Child Protection Systems in the United Kingdom: A Comparative Analysis

by Stafford, Anne; Parton, Nigel; Vincent, Sharon; Smith, Connie

• ISBN13: 9781849050678
• ISBN10: 1849050678
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2011-12-15
• Publisher: Jessica Kingsley Pub

Summary

This authoritative book compares UK child protection systems with other systems world-wide as well as scrutinising and comparing the systems in different parts of the UK. Reflecting on the impact of devolution, the authors consider and critically analyse the way child protection systems are being developed, thought about and put into practice in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. An intra-country comparative approach is applied to the main features making up child protection including: policy frameworks, inter-agency guidance, the role of Local Safeguarding Children Boards and Area Child Protection Committees, child deaths and Serious Case Review processes, and vetting and barring legislation and systems. The authors also consider the unique position occupied by England and explore future directions for child protection across the UK.

Author Biography

Anne Staffords is Director of the Universe of Edinburgh/NSPCC Centre for UK wide learning in child Protection(the Centre) University of Edinburgh UK she has worked in the areas of children and child protection policy and practice for has the many years and has written and researched extensively in this area. Nigel Parton is NSPCC Professor in Applied Childhood Studies, University of Huddersfield UK, and visiting professor at the Centre. He has been writing and researching in the areas of child protection and child welfare for over 30 years. Sharon Vincent is Research Fellow at the Centre and has been involved in research relating or child protection and child welfare for over ten years Connie Smith is Research and policy Analyst at the Centre and has worked in policy and research both in the public and voluntary sector for many years.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements	p. 9
Introduction: About this Book	p. 11
Introduction and context	p. 11
Child protection processes and structures	p. 13
Introduction and Context	p. 15
Context and Drivers of Policy Change in Child Protection across the UK	p. 12
Introduction	p. 17
The policy making process	p. 17
Macro-level analysis	p. 18
Meso-levd analysis	p. 22
Micro-level analysis	p. 26
The role of the media	p. 27
Conclusion	p. 31
Child Protection across the UK in an International Context	p. 32
Introduction	p. 32
The growing crisis in child protection	p. 33
Comparing child protection systems	p. 39
Updating child protection orientations	p. 50
Conclusion	p. 54
Learning by Comparing: Some Conceptual and Methodological Issues in Conducting Comparative Research	p. 56
Introduction	p. 56
Comparison and public policy	p. 57
Learning and public policy	p. 61
Learning from difference: Comparing child welfare and child protection systems	p. 64
Comparative social policy: Differing methodological approaches	p. 66
The comparative and 'transnational twist': The moves towards devolution	p. 68
Comparing policy in a devolved UK: Nation-building and welfare	p. 71
Devolved powers in the UK	p. 75
The Scottish Parliament and Scottish Executive	p. 75
The Northern Ireland Assembly and Executive	p. 76
The National Assembly for Wales and the Welsh Assembly Government	p. 76
England and the UK Parliament	p. 77
Opportunities and pressure for policy divergence and convergence	p. 78
Conclusion	p. 80
Child Protection Processes and Structures	p. 81
Policies and Procedures to Protect Children across the UK	p. 83
Introduction	p. 83
Overarching children's policy and outcomes frameworks	p. 83
Key legislation	p. 86
Inter-agency child protection guidance	p. 89
Definitions used in the guidance	p. 92
Key structures for protecting children	p. 94
Inspection processes	p. 101
Conclusion	p. 106
Managing Individual Cases where there are Child Protection Concerns	p. 109
Introduction	p. 109
Responding to concerns and making a referral	p. 111
Initial investigation and assessment op114
Emergency protection	p. 116
Case conference	p. 120
Registration	p. 122
Review and de-registration	p. 128
Sharing information where there are child protection concerns	p. 130
Guidance on information sharing	p. 130
Sharing information with consent	p. 131
Sharing information without consent	p. 132
When consent should not be sought	p. 134
Protecting children in specific circumstances	p. 134
Conclusion	p. 135
Assessment Frameworks	p. 140
Introduction	p. 140
England and Wales	p. 141
The Orange Book	p. 141
The Framework for the Assessment of Children in Need and their Families	p. 141
The impact of the assessment framework on practice	p. 143
The Common Assessment Framework England	p. 144
The Common Assessment Framework Wales	p. 146
The implementation of CAF and its impact on practice	p. 147
Scotland	p. 149
The My World Triangle	p. 149
The impact of the GIRFEC assessment model on practice	p. 151
Northern Ireland	p. 152
Understanding the Needs of Children in Northern Ireland assessment framework	p. 152
The effectiveness of assessment frameworks	p. 155
The future of assessment frameworks	p. 157
Conclusion	p. 158
Child Death Review Processes	p. 161
Introduction	p. 161
Processes for investigating deaths from abuse or neglect	p. 161
Public inquiries	p. 161
Local review processes	p. 163
Serious Case Reviews in England and Wales	p. 163
Recent developments in England	p. 169
Recent developments in Wales	p. 171
Case Management Review in Northern Ireland	p. 173
Significant Case Reviews in Scotland	p. 174
Wider child death review processes	p. 176
England	p. 177
Wales	p. 180
Northern Ireland	p. 181
Scotland	p. 181
The effectiveness of child death review processes	p. 182
Conclusion	p. 189
Child Protection and Offender Management Systems across the UK	p. 191
Introduction	p. 191
Offender management systems	p. 192
Multi-agency Public Protection Arrangements	p. 92
Structures	p. 193
Coverage	p. 194
Activities	p. 197
Conclusion	p. 201
Vetting and barring arrangements across the UK	p. 201
The purpose of vetting and barring	p. 202
The expansion of the vetting and barring arrangements in the UK	p. 202
Vetting and barring arrangements in England, Wales and Northern Ireland	p. 203
Vetting	p. 203
Barring	p. 204
The Children's List	p. 205
Definitions of posts and organisations covered by the barring requirements	p. 205
Referring to the Children's List	p. 207
Decisions about referring to the Children's List	p. 208
The current situation	p. 209
Protection of vulnerable groups in Scotland	p. 209
Duties and circumstances of referrals to the Children's List	p. 211
Decision about whether a referred person should be Listed	p. 211
Establishing fan individual is on a Barred List	p. 212
Conclusion	p. 213
Summary and Conclusion: Child Protection across the UK	p. 214
Introduction	p. 214
Contexts and drivers of policy change in child protection	p. 214
Child protection across the UK in an international context	p. 215
Learning by comparin	p. 217
Policies and procedures for safeguarding and protecting children across the UK	p. 219
Managing individual cases where there are child protection concerns	p. 222
Assessment frameworks	p. 224
Child death review processes	p. 226
Offender management systems	p. 227
The future of child protection in the UK	p. 228
Appendix: Legislation Regarding Child Protection and Emergency Orders	p. 231
References	p. 236
Subject Index	p. 249
Author Index	p. 254
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