How do we protect these children? There must be more we all can do!

[AnotherThingToDo]

I’m haunted by these poor children who have to endure this torture. How many more are there who aren’t in the news because they haven’t died?

Experts, people in child-protection roles, people with experience: how can people who feel angry and devastated by this channel this emotion into actually making a difference?

We hear time and time again how resources are limited. Is there more that society can do?

@Cassimin

SWLouise

Cant SWs make government more aware of their concerns?
This sadly is the ideal time to call for change in working conditions.
I’m sure when the social workers woke up that morning they didn’t go out with the intentions of being involved in this tragic case.
We need to find out what went wrong. Inexperience? Caseload? Whatever, their managers need to explore it, admit it and get it out in the public domain so it can be addressed.
Lessons will be learnt will not do.
Years long enquiries will not do.
We need to sort it out now

Do you think ministers don't know??

The minister for children at the time came to the social work conference in Brighton a few years ago and gave a wanky speech. He took questions from several social workers and ended up spending a day shadowing some. They know perfectly well what social workers are facing. They just expect miracles.

NynaeveSedai

But was that taken any further?
It’s ok saying they know but if nothing is done about it what’s the point?

@Cassimin

NynaeveSedai

But was that taken any further?
It’s ok saying they know but if nothing is done about it what’s the point?

Who the fuck knows? What power do you think social workers have to influence government? They know. They don't seem to give a shit.

@AndreaC67

If they're working on the front line in Child Protection then we need to recruit people who actively don't want to listen to any of the abusive parents bullshit, and who actively don't want to give them the benefit of the doubt

We have had that in the past and it didn't protect anyone, children were whisked off into care often on the say so of a vindictive neighbour or relative.

When are people going to realise that we need far far earlier intervention into some families lives?
This needs to be before conception, during pregnancy, early years support. Schools, the Police know who these families are.

It is only through early intervention that we can begin to reduce the number of child murders.

How is it possible to say 'that didn't protect anyone' though? There will have been notable failures, of the kind you mention @AndreaC67. There may also have been kids who stayed alive when they otherwise wouldn't have. As someone said earlier in the thread, it's hard to identify a successful outcome from child protection because it's 'just' an ok child. Nothing to see here.

Also, if only early intervention works, what is supposed to happen in cases like this? Just a shrug and 'it's too late for them now' and leave them to it?

If the government doesn't invest in social services or basic family services such as sure start you end up with more dead children.

It isn't a realistic goal to have no child murders some parents and carers will always want to hurt their children and do so in secret.
But you could have less with more investment. But it is cheaper and easier to just hang out to dry the odd social worker involved in a child death rather than invest in the system.

I did five years in front line child protection during a reasonably well funded time and that was hard enough. Now the job is verging on impossible in some areas.

It isn't that the government doesn't know the issues it just doesn't care.

We need to find out what went wrong. Inexperience? Caseload? Whatever, their managers need to explore it, admit it and get it out in the public domain so it can be addressed.

There’s already a process for this, independent Significant Case Reviews are undertaken every time a child with current or prior involvement with services dies, they are published and can be read by anyone with an interest. They outline whether there were failings on the part of professionals and detail the changes in policy and practice needed. They inform the programme of training for the coming year, along with management reviews and policy development.

There will be one held in this case, as there have been for many children this year.

Most folk don’t read them though, unless they have a particular professional interest.

I couldn't bear to be a social worker. It's not just the poor pay and horrible workload dealing with utter shits with no back up but the fact that whenever one of these cases comes up some stupid cow rants on about how she'd do it better.

I always say: "Put your money where your mouth is," but they never do.

I've spoken to a lot of social workers in my career and frankly, even though journalists rate high on the Know-It-At-Twatometer I'd still rather do my job.

That or sitting on my arse doing jigsaw puzzles, drinking coffee and pontificating.

NynaeveSedai

Isn’t there anyone to look into it?
Managers?
Unions?
I wouldn’t expect social workers to follow it up obviously but if they have concerns they need to take it further.
This case is all over the news, this is the time to do it.
The vast majority of SWs on this thread seem very unhappy in their work or have left. This doesn’t bode well for the future of social services.
I just think if no one does anything it won’t change.

It isn't just social workers either, pediatric doctors trained in child abuse are a vital part of the jigsaw and increasingly hard to find.

Look into it??
The government have departments whose responsibility it is to scrutinise the serious case reviews and child deaths. Ofsted inspect all services and they are literally part of the government.
Please don't think that social workers, managers and unions don't express the issues, they do. It's not our responsibility to keep shouting when the government already knows. Social care has been systematically underfunded for decades. It's part of the fabric of the conservative government to reduce public spending. It always has been. Social workers are public servants, if you want reduced public spending that's exactly what you get.

Don't make a relationship a goal for women. We are taught it's better to have any man than no man. Support single mothers, make it a great thing. Make it financially possible. Make it a celebrated thing. I can't tell you how many men go on and on about being single dads because it gets them kudos but women are supposed to be ashamed

award worthy comment, thank you.

@Cassimin

SWLouise

Cant SWs make government more aware of their concerns?
This sadly is the ideal time to call for change in working conditions.
I’m sure when the social workers woke up that morning they didn’t go out with the intentions of being involved in this tragic case.
We need to find out what went wrong. Inexperience? Caseload? Whatever, their managers need to explore it, admit it and get it out in the public domain so it can be addressed.
Lessons will be learnt will not do.
Years long enquiries will not do.
We need to sort it out now

Government have been the ones underfunding social services The Government runs social services. Of course they know what the concerns are.

@peaceanddove it isn't as easy to be a front line social worker as you seem to imagine.
But I'm sure you will do a fantastic job of it once you are trained and good to go.

There’s already a process for this, independent Significant Case Reviews are undertaken every time a child with current or prior involvement with services dies, they are published and can be read by anyone with an interest. They outline whether there were failings on the part of professionals and detail the changes in policy and practice needed. They inform the programme of training for the coming year, along with management reviews and policy development.

But do you know if the policy’s are actually changing?
If one of the main problems is large caseloads it seems it isn’t.
SWs are going to be going through this forever if not.
I’m a foster carer, I look at my son and think that could have so easily been him.
It breaks my heart.

No policies aren't changing and even if they did change there isn't the funding to enact new policies.

Policies change yes but it's all tinkering around the edges when the problem is not enough social workers to do the work, not enough support services to help families make changes and not enough early help to prevent things getting that bad in the first place. All those issues are about money.

Actually I'd agree with that, there are superficial changes sometimes but you can't spend money you don't have, or hire experienced workers who have left the profession.

[quote endlesswinter]@peaceanddove it isn't as easy to be a front line social worker as you seem to imagine.
But I'm sure you will do a fantastic job of it once you are trained and good to go.[/quote]
Never said it was easy. And there'd be no point training. I estimate I would be sacked during probation for being far too fiery and outspoken and I've never managed that head tilt thing.

The people clamouring for social workers to be more hard-nosed, to take tougher measures, need to remember how they would feel if a social worker turned up on their doorstep.

In this country social workers have to balance the duty to safeguard children, with the parents' right to a private live. We cannot intervene in the ways described on this thread - and would you want us to? Imagine if your vindictive neighbour called Social Services the day after your child fell off his bike, knowing he'd have bruises? Would you really want a social worker to get tough and remove your child?

If parents are devious and manipulative it is very hard to spot abuse. It is even harder if the social worker is inexperienced, unsupported by management, and swamped with a huge case load.

I’m in Scotland, we’ve had 15 pieces of legislation that directly or indirectly relate to child protection in 7 years, along with a full rewrite of the Statutory Child Protection Guidance, and countless government reviews and initiatives - they’re never done tinkering with the law, policy and process. What they aren’t doing is putting more money into frontline social work teams, who are expected to learn and implement the changes while pulling a full case load.

Literally rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic. The plight of a beautiful child has raised interest however most people live their lives in blissful ignorance of the chaos that many, many children live in, the danger and risk that social workers deal with in a daily basis.

Things haven’t changed - not because we don’t shout about it but because the general public literally don’t know, and don’t want to know.

From what I have experienced of working with social workers they may work hard but they don’t work smart. They like lots of meetings, faffing and produce crap reports that. Then have to be changed. What they managed in 30 hours could have been done in two. This is my experience but it really shocked me and I was concerned about the waste of public money by the level of slow incompetence k can understand why the government feels the services are overfunded and under delivering. Anyway In the case of Arthur resources wasn’t the issue it was incompetence at a dangerous level from police and social services. The stepmothers 4 other children had been removed yet they declared a happy home. This is shocking and ludicrous. Agree they should be sacked. The police are also woeful and tend to duck out early and disappear. In both there is a lack of accountability. Children are left far too long as the threshold for removal is too high. We see this time and time again. Child protection needs a complete overhaul.

I estimate I would be sacked during probation for being far too fiery and outspoken and I've never managed that head tilt thing.

Yeah, you do need to be able to manage yourself and your interactions with other - your fiery outspokenness could get you assaulted if you pick the wrong service user. Don’t know any social workers with a head tilt though, certainly not in child protection.

Whilst there is lots of hand wringing on the rare occasions these awful events happen, the sad reality is that the public isnt really that interested on a day to day basis because it doesnt tend to impact them directly.

Speaking to friends in Children's Services, the criminal justice system and people who work in politics, there isnt really a lot of motivation to change this. Senior leaders in Childrens Services score their departments higher for reducing numbers of children in care and councillors questioning the reduction in referrals during lockdown were told this didnt mean children were being missed. Having spoken to people who canvass for Labour and the Conservatives, no one ever raises Childrens Services on the doorstep - top issues are bins, parking, litter, leaves, planning.

We also see people on here showing concern about children and asking if they should report it and a sizeable amount of responses will be to keep their nose out of it. And we know the kids at school who have a tough life but most mums would rather their child didnt mix with them.

I think we need to collectively care more about children who aren't ours.

@endlesswinter

If the government doesn't invest in social services or basic family services such as sure start you end up with more dead children.

It isn't a realistic goal to have no child murders some parents and carers will always want to hurt their children and do so in secret.
But you could have less with more investment. But it is cheaper and easier to just hang out to dry the odd social worker involved in a child death rather than invest in the system.

I did five years in front line child protection during a reasonably well funded time and that was hard enough. Now the job is verging on impossible in some areas.

It isn't that the government doesn't know the issues it just doesn't care.

I do agree with what you say here. Do you feel it would be beneficial to raise the age of when a social worker can qualify perhaps? I can't think that qualifying straight out of university and being a naive 21 year old is the best basis to start from. Are you allowed to move straight into front line Child Protection at only 21?

Do you feel it would be beneficial to raise the age of when a social worker can qualify perhaps? I can't think that qualifying straight out of university and being a naive 21 year old is the best basis to start from. Are you allowed to move straight into front line Child Protection at only 21?

I think there used to be an age bar but not sure why they removed it. Possibly because there were not enough people training in social work. Yes you can go into child protection at 21 but all newly qualified social workers have an assessed and supported year of education.