, we encountered examples of creative and effective child safeguarding. Examples of poor practice were also identified, involving failure to follow guidelines; an absence of safeguarding systems; barriers to effective co-working; or failure to recognise or act upon safeguarding opportunities. These apparent failures, however, need to be seen in the light of the effective safeguarding work that takes place across the country on a daily basis.

For many of these children, the harms they suffered occurred not because of, but in spite of, all the work that professionals were doing to support and protect them.”

Characteristics of the children and families

In keeping with previous research, we found that most, but not all, serious and fatal child maltreatment takes place within the family with children living at home or with relatives.

Babies and young children are inherently vulnerable and dependent, and features which mark them out as especially fragile place them at higher risk of abuse and neglect. However, there is a second peak in adolescence. By adolescence the impact of long-standing abuse or neglect may present in behaviours which place the young person at increased risk of harm. Almost two thirds of the young people aged 11-15, and 88% of the older adolescents, had mental health problems. Some young people responded to adversity by engaging in risk-taking behaviour including drug and alcohol misuse and offending. Others are placed at risk through sexual exploitation.

 

“We found that the vulnerability of adolescents was often overlooked because they were considered to be already adult or thought to be resilient, when taking time to listen to them or to understand their behaviour would have revealed the extent of their difficulties. This was often the case with the young people who were sexually exploited and also with many of the young people who took their own lives”

 

Cumulative risk of harm

One of the most important findings in our research has been the cumulative risk of harm to a child when different parental and environmental risk factors are present in combination or over periods of time. This particularly relates to domestic abuse, parental mental ill-health, and alcohol or substance misuse, but it also includes other risks such as adverse experiences in the parents’ own childhoods, a history of violent crime, a pattern of multiple consecutive partners, acrimonious separation, and social isolation.

 

Cumulative risk of harm:

the number of families experiencing multiple problems

cumulative risk venn diagram

Implications for practitioners

The primary aim of a Serious Case Review is to learn lessons in order to improve inter-agency working to protect children. In this research, we were able to identify a wide range of lessons for practitioners in different agencies, for managers and policy makers, and for our wider society. A lot of these revolve around learning to listen: to children and to families, and to other practitioners. The research has emphasised the importance of safe and trusting environments for children to be seen individually, speak freely, and be listened to; of treating parents with openness and respect; and for moving from incident or episodic service provision to a culture of long-term and continuous support, recognising that many of these situations are complex and ongoing.

 

“Adolescents may struggle to express their needs or feelings, or to engage effectively with services, and there are dangers of older adolescents falling between child and adult services. Importantly, children and young people may demonstrate ‘silent’ ways of telling about abuse and neglect through verbal and non-verbal emotional and behavioural changes and outbursts.”

 

We have, in conjunction with Research in Practice, produced a series of practitioner briefings for different professional groups, including health professionals, education, social services and police.

These are available, along with an introductory video, the full report, and a number of other resources on the Research in Practice Serious Case Reviews website:

http://seriouscasereviews.rip.org.uk/

 

Marian Brandon and I will be discussing some of the key findings of the research in a webinar this Thursday from 12.00-13.00. To register for the webinar, click here. Places are limited, so book early.

 

Over the next few weeks, I will be posting more blogs highlighting some of the different findings from our research. To keep up to date with these, and with my other blogs, click on the link below: ‘notify me of new posts by email’.

 

Learning from Serious Case Reviews

Between 2011 and 2014, 293 Serious Case Reviews were carried out in England into cases where children had died or been seriously harmed through abuse and neglect. Professor Marian Brandon and I, together with our research teams from the Universities of East Anglia and Warwick have spent the past year analysing these reviews to see what we can learn about improving our systems for protecting children and promoting their safety and wellbeing.

The research report is due to be published by the Department for Education on Tuesday 5th July and we will be following this by a webinar on Thursday 7th July from 12-1 in which Marian and I will be discussing some of the key learning coming from this research.

Anyone is welcome to register for the webinar, which is being hosted by Research in Practice, who will also be a repository for the full research report and a series of practice briefings for different groups of professionals.

To register for the webinar, click here.

I will be posting our press release on my blog on the 5th July, and over the next few months will post further blogs picking out some of the important learning from this review. To keep up to date with this, do sign up for email notifications below.

Brexited

After the initial shock of the EU referendum result, I find myself, along with many others, numbed by a deep disappointment and a sense of grief. Like any grief, this brings up different emotions: emotions I have seen echoed in Facebook posts and in the words and faces of friends.

 

 

 

Grief – as I explored in a previous blog, “What’s natural about a healthy person dying” – combines three core processes: saying goodbye; moving forward; and making sense. So how do I, having voted to remain, turn my grief to something positive, rather than sinking into despondency, or bitterness and blame?

 

Making Sense

Much as I espoused the values of the European Union, and what seemed to me the benefits of remaining a part of that, I have done so within the privileged context of a democratic society – something my ancestors fought hard to attain, and something that I cannot take for granted. And that democracy has voted to leave.

While it may seem to me that some of those who voted to leave did so for selfish or small-minded motives, while others were driven by fear, or misled by false threats and promises, to taint all Leave-voters with that brush would be to succumb to the same prejudices and generalisations that I objected to in some of the more extreme Leave campaigners. It seems to me that the reality is far more nuanced and varied. There are, undoubtedly, passionate and thoughtful people who voted to leave for much the same reasons as I voted to remain: seeing an exit from the EU as a move to greater justice, freedom and wellbeing. I may disagree with their appraisal, but I hope I may be given the grace to respect and listen to them. And I hope that in the inevitable leadership vacuum which seems now to have imploded into our country, it will be people such as that who rise to fill the gaps and take our country forward into this next phase.

But above all, it seems to me that many of those who voted to leave did so precisely because they felt disenfranchised, marginalised or pushed aside by those in power. People voted because they wanted a change. While there has been a lot of vitriol and blame in the wake of the referendum, there have also been those who have pointed out just how important it is that we take time to listen to those from both sides who used this vote to speak out: those who normally don’t get a voice or any opportunity to influence what happens in our nation.

 

Whoever shuts their ears to the cry of the poor will also cry out and not be answered.

  • Proverbs 21: 13

 

Saying Goodbye

Regardless of how we voted, things will no longer be the same. It seems to me that now is a time for grieving by those who voted to remain, and a time for sombre reflection by those who voted to leave. It is right to express our grief: the sense of shock, the disbelief, the feelings of numbness, loss, uncertainty. So the outpourings of emotion that we have seen on Facebook, in our newspapers and on our news channels, and from many of our pulpits, are right and proper.

I have found myself wanting to apologise – to our children, to all those who will be affected by the inevitable economic turmoil, to the many wonderful people from other European countries and elsewhere in the world who have blessed us by coming to our land, to my friends and colleagues in Europe.

And I think it is right that so many have called for a second referendum: right for them to call for it, expressing their anger and disappointment. But much as those feelings need to be expressed, I do not feel it would be at all right to hold a second referendum. That could only lead to even more bitterness and division. No – we need to accept the results and live with the consequences. So while we in the UK will still be part of Europe, we will no longer be a part of the European Union, and we need to go through the process of breaking those ties and saying goodbye.

 

Moving Forward

And so, as we go through the next few weeks, months and years, and move out of the Union, as we face the turbulence of further economic and political upheaval, we need to also move forward in hope.

And my biggest hope is that somehow, through all this, we will find a way in a post-EU Britain, to maintain and uphold even more strongly the values for which the EU stands: for peace, for justice, care for our neighbour and our world.

 

“The Union is founded on the values of respect for human dignity, freedom, democracy, equality, the rule of law and respect for human rights, including the rights of persons belonging to minorities. These values are common to the Member States in a society in which pluralism, non-discrimination, tolerance, justice, solidarity and equality between women and men prevail…

It shall combat social exclusion and discrimination, and shall promote social justice and protection, equality between women and men, solidarity between generations and protection of the rights of the child…

It shall contribute to peace, security, the sustainable development of the Earth, solidarity and mutual respect among peoples, free and fair trade, eradication of poverty and the protection of human rights, in particular the rights of the child”Treaty on the European Union

 

Holding onto that, it seems to me that we all need to strive even harder to support and hold to account those who represent us in the corridors of Westminster. To put pressure on our MPs to uphold those values, and to lend our support to those who strive for these values.

 

I will continue to grieve. Perhaps this blog is part of that: expressing something of the disappointment I feel; trying to make sense of what has happened; hoping that we may somehow, in time, recover some of what we have lost; and above all, longing for a Britain and a Europe where peace, justice, and respect and care for our neighbours and our planet prevail.

Proud Dad moments

And 21 years later…

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Praesento vobis hos viros at has mulieres quos scio tam moribus quam doctrina esse idoneos ad gradum assequendum Baccalaurei in Artibus…

 

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Evidence-Informed Practice, Practice-informed Research

Every day in the UK, thousands of children are living with the reality of child abuse or neglect. A huge amount of positive work goes on throughout the country, with professionals working alongside children and their parents to offer support and protection, and to mitigate against the devastating short- and long-term impact of abuse.

 

All too often, however, professionals get blamed when things go wrong: on the one hand, being criticised for failing to act to protect vulnerable children; while on the other, being accused of interfering unnecessarily in family life. It is essential, therefore, that the work we do to protect children and support families is informed by high-quality research, and applied by skilled professionals working within appropriate guidelines.

 

Evidence-informed practice is one of the hallmarks of authoritative child protection, a concept I have explored in an editorial for Child Abuse Review.

 

Evidence-informed practice is the conscientious, explicit and judicious use of current best evidence, integrated with relevant expertise and an understanding of the context, to guide decision making in relation to individual cases.

Sidebotham, 2009, based on Sackett, 1996

 

 

Equally important, the research we undertake into child maltreatment and child protection needs to be informed and driven by practice: by the needs of children and families and through listening carefully to them and to practitioners.

 

Child Abuse Review 25th Anniversary Conference

So, with that in mind, I am particularly excited about a conference we are holding in Birmingham later this year.

We have five exceptional key-note speakers, and are anticipating a wide range of high-quality free papers.

The deadline for abstract submission is 30th June, so get your abstract in quickly.

Further details and an abstract submission form can be found on the BASPCAN home page.

 

  

Friday 18 November 2016

Royal Angus Hotel, Birmingham

 

Join authors and editors past and present for this special one-day conference to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Child Abuse Review

 

The day will include:

  • Optional pre-conference breakfast meeting for delegates on how to get published in Child Abuse Review
  • Opening plenary session setting the theme
  • Two parallel sessions in the morning and two in the afternoon on the following themes:
    • Child Sexual Exploitation
    • Neglect
    • Domestic violence
    • Translating research into practice
    • Each parallel session will include one invited keynote lecture, a number of short presentations from submitted abstracts, and a plenary discussion.
  • A closing plenary and celebration of 25 years of Child Abuse Review.

Keynote Speakers:

Professor Nicky Stanley, University of Central Lancashire

Professor Marian Brandon, University of East Anglia

Professor Jenny Pearce, University of Bedfordshire

Dr Stephanie Holt, Trinity College, Dublin

Professor Kevin Browne, Nottingham University

 

Find out more:

Visit the BASPCAN website for the full programme, speaker updates and booking information – www.baspcan.org.uk

 

BASPCAN, 17 PRIORY STREET, YORK, YO1 6ET – TEL: 01904 613605 – conferences@baspcan.org.uk

Book online at http://www.baspcan.org.uk/booking.php

Registered Charity No. 279119

 

You can sign up for free contents alerts for Child Abuse Review at the journal home page

 

Counting my blessings: why is life so unfair?

Over the past few weeks I have once again been realising just how immensely privileged I am:

 

 

  • I have two quite amazing children who continue to be a source of love and pride
  • I have a really wonderful, loving wife with whom I can share this incredible life
  • I have a secure and enjoyable job which is meaningful and worthwhile, and which I truly love
  • I work with some inspiring colleagues who are passionate and committed to doing the best for children and families
  • I am extremely fortunate to know some exceptional friends, here in Coventry and around the world, who are prepared to stand up for what they believe – for truth, justice, peace and compassion – even when that brings criticism or personal hardship
  • I earn far more than I need, and have never had to experience the anxiety of not knowing where my next meal will come from, or how I am going to pay the next month’s bills
  • I am fit and healthy and able to enjoy the beauty of the world we live in, the joy of good companionship, and moments of peace and rest
  • I have never had to experience the terror of violence or abuse
  • Even in the awful grief of Helen’s death 4 years ago, and of my sister, Mei Ling before that, I have been surrounded by people who care for me and have held me through the difficult times

 

So, somehow, I have to live with the perplexity of why I have been so blessed while so many people, including some of my own friends have not been.

I pray that I may never take any of this for granted, as somehow being my right; that I will be able to enjoy and be grateful for the blessings I have received, while holding them lightly and in humility; and that perhaps in some small ways, I may be able to bless others too.

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Child Abuse Review: Making a positive impact on safeguarding children

2016 is a significant year for our journal, Child Abuse Review, as we celebrate 25 years of journal production. During that time the journal has proved a positive forum for the publication of research, policy and practice in relation to child abuse and neglect. So we were particularly pleased to hear this week that, once again, the journal’s impact factor has risen by 12% on last year’s figure. This puts us 17th out of 41 social work journals and on a par with much larger journals such as the British Journal of Social Work and the Children and Youth Services Review.

impact factors 2016

 

We are obviously really pleased with this progress and hope to be able to build on it. But mostly I am pleased because this is on a base of striving to ensure that the journal is relevant and accessible to those on the front line of child protection practice.

We will shortly be publishing issue three of this anniversary year, with an emphasis on continuity and change in child protection research and practice, and our special issue, due out later in the year, will focus on digital technologies, child abuse and child protection. You can view these, our open access virtual issues, and sign up for free contents alerts at the journal home page.

 

‘Evidence–Informed Practice, Practice-Informed Research’

On the 18th November in Birmingham we will be hosting a special anniversary conference. This will include parallel sessions on child sexual exploitation, neglect, domestic violence, and on translating research into practice. We are inviting submission of abstracts for research to present at the conference, and it promises to be a really engaging day, with high quality free papers, and prominent keynote speakers.

The deadline for abstract submission is 30th June, so if you have some research or practice evaluation to present, I would encourage you to submit an abstract.

To submit an abstract or register for the event, go to the BASPCAN events page:

http://www.baspcan.org.uk/events-national.php