Subjects:
The Childrens Act 1989 and subsequent amendments and official documents are intended to safeguard our children from harm and protect their rights. In practice though, some children fall through the net and are failed by the local authority, leading to continuing neglect and abuse of these children,. in some high profile cases recently, the end result has been death, such as in the Victoria Climbie and Lauren Wright cases.
This document will explore the reasons behind this. Its possible the Childrens Act 1989 is simply inadequate, implemented incorrectly or poorly. On the other hand it could be the fault of badly trained and motivated Social Workers, underfunded local authorities or badly managed social services departments. Before analysing why this phenomenon occurs, it is important to understand what is meant by the terms neglect and abuse. According to "Working Together To Safeguard Children" a document published by the department of health in 1999, somebody may abuse or neglect a child by inflicting harm or by failing to act to prevent harm. However under
s.31(10) of the Childrens Act 1989, it d
. . .
A new referral must first make it to the social worker’s desk. However, the actual social workers involved in a child care case is only the last cog in a complicated machine.
The country’s social workers are overstretched, underfunded and caught up in government red tape and management constraints.
“Few professionals have a poorer image than social work incentives for social care staff and a new approach to public relations are needed social workers should be congratulated not villified for their work” said Mary Marsh, director and chief executive of the NSPCC. The problems with the system are caused by consistent prolonged underfunding of social services in general and administrative problems.
A social worker with worries for a child she/he has complieted an initial assessment for must provide evidence to support their concern and convince their manager of the need for involvement or intervention. If the social worker concerned does not receive the referral, or if the case is waiting to be allocated, the no assessment or initial visit can be made.
The family also moved from one borough to another, and there was a severe lack of communication between the two social services offices, not to mention the other professionals who had contact with Victoria.
Before this stage is reafched, an asessment m,ust be made. The social workers are rarely contactable, often on holiday/sick, or in meetings/court proceedings.
The duty team of seven was overwhelmed by the workload. Ie, be classified for NFA (No Further Action).
The vague nature of thie legislation and the constraints placed upon social workers who work with families and children contributes massively to the number of children failed by the system.
The management themselves have to operate within a tight budget, specific geographical boundaries and other external pressures such as inspections.
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