Welfare Reform on the Web (October 2002): Child Welfare - UK
ADOPTING
BEST CARE: INSPECTION OF STATUTORY ADOPTION SERVICES IN NORTHERN IRELAND - SUMMARY (PDF format)
Social Services Inspectorate
Belfast, 2002
Reports on the organisation, structure and management of adoption services in each of the four Health and Social Service Boards in Northern Ireland. Covers staffing, publicity and information, services for birth parents, recruitment of adoptive parents, adoption panels and assistance to adopted adults in tracing birth families.
BACK TO WORK
M. Thompson
Nursery Management Today, vol. 1, 2002, p.16-17
Asks how the NHS Childcare strategy is engaging with private providers. Author, MD of Childbase, which has seven nurseries on hospital sites, gives his 'wish list' for NHS childcare strategy.
BRAIN SCIENCE, EARLY INTERVENTION AND "AT RISK FAMILIES": IMPLICATIONS FOR PARENTS, PROFESSIONALS AND SOCIAL POLICY
H. Wilson
Social Policy and Society, vol. 1, 2002, p.191-202
The perception that the first three years of life are critical for child development has led to the widespread use of early intervention programmes targeted on "at risk" families. However these programmes have not consistently produced long term positive effects on the children. This may be explained by the fact that there is no compelling evidence from neuroscience that early experiences are crucial for child development..
BROWN PUTS CHILDREN FIRST, BUT WILL OTHER SERVICES HAVE TO PAY FOR IT?
C. Jerrom
Community Car, July 25th-31st 2002, p.20-21
Describes reactions of professionals in children's services, elder care, services to people with learning difficulties and disability services to the 2002 UK budget.
CHILD DRUG USE 'UNDERESTIMATED'
J. Carver
The Guardian, July 26th 2002, p.11
About 6% of 11-year olds in England have taken drugs at least once during the past year, according to figures from the Department of Health. Results show consumption by children throughout early years at secondary school to be higher than previously realised.
(See also Financial Times, July 26th 2002, p.4)
CONNEXIONS YOUTH CHARTER: GUIDANCE FOR PRACTITIONERS, YOUNG PEOPLE AND CONNEXIONS PARTNERSHIPS
Connexions Service National Unit, 2002
Offers guidance on the creation of local Connexions Services' youth charters in collaboration with the young people themselves.
CONTINENTAL DIVIDE
F. Rickford
Community Care, July 11th-17th 2002, p.26-27
Article asks whether the circumstances of children who arrive in the UK from Africa make them particularly vulnerable to abuse. Article focuses on recent Victoria Climbie case and the African's Unite Against Child Abuse group.
DELIGHT AND DOLE: THE CHILDREN ACT 10 YEARS ON
Rt Hon Lord Justice Thorpe and C Cowton
Bristol: Jordan, 2002
This book contains the proceedings of the biennial interdisciplinary conference. It evaluates the effectiveness of the Act from the view point of all the professions and agencies involved and that of the children it was designed to serve.
DOES ALL-LONDON COMMITTEE SIGNAL A SHIFT TOWARDS STANDARDISATION?
L. Revans
Community Care, July 18th-24th 2002, p.18-19
While the face of child protection in London was given a make-over last week, with the publication of draft all-London child protection procedures and the establishment of a pan-London child protection committee, the article examines how much standardisation is desirable.
FAMILY POLICY IN SCOTLAND
F. Wasoff and M. Hill
Social Policy and Society, vol. 1, 2002, p.171-182
Article reviews current family policy in Scotland, focusing on divorce, separation and remarriage, domestic abuse and child welfare. Discusses the tension between areas of family policy which have been devolved to the Scottish Parliament (family law, child care provision and social services) and those which have been reserved to Westminster (social security, taxation, fiscal policy, employment and immigration). This division of powers makes the joining up of policy initiatives challenging.
FOSTER CARERS' PERSPECTIVES ON PERMANENCE: A FOCUS GROUP STUDY
M. Beck and G. Schofield
Adoption and Fostering, vol. 26, no.2, 2002, p.14-27
Current UK government policy favours adoption as the permanence placement of choice outside the birth family. However, it has been recognised that a range of permanence options is necessary to meet the needs of children for whom adoption is not appropriate or achievable. The Adoption and Children Bill 2001 included proposals for "Special Guardianship Orders" which would offer parental responsibility and safeguards beyond the existing residence order without severing connections to the child's birth family. Article presents the results of focus groups which explored how foster carers view their role in offering children a long term commitment and a place in their families.
FUTURE ASSETS
W. Paxton
Community Care, Aug 1st-7th 2002, p.42
Proposes that all children leaving care should be given access to an independence trust fund. This would provide them with a lump sum to invest in their futures and would be in addition to the planned Child Trust Fund or baby bond.
'GRANDPARENTS ARE THE NEXT BEST THING': INFORMAL CHILDCARE FOR WORKING PARENTS IN URBAN BRITAIN
J. Wheelock
Journal of Social Policy, vol. 31, 2002, p.441-463
This article is based on a unique investigation of the contribution that informal childcare - relatives, friends or neighbours looking after children, usually on an unpaid basis - makes in allowing parents to go out to work.
INDIVIDUALISATION AND YOUTH WORK
T. Jeffs and M.K. Smith
Youth and Policy, no. 76, 2002, p.39-65
Argues that youth work in contemporary Britain is losing its historic emphases on voluntary participation, informal relationships, education and commitment to association. Social group work as a mode of practice has been virtually destroyed and replaced by the enforcement of management determined behavioural norms on clients coerced into obedience by fear of the loss of their freedom, or access to essential financial or welfare support.
LEARNING FROM PAST EXPERIENCE: A REVIEW OF SERIOUS CASE REVIEWS (PDF format)
R. Sinclair and R. Bullock
London: Department of Health, 2002
Serious case reviews should take place whenever a child dies or is seriously injured due to abuse or neglect. This report identifies deficiencies in all agencies involved in child protection. The most common causes of concern were inadequate sharing of information, poor assessment processes, ineffective decision making, lack of inter-agency working, poor recording of information, and lack of information on significant males. Generally practice was seen as poor rather than grossly incompetent and in most cases the death or injury was seen as unpredictable and largely unpreventable.
LINKS IN THE CHAIN: AN ANALYSIS OF THE PARTICIPATORY METHODOLOGY BEING USED TO DEVELOP THE ROLE OF THE CONNEXIONS PERSONAL ADVISER
B. Oliver
Youth and Policy, no. 76, 2002, p.29-38
Paper explores the principles of involvement and participation behind the methodology espoused by the Connexions Strategy in developing the role of the Personal Adviser. Examines the rationale for involving Personal Advisers in a learning approach to the development of their role and considers whether this approach can achieve its goals of empowerment, motivation and commitment.
RE-ENGAGING THE HARDEST-TO-HELP YOUNG PEOPLE: THE ROLE OF THE NEIGHBOURHOOD SUPPORT FUND
S. Golden and others
Department for Education and Skills, 2002 (Research report: 366)
The Neighbourhood Support Fund (NSF) aims to re-engage disaffected young people aged 13 to 19 in education, training and employment. The fund was launched in September 1999 and has supported over 660 projects in 40 disadvantaged areas in England. Three managing agents deliver NSF through local voluntary organisations which offer a range of activities and support for young people. Research showed that the projects had been successful in reaching the target group and that 51% of clients had gone on to education, training or a job. Critical factors for engaging young people included building relationships, establishing trust and giving clients a sense of ownership and choice.
SILENCED BY STIGMA
V. Cree and others
Community Care, July 18th-24th 2002, p.38-39
Social work academics and researchers report on a study of Scottish children whose parent or carer is HIV positive, which has led to recommendations being made to the Scottish Parliament.
SPENDING REVIEW 2002: THE IMPACT OF THE GOVERNMENT'S PROPOSALS ON CHILDREN
Anon
Childright, no. 188, 2002, p.3-4
The UK government's 2002 Spending Review sets out departmental spending plans for three years from 2003/04 to 2005/06. The key themes of the Spending Review are: raising productivity, extending opportunity, building strong and secure communities and Britain's role in the world. Extending opportunity is the key objective in relation to children. The government hopes to:
- improve the standard of education at all levels and narrow the educational attainment gap;
- develop the childcare market;
- improve children's services and broaden access to services which help improve parenting skills.
WHAT WORKS FOR CHILDREN? EFFECTIVE SERVICES FOR CHILDREN AND FAMILIES
D. McNeish, T. Newman and H. Roberts
Buckingham: Open University Press, 2002
This book provides an overview of what works in social care services for children and families based on the best current evidence. It is divided into sections and covers services for children who are looked after away from home; interventions aimed at preventing the social exclusion of children and young people; and promoting and protecting children's health.
WHICH PATH?
R. Downey
Community Care, July 25th-31st 2002, p.34-36
Government is expected to radically reform children's services following the report into the death of Victoria Climbie. It is likely that a new national agency will be created to run either all children's services or child protection services only. The creation of a new national children's services agency would mean their departure from local authority social services departments. The rump of services remaining in council control could be placed in new merged departments with education. There is also a simmering conflict between the Home Office and the Department of Health as to which should control the new national agency. Social services leaders are adamant that such a shake up would be a disaster and that what is needed is a firmer management grip on child protection services to ensure that professional standards are adhered to.