Search results for ‘Subject term:"vulnerable children"’ Sort:
Results 1 - 7 of 7
The concept of significant harm in law and practice
- Authors:
- HARWIN Judith, MADGE Nicola
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Children's Services, 5(2), June 2010, pp.73-83.
- Publisher:
- Emerald
The Children Act 1989 introduced the concept of significant harm as a threshold test for care proceedings. This paper, examining the value of the concept of significant harm some 20 years after its introduction in the Children Act 1989, first introduces the concept of significant harm and then outlines the profile of children and families in care proceedings, the decision-making process, the interpretation of significant harm in case law, ‘panic’ and its impact on patterns of referrals for case proceedings, and the issue of resources. The author highlights an alternative model of the problem-solving court. While it has been suggested that ‘significant harm’ has stood the test of time, the absence of a clear operational definition is both its strength and its weakness – it allows necessary professional discretion but is vulnerable to external pressures affecting its interpretation. In conclusion, the author states that a more confident workforce and adequate resources are required, but the future role of the court and compulsory care is more contentious. The problem-solving court model may offer a helpful way forward for the scrutiny of significant harm.
The role of the court in cases concerning parental substance misuse and children at risk of harm
- Authors:
- HARWIN Judith, RYAN Mary
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Social Welfare Law, 29(3-4), 2007, pp.277-292.
- Publisher:
- Sweet & Maxwell Ltd
This article explores the potential of a specialist family drug and alcohol court, a new court-based intervention to be piloted by government, for children at risk of care proceedings due to parental substance misuse. It examines the reasons for the initiative and considers its potential to improve outcomes for children. It concludes with a discussion of the key issues to be tested out through an independent evaluation of the pilot.
Picking up the pieces
- Authors:
- FORRESTER Donald, HARWIN Judith
- Journal article citation:
- Community Care, 12.12.02, 2002, pp.36-37.
- Publisher:
- Reed Business Information
Looks at a recent study, funded by the Nuffield Foundation, which highlights the harm caused to children who have parents who abuse drugs and alcohol. The study highlights gaps in both policy and practice.
Parental substance misuse and child welfare: outcomes for children two years after referral
- Authors:
- FORRESTER Donald, HARWIN Judith
- Journal article citation:
- British Journal of Social Work, 38(8), December 2008, pp.1518-1535.
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
This paper reports on placement and welfare outcomes for children allocated a social worker where there was a concern about parental misuse of drugs or alcohol. All files going for allocation for long term work in four London boroughs over on average one year were examined (290 families). Of the 290, 100 families with 186 children involved concerns about parental substance misuse. File studies were carried out at allocation and two years post-referral for these children. At follow-up only 46% of the children remained with their main carer, with 26% living in the wider family and 27% in the formal care system. Logistic regression found the factors associated with children remaining at home were parental heroin misuse, violence and one or more parents being a first generation immigrant; factors associated with children moving were the child being a baby identified as at risk of harm and particular combinations who misused and family structure. A rating of welfare outcome was made based on educational, emotional/behavioural and health development. At follow-up, 47% of children had no problems, 31% had continuing problems and 22% had problems in more areas than at allocation. Regression analysis found the factors associated with poor welfare outcome were children remaining at home, domestic violence, alcohol misuse and being a boy. The combination of a high proportion of children moving carer and poor outcomes for those at home suggests that attention needs to be paid to improving outcomes in this area.
Parental substance misuse and child care social work: findings from the first stage of a study of 100 families
- Authors:
- FORRESTER Donald, HARWIN Judith
- Journal article citation:
- Child and Family Social Work, 11(4), November 2006, pp.325-335.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
Parental misuse of drugs or alcohol is known to be a common issue for child care social workers, yet there has been surprisingly little British research on the topic. The study reported here attempts to address this gap. All files going for long-term allocation in four London boroughs over on average 1 year were examined (290 files). Parental substance misuse (PSM) emerged as a major feature of social work caseloads. Of the 290 cases, 100 (34%) involved concerns about parental substance misuse. The families involving substance misuse were more vulnerable on a variety of measures: the children were younger, the parents had more individual problems and the families lived in more difficult social situations. PSM cases tended to be 'heavy end' at the point of allocation: they accounted for 62% of all children subject to care proceedings and 40% of those placed on the child protection register. There was a fairly even spread between alcohol and drug misuse, and a number of cases involved both. Substance misuse specialists were rarely involved in working with families, primarily because parents said that they did not think that they had a problem. Suggestions for ways in which policy and practice with PSM might be improved are made in light of these findings.
The contribution of supervision orders and special guardianship to children's lives and family justice: final report
- Authors:
- HARWIN Judith, et al
- Publisher:
- Lancaster University. Centre for Child and Family Justice
- Publication year:
- 2019
- Pagination:
- 183
- Place of publication:
- Lancaster
This research, funded by the Nuffield Foundation, looks at the use of supervision orders to support family reunification and placement with family and friends as outcomes of S31 under the Children Act 1989. The analysis was based on a total of 175,280 individual children’s records, drawn from 101,759 cases of S31 proceedings that started between 2007/08 and 2016/17. The research also involved focus groups with family justice professionals, parents reunited with children and special guardians. The report discusses the findings in the areas of: the use of supervision orders and special guardianship orders over time; the contribution of supervision orders to supporting family reunification; children subject to special guardianship orders; and the views of professionals, special guardians and parents. The findings include that 20 per cent of all children in England who return home after care proceedings and are placed on a supervision order are back in the family court within 5 years because of further significant harm. It also found that special guardianship provides vulnerable children with a new start in life, whilst keeping links with their birth families and family networks, and with very low levels of placement breakdown or return to court. The report makes suggestions to strengthen the supervision order. It also highlights the need to provide greater support and investment in special guardianship. (Edited publisher abstract)
The contribution of supervision orders and special guardianship to children's lives and family justice: summary report
- Authors:
- HARWIN Judith, et al
- Publisher:
- Lancaster University. Centre for Child and Family Justice
- Publication year:
- 2019
- Pagination:
- 26
- Place of publication:
- Lancaster
Summary report of research into the use of supervision orders to support family reunification and placement with family and friends as outcomes of S31 under the Children Act 1989. The analysis was based on a total of 175,280 individual children’s records, drawn from 101,759 cases of S31 proceedings that started between 2007/08 and 2016/17. The research also involved focus groups with family justice professionals, parents reunited with children and special guardians. The report discusses the findings in the areas of: the use of supervision orders and special guardianship orders over time; the contribution of supervision orders to supporting family reunification; children subject to special guardianship orders; and the views of professionals, special guardians and parents. The findings include that 20 per cent of all children in England who return home after care proceedings and are placed on a supervision order are back in the family court within 5 years because of further significant harm. It also found that special guardianship provides vulnerable children with a new start in life, whilst keeping links with their birth families and family networks, and with very low levels of placement breakdown or return to court. The report makes suggestions to strengthen the supervision order. It also highlights the need to provide greater support and investment in special guardianship. (Edited publisher abstract)