The topic of parental engagement in the context of child protection is of significant international interest, given much documented problems of achieving effective ‘partnerships’ where professional agencies raise serious concerns about children. This article reports the findings of a qualitative study of interaction between professionals and parents in the quasi-judicial setting of pre-proceedings meetings in England. Recent legislative changes in England and Wales have aimed to improve the prospects for effective partnership work with parents through a revised pre-proceedings process. Through detailed examination of parent-professional interaction using methods of applied discourse studies, the study highlights the constraints that institutional requirements create in terms of the differential rights and obligations of parents and professionals. Inevitably, that talk is asymmetrically organised in favour of the local authority, leads to resistance on the part of parents. The study highlights problems of engaging parents who display both active and passive forms of resistance, as they seek to challenge or reject organisational goals. The study concludes with broader observations about the likely limits of legislative efforts that seek to ‘re-order’ the complex relationships between parents and professionals in child protection work.
(Publisher abstract)
The topic of parental engagement in the context of child protection is of significant international interest, given much documented problems of achieving effective ‘partnerships’ where professional agencies raise serious concerns about children. This article reports the findings of a qualitative study of interaction between professionals and parents in the quasi-judicial setting of pre-proceedings meetings in England. Recent legislative changes in England and Wales have aimed to improve the prospects for effective partnership work with parents through a revised pre-proceedings process. Through detailed examination of parent-professional interaction using methods of applied discourse studies, the study highlights the constraints that institutional requirements create in terms of the differential rights and obligations of parents and professionals. Inevitably, that talk is asymmetrically organised in favour of the local authority, leads to resistance on the part of parents. The study highlights problems of engaging parents who display both active and passive forms of resistance, as they seek to challenge or reject organisational goals. The study concludes with broader observations about the likely limits of legislative efforts that seek to ‘re-order’ the complex relationships between parents and professionals in child protection work.
(Publisher abstract)
Subject terms:
child protection, social worker-service user relationships, participation, social work methods, parents;
Child and Family Social Work, 16(3), August 2011, pp.298-309.
Publisher:
Wiley
This narrative review summarises the current knowledge base regarding contact between children in out-of-home foster, kinship and residential placements and their parents, siblings and wider networks. It considers the research base around the familiar topics of: the relationship between contact and outcomes for children; the perspectives of children, parents and carers in respect of contact; and contact between siblings. It also discusses research evidence around emerging themes including: the impact of intensive contact on infants; re-establishing contact between children and birth parents when it has been lost; contact between children, their extended family and ‘significant others’; and the role of technology in family contact. The review concludes that good quality contact with family
This narrative review summarises the current knowledge base regarding contact between children in out-of-home foster, kinship and residential placements and their parents, siblings and wider networks. It considers the research base around the familiar topics of: the relationship between contact and outcomes for children; the perspectives of children, parents and carers in respect of contact; and contact between siblings. It also discusses research evidence around emerging themes including: the impact of intensive contact on infants; re-establishing contact between children and birth parents when it has been lost; contact between children, their extended family and ‘significant others’; and the role of technology in family contact. The review concludes that good quality contact with family members, in conjunction with other positive professional interventions, will likely promote positive outcomes for children regarding successful family reunification and placement stability. However, poorly planned, poor quality and unsupported contact may be harmful. The central role of social workers in influencing the pattern and quality of contact for children is underlined. Key areas of learning for practice and priority directions for future research are summarised.
Subject terms:
parents, siblings, birth families, contact, family reunification, foster care, foster children;
Child and Family Social Work, 15(1), February 2010, pp.97-106.
Publisher:
Wiley
... wherever possible - the new approach to case management, which places significant emphasis on pre-proceedings work and the effective cooperation of parents, can be seen to reinforce the 'no order principle' built into the Children Act 1989. The authors focus specifically on relationship between parents and professionals, and engage in a critical discussion of the potential of the PLO to further promote consensual practices with parents. Tracing the introduction of the concept of partnership within the Children Act 1989, this paper provides a review of the evidence to-date of effective partnership working, before considering the prospects for the PLO with respect to parental engagement. A number of key obstacles are highlighted that undermine the aspirations of the new outline, and a more general
This paper discusses the introduction, in April 2008, of a new Public Law Outline (PLO) that aims to improve judicial case management of Public Law Children Act cases. As a response to concerns about the rising number of care proceedings, associated costs, and the difficulties of achieving case resolution given this volume, the PLO is based on an philosophy that care proceedings should be avoided wherever possible - the new approach to case management, which places significant emphasis on pre-proceedings work and the effective cooperation of parents, can be seen to reinforce the 'no order principle' built into the Children Act 1989. The authors focus specifically on relationship between parents and professionals, and engage in a critical discussion of the potential of the PLO to further promote consensual practices with parents. Tracing the introduction of the concept of partnership within the Children Act 1989, this paper provides a review of the evidence to-date of effective partnership working, before considering the prospects for the PLO with respect to parental engagement. A number of key obstacles are highlighted that undermine the aspirations of the new outline, and a more general observation is drawn about the limits of procedure in effecting change in complex social issues.
Subject terms:
parental attitudes, parents, procedures, social work methods, social worker-service user relationships, case management, care proceedings;
Child and Family Social Work, 12(4), November 2007, pp.380-389.
Publisher:
Wiley
... exploratory study in one north-west local authority area. Consisting of a file study and interviews with parents and professionals, the study examines the factors that contributed to initial removal of children to public care, the impact of the LAC system for children ‘home on trial’, stability of placements at home, as well as issues to do with the discharge of care orders. Particular attention is drawn
Statute and practice relating to s.31 part IV of The Children Act 1989 allow children subject to care orders to be placed at home with their parent(s). It is not uncommon for the courts to accept a plan for children to return home at the final hearing of care proceedings at which full care orders are granted. In such instances, children retain looked-after status but, in terms of their day-to-day care, are looked after by parent(s). Whilst there are a small number of studies conducted in the 1990s relating to children ‘home on trial’, there is a much more limited recent literature. It is important to revisit this population of children, given current concerns about the burgeoning costs of child care proceedings and the looked-after children system (LAC). This paper reports on a small-scale exploratory study in one north-west local authority area. Consisting of a file study and interviews with parents and professionals, the study examines the factors that contributed to initial removal of children to public care, the impact of the LAC system for children ‘home on trial’, stability of placements at home, as well as issues to do with the discharge of care orders. Particular attention is drawn to lone father headed households, a social group over-represented in our sample. The study aims to inform further multi-location studies.
Subject terms:
intervention, local authorities, looked after children, parents, placement, social workers, user views, care orders, costs, discharge;
... look at: the history of child welfare; children’s rights; child poverty; communication and collaboration including the Common Assessment Framework; parenting policy; parents within education; safeguarding in the health sector; drug and alcohol use in young people; criminal justice issues; and children of refugees or asylum seekers. The final chapter provides a cross-disciplinary analysis
This book provides a multi-disciplinary analysis of the current approaches to safeguarding children in the UK. It addresses the strengths, weaknesses and complexities inherent in the Government’s objective of promoting opportunities for children through the Every Child Matters framework. It brings together contributors from different disciplinary backgrounds (criminology, education, geography, health, philosophy, social policy and social work) who share a concern regarding the direction of social policy with respect to safeguarding children and who seek to investigate both the coherence and effectiveness of Government policy for all children. The book identifies key tensions and dilemmas in areas of policy and practice, and raises a number of significant questions. The individual chapters look at: the history of child welfare; children’s rights; child poverty; communication and collaboration including the Common Assessment Framework; parenting policy; parents within education; safeguarding in the health sector; drug and alcohol use in young people; criminal justice issues; and children of refugees or asylum seekers. The final chapter provides a cross-disciplinary analysis of the shortcomings of the Government safeguarding project.
Subject terms:
parents, poverty, refugees, substance misuse, young people, youth justice, child protection, children, childrens rights, common assessment framework, government policy;
Child Abuse Review, 15(6), November 2006, pp.440-455.
Publisher:
Wiley
At the early stages of the development of integrated services, a study that examined the views of children and their carers on being missing from education is drawn upon to highlight two key issues that connect with the integration agenda: identifying the object of intervention and altering frames of organizational relevance. It is argued that if the proposed national outcome framework for England is to be meaningfully achieved (being healthy, enjoying and achieving, making a positive contribution, staying safe and achieving economic well being) within new service configurations, children's problems can no longer be fragmented into objects of organizational or professional expertise. Organizational relevance must adjust to enable the service user's (in this case children's, young people's, and their parents'/carers') framing of problems to be communicated, heard, and responded to. Three cases are presented for illustrative purposes, which show (i) the continued fragmentation of the service user's problem into objects of organizational relevance and (ii) the impact of this fragmentation on outcomes for children. Following presentation of the cases, a policy discussion is offered, which highlights a number of factors that undermined agencies' efforts to offer a joined-up and holistic service in this particular local context. The study draws links between this particular local context and issues of national relevance and concludes that, for the families in this study, problems presented to agencies continued to be framed according to organizationally relevant concerns and practical realities. This process occurred in spite of efforts by children, young people, and their parents/carers to steer diverse professionals involved with their lives down a more individually relevant path.
At the early stages of the development of integrated services, a study that examined the views of children and their carers on being missing from education is drawn upon to highlight two key issues that connect with the integration agenda: identifying the object of intervention and altering frames of organizational relevance. It is argued that if the proposed national outcome framework for England is to be meaningfully achieved (being healthy, enjoying and achieving, making a positive contribution, staying safe and achieving economic well being) within new service configurations, children's problems can no longer be fragmented into objects of organizational or professional expertise. Organizational relevance must adjust to enable the service user's (in this case children's, young people's, and their parents'/carers') framing of problems to be communicated, heard, and responded to. Three cases are presented for illustrative purposes, which show (i) the continued fragmentation of the service user's problem into objects of organizational relevance and (ii) the impact of this fragmentation on outcomes for children. Following presentation of the cases, a policy discussion is offered, which highlights a number of factors that undermined agencies' efforts to offer a joined-up and holistic service in this particular local context. The study draws links between this particular local context and issues of national relevance and concludes that, for the families in this study, problems presented to agencies continued to be framed according to organizationally relevant concerns and practical realities. This process occurred in spite of efforts by children, young people, and their parents/carers to steer diverse professionals involved with their lives down a more individually relevant path.
Subject terms:
interagency cooperation, intervention, local authorities, parents, school attendance, social housing, user views, vulnerable children, case studies, children, education;