Group members: Helen Raziafficeffice" /> Zoe Teresa Farhana

Evidence-Based Childcare Presentation

Learning from the Victoria Climbie Inquiry 

 Question 2:              Guidance and law since the enquiry into ffice:smarttags" />Victoria’s death

Law and guidance are often enforced in workplaces, yet the effectiveness of most laws and guide lines are only some times tested and amendments are made through the experience of some one else’s misfortune, in this case Victoria Climbie, a young girl who was horrifically abused, tortured and eventually killed by her great aunt and  the man with whom they lived.

In response to the report into the death of Victoria Climbie, the government published a Green Paper called “every child matters” in 2003.

The Green Paper built on existing plans to strengthen preventative services by focusing on four key themes:-

-                          increasing the focus on supporting families and carers – the most critical influence on Childs life

-                          Ensuring necessary intervention takes place before children reaches crisis point and protecting children from “slipping from the net”. It was pointed out in Lord Lamming’s report that there were 12 occasions over the ten month period in which Victoria was known to the services in which to save her life, but were not taken.

-                          Addressing the underlying problems identified in the report into the death of Victoria Climbie – weak accountability and poor integration

-                          Ensuring that the people working with children are valued, rewarded and trained- respecting workers work loads and setting realistic targets.

The aim and outcomes of the Green Paper was to give children and young people from birth to age 19 the support they need to:

-           Be healthy- physically, emotionally, mentally and socially

-           Stay safe- from neglect, violence and to be cared for

-           To enjoy and to achieve-education wise

-           Make a positive contribution

-           And to achieve economical well being

A new minister for children was recruited in 2003, responsible for children, young person and family. The five main aims stated above were at the heart of transforming children’s services. The Children’s Act 2004 provides the legal framework for this reform.

The over all aim of the Children Act 2004 is to:

-                          Encourage integrated planning, commissioning and dealing of services

-                          As well as  improve multi disciplinary working, remove duplication

-                          Increase accountability and improve the co-ordination of individual and joint inspections in local authorities.

What does this mean for children and families?

Although too late for Victoria Climbie, as the system was a total let down to her including failings:

-           To intervene early enough

-           To share information

-           Accountability

-           Prior management and ineffective training

The Children Act 2004 and Green Paper have helped by making it easier by:

-           Easier access to information and advice service at a local level

-           Children Act 2004 gives a particular responsibility to local authorities in ensuring effective co operation between local partners such as the N.H.S, police, schools, district councils, youth offending teams and voluntary sectors.

-           Easier support for parents experiencing difficulties

-           Practitioners from social services and education working together in teams

-           One point of contact for information and contact

-           Ensures the welfare and safety for children and young person who may be at risk.

From this we can see there were many gaps especially between letting the children “slip” through the net which raises questions of how did it happen? Who is to blame? If any thing, this case has made the system realise that collaboration between organizations that provide services to children from hospitals and schools, to police and voluntary services need to start working together for fast efficient effective results for the wellbeing of children.

Question 3:    Consider Anti-Discriminatory Practice in Relation to this case

‘A term used to describe how practitioners seek to reduce individual and institutional discrimination, particularly on the grounds of race, gender, disability, social class and sexual orientation. ‘

(Collins Dictionary of Social Work)

‘Anti-discriminatory practice refers to Social Work that is specifically aimed at the unfair, discriminatory treatment experienced by specific groups in society.’

(Collins Dictionary of Social Work)

 Good Social Work practice is anti-discriminatory practice.  When a Social Worker works with a client they have the chance to either empower the client or oppress them. 

‘There is no middle ground: intervention either adds to oppression (or at least condones it) or goes some small way towards easing or breaking such oppression.’

(Thompson 1992a pp.169-70)

A Social Worker must take into account the issues of oppression and discrimination that an individual client may be facing, to work with them in an effective manner.  However, it must also be understood that there is an undercurrent of multiple oppressions in society. 

‘Race, class and gender and so on are separated out for analytical purposes but they are not entirely separate processes; they occur simultaneously and affect people in combination’

(Anti-Discriminatory Practice, Third edition, Neil Thompson)

PCS Analysis

PCS analysis can be used to understand how discrimination and inequalities occur in a client’s social circumstances.  It is split up into three levels;

Ø      P – Personal – an individual’s level of attitudes, feelings etc... Practice - How workers interact with clients.  Prejudice – how people’s minds are not flexible in their thinking, which inhibits non-judgemental and fair practice.

Ø      C – Cultural – shared ways of seeing, doing and thinking.  It relates to; commonalities, consensus and conformity.  It is basically a matter of shared meanings.

All of these sections interlink and become internalized.  This model helps us to understand the basis for the oppression and discrimination that is suffered by many in society. It also shows the basis for institutional oppression.

Anti-Discriminatory practice in this case

There is a suggestion that the professionals involved in this case didn’t act as thoroughly as they would have if Victoria had been a white child.  They were scared to act in a way that would be considered ‘racist’. 

It was assumed that by giving the case to a black Social Worker, Victoria’s needs would be automatically understood because they were the same colour.  An assumption about a person’s culture is unprofessional and highly dangerous as Victoria’s case demonstrates.  Each person has a different culture which relates directly to them and their culture is not a by-product of their ethnicity. Even two people from the same area can have completely different ideas about their own culture and what it entails.

“Assumption based on race can be just as corrosive in its effect as blatant racism…racism can affect the way people conduct themselves in other ways.  Fear of being accused of racism can stop people acting when otherwise they would.  Assumptions that people of the same colour, but from different backgrounds, behave in similar ways can distort judgments.”

(Statement of Neil Graham QC to Lord Laming)

All the professionals in this case ignored Victoria and didn’t consult her.  The key to good Social Work Practice is communication and because Victoria wasn’t able to speak to them and express her problems, she was dismissed. 

In section five of the enquiry, “Working with Diversity” Lord Laming gave some recommendations to workers in this area, one of which is stated below:

Recommendation 18

Interpreters should be used with children whose first language is not English.  Any decision to dispense with interpreters services should be documented.

 Essentially, all children have a right to feel safe and secure, regardless of any ‘perceived differences’ such as colour or country of origin.   The child’s safety is paramount.

Question 4:                                                               Think about research, articles, and books that would help you when working with a child like Victoria

We are approaching this question from the perspective of being the social workers involved in such a case.  We will look towards guidelines from research in making decisions for effective and appropriate interventions.

We think that assessment is the first and foremost key method of intervention.  Although it is a legal requirement Victoria did not receive an assessment at all, which we feel is one of many significant factors in the devastating outcome.  Laming (2003) reinforces this by saying “The centrality of good social work assessment is emphasised by the enquiry into the death of Victoria Climbie”.

‘Social Work Practice: Assessment, Planning, Intervention and Review’ (2005) establishes many responsibilities that need to be considered in making an assessment.  These stand as guidelines which we as social workers can follow:

·        Speak alone to the child (which Lisa Arthurworrey did not do)

·        See and speak with carers (which Lisa Arthurworrey did not do)

·        Seek and consider the views of other professionals (which Lisa Arthurworrey did not do)

·        Visit the child’s accommodation

·        Agree to plan to provide for the child’s welfare (recommendation 40)

As social workers we could seek further guidance on assessment from ‘The assessment framework and legislation’ (specifically relation to child protection).  The framework for the assessment of children in need and their families provides for a systematic assessment of children and their families.  This framework embraces three key areas/dimensions:

·        The child’s developmental needs

·        Parenting capacity

·        The wider family environmental factors

The aim of the assessment is to identify and clarify the needs of the child in relation to their overall development and safety (Further reading on Maslow and his Hierarchy of Needs).  Assessment of the child’s/family’s race and culture should be addressed integrally.  Consideration should be given as to whether any racial/cultural stereotyping of Black or minority ethnic families has occurred.  One issue relating to this which stems from Victoria’s case is that a Black social worker was assigned to the case because there was a similarity between the family and the social worker.  This was based on the assumptions that there was a cultural understanding, which however was not present.

Since 2000, the Department of Health released two timescale models, one of which relates to the completion of assessment, following a request/referral to social services.  The other relates to the initial and core assessments for child protection procedures.  We are obliged to follow these procedures, aiding to raise the competency of practice.

(Social Work with Children and Families, 2005)

To ensure that an effective assessment is carried out appropriately communication needs to be taken into account.  There was very little communication between Victoria, the social worker, and other professionals. Victoria’s first language was French.  This may have been recognised as a barrier however nothing was done to overcome it.  Consequently, Victoria’s voice was never heard.  Without making an attempt to arrange visits with a translator, not only did they ignore Victoria but also did not make an effort in establishing her wishes and feelings.  The ‘Messages from Research’ (Department of Health 2001) highlights the importance of taking into account the wishes and feelings of the child. Social work values reinforce this.

In addition, there was also a breakdown in communication between the professionals involved.  According to the ‘Dictionary of Social Work’ (2002) “there is increasingly an expectation that services will be delivered collaboratively by several agencies or that a particular problem can be addressed only if professionals work together in the same organisation or team”.  This was a clear flaw in the handling of Victoria’s case.

Section 47 (9) of the Children’s Act 1989 provides for various persons (any local authority; any education authority; any local housing authority) to assist the local authority in their enquiries (Brammer 2002).  A core group of all professionals involved with the family (for example, in reference to Victoria, the health visitor, hospital staff, previous social worker and social services staff) would be contacted, and information sharing and joint working would be established. 

There was little exchange of information between the hospital and social services.  Counsel to the Inquiry Neil Garnham QC said “this led a battle of conflicting assumptions where each body believed that the other was fully aware of the suspicions”.  This reiterates the importance of multi-disciplinary work.

To conclude we feel that the most reliable and important piece of research a social worker could do in this case is to find out about the legal requirements and follow them. Other useful areas that could be researched could be around signs of neglect and abuse, theories and methods, and cultural differences.

Bibliography

Brayne, H. and Carr, H. (2003) Law for Social Workers, 8^th ed. Oxford, Oxford

University Press

www.communitycare.co.uk

http://www.everychildmatters.gov.uk/

www.doh.gov.uk

Thompson, N. (2001) Anti-Discriminatory Practice, 3^rd edn. Basingstoke, Palgrave

Johns, R. (2005) Using the Law in Social Work, 2^nd edn. Exeter, Learning Matters Ltd.

Pierson, J. and Thomas, M. (2002) Dictionary of Social Work, 2^nd edn. Glasgow, Harper Collins

Jowitt M, O’Loughlin S, (2005) Social Work with Children and Families,  1^st end, Exeter, Learning Matters Ltd

www.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/2702643.stm

www.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/2062590.stm

www.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/2449743.stm

www.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/2122256.stm

Handout from Geoff - Victoria’s story

http://www.20six.co.uk/swbedsuni/nextEntries/1iu2poq2a6vvi

Report of an Inquiry by Lord Laming (2003)

www.victoria-climbie-inquiry.org.uk