making sense of the child’s lived experience in child protection conferences for neglect helen...
TRANSCRIPT
Making Sense of the Child’s Lived Experience
in Child Protection Conferences for Neglect
Helen Richardson Foster
Today I will talk about:
Background to the research Research questions & methodology Sample characteristics The type of data presented in
conference How does data presented relate to
the child’s daily lived experience?
ESRC Case Studentship “…failure to see through the eyes
of the child” (Lord Laming, 2009) Why neglect? Why child protection conferences?
The Rationale for the Research:
The Working Together Definition of Neglect
“…the persistent failure to meet a child’s basic physical and/or psychological needs, likely to result in the serious impairment of the child’s health or development. Neglect may occur during pregnancy as a result of maternal substance abuse. Once a child is born, neglect may involve a parent or carer failing to: provide adequate food, clothing and shelter (including exclusion from home or abandonment); protect a child from physical and emotional harm or danger; ensure adequate supervision (including the use of inadequate care-givers); or ensure access to appropriate medical care or treatment. It may also include neglect of, or unresponsiveness to, a child’s basic emotional needs.” (HM Government, 2013 p86)
Research Questions1) Who shares what information about a child and their family at a child protection conference? 2) To what extent is information about parenting capacity, context and issues explored in relation to the impact on the developmental needs of the child?3) How has information been obtained and presented about the child’s experiences, wishes and feelings?5) To what extent do conference members provide information about a day in the life of the child?6) What difference is there to the quality of information about individual children and their lived experience if more than one child in the family is discussed at the conference?7) What information is used to inform the content of the child protection plan?8) What promoters and inhibitors do the workforce identify in relation to maintaining a child focus?
Stage 3: Focus GroupsStage 3: Focus Groups
Stage 1: Conference Data
Stage 1: Conference Data
14: 3 ICPCS, 11 reviews
In 1 LA / LSCB
6: 3 in each area
26: 9 chairs, 13 minute takers, 2 managers & 2 supervisors
In 2 LA /LSCBsIn 2 LAs/ LSCBs
Methodology and Sample
Audio recording and documentary analysis. Where neglect main presenting concern or category of harm.
Stage 2: Interviews with Conference Staff
Stage 2: Interviews with Conference Staff
Face to face with conference chairs & their managers; andminute takers & their managers.
Exploration of Stage 1 findings with staff from all agencies who attend conferences
The Conference Data – Characteristics 1
11 reviews, 3 initial conferencesReviews: 3- 24 months, average of 9.5 months
6 ‘baby only’ conferences 5 large families of 4+ children
Family attendance: 12 mothers, 5 fathers, 3 teenage childrenPractitioners 2 to 13, 10 average
35 mins to 2 hours 8 mins, average 1hr17 mins
The Conference Data – Characteristics 2
All previously known to Children’s Social Care
Predominantly white British
Domestic violence
Alcohol and drug use
Parents: learning difficulties; mental health; physical health
Children: Autistism; offending
Analysis methods Purpose and structure of conference
What information is shared in conferences?
Time spent on agenda items
Developmental needs
40 - 60% (1hr of long meetings)
Parenting7 - 38% 27% average for 1 child meetings12% multiple child meetings
Planning9 of 14 meetings <12% of meeting time discussing threshold / planning
Least discussion of the Child’s Daily Lived Experience
Baby only conferences Historical concerns
I’ve got no concerns over the care that’s being provided to {Child 1} at the moment. Routines are all in place he’s feeding
well. (Social Worker, Conference Two)
Resistant parents…when I’ve visited her I’ve not picked up that there’s been any
smell of alcohol or she’s not appeared intoxicated or anything but I’m only seeing her for a fraction of the time and what she’s doing outside of that time is quite difficult to really get a true picture (Social Worker, Conference Three)
Most discussion of the Child’s Daily Lived Experience
Older children Education workers (with good knowledge of family
….that but there are points where {Child 2} has come into school and he’s not taken his tablet for whatever reason and there was the issue where the tablets had run out, and I’d rang up and spoke to {father} and said that that really needed, they needed a back-up plan, we need {child 2} to have his medication in the morning because that can then impact in school (Teacher, Conference Four)
Most discussion of the Child’s Daily Lived Experience
Intensive work with the family… he is engaged in sort of positive activities when he’s at home, he’s not sort of left to his own devices or anything like that and I think that might encourage his motor skills (FIP Worker, Conference Four)
Parents attending the conferencewell I’m not being funny, the food’s there for the children to eat, they have their dinner and to me if they want, they can have something in between, I’m not going to stop them I mean apparently in the report they complain of being hungry and that. Well they’re allowed to help themselves if they want, but I’m not being funny, it’s not like the cupboards are full of biscuits or sweets. (Mother, Conference Nine)
Most discussion of the Child’s Daily Lived Experience
Concerns about anti-social behaviour Concerns about safety
So he spends most of the time with you then by the sound of things, if he’s there in the morning, takes them to school collects them from school afterwards , brings them back and he visits three or four times to see {Child 1} in addition to that, or you go out together (Chair, Conference 11)
