To think we need a complete re-think of child protection?

[Feelingoptimistic]

Like many others, I have been thinking a lot about the Baby P case. What I completely fail to understand is why no one did anything earlier. Have we all become too PC? Is it considered ok for children to live somewhere where there is dog poo on the floor?
This morning I just read this:

www.guardian.co.uk/society/2009/aug/11/child-deaths-baby-p

The thing is that in most of these cases the death of the child follows months of abuse and neglect - so there is an opportunity to spot what is happening and prevent it. I think we need a system of consistent monitoring of children and early intervention when things don't seem right.

I found the comments about kinship carers in that article highly offensive. They show the ignorance and deep seated predjudices held by some social workers.

Research has shown that children do far better long and short term in kinship placements. They are more likely to do better at school, maintain relationships with birth family and extended family and are generally better settled.

As for the 'craziness' of finacially supporting kinship carers, I think its far crazier to pay strangers to care for a child when a family member would love to do it but is prevented by lack of money and resources. Yep lets send a child out to Kent because we have such a shortage of fc. Take them away from their families, school and friends rather than help grandma or auntie to offer them a stable, loving home.

There may be romantic ideas about welcoming a family member's child into your home. Fantastic wouldnt we all do it? If you had to give up your job? If the child has been sexually abused? If the child is having contact everyday with the birth parent which you have to facilitate? If the child been damaged by neglect and you have no idea how severe the disablities are going to be? Or maybe 4 sibling aged 1 - 14? So your children are going to have to give up holidays, swimming and new clothes because you suddenly have extra mouths to feed?

Kinship carers love the children they care for but you have to be an idiot to think taking someone elses traumatised child/ren on is not going to cost you thousands and thousands. Most of these kids come from families that are just about coping as it is.

The comments are short sighted and based on what? Some bitter social worker's assumption that all family members are the same?

Utter crap. I have lost any sympathy that I might have had for that twat.

Thank you for the link though. I will be passing it on.

I read that article Chegirl and I suspect the SW misses the valid point that you make. It is horribly sad if she does- but Kinship care can work-not always but it can work. That said BabyP's maternal grandmother was portrayed in an almost saintly way until her daughter was named and people started coming forwards with their stories about her childhood. Do I think BabyP's grandmother would have made a good kinship carer-no. Do I think Kinship care should be considered in the first instance-yes.

I suspect that SW in the article sees a repeat cycle over and over again generation after generation reflecting child care styles that repeat the problems. That said some people do break free and live good lives-they may well want to offer a relative's child the same opportunity but money is tight, especially when you have to work for it!

I agree that the grandmother in this case is clearly not suitable to care for children. There are many families where this is the case. But there are far more families where kinship care is a better option than foster care or adoption.

Historically kinship placements have been set up to fail. Children are placed with no preparations, no resources and the families are left to get on with it. Often they find themselves battling with the care system and mightly pissed off birth parents. They are expected to fulfil the same responsibilites as a fc but without the same support. It is a wonder that so many work so well, not that some fail.

All kinship carers should be assessed BUT there have to be allowances to enable the placement to work. Spare rooms are rarely available and its is not possible for everyone to give up work.

In our case there was no way the child couldve or shouldve gone to birth grandmother or aunt. They were part of the toxic mess that produced the child's mother. The thing is though, some of us dont need to break free of the cycle. We have never been part of it. We have no control over how our relatives act and our concerns are often ignored by ss.

I would like to ask the sw in the article if she would be prepared to do her job for no money. After all if she really cared surely she would?

BTW my rants are squarely directed at the article and no-one on here

chegirl, thanks for your perspective. Kinship placements are not always black and white. It is hard to sort the wheat from the chafe.

Thanks for explaining that, bichon. It makes how things work clearer for me. It sounds rather challenging to have to work in such a changeable environment. But through it, you have not lost sight of the goal, which is to protect children. Bless you.

blueshoes - thanks so much for your comment - warmed my heart -and helped me to continue on the fight !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I've kind of whizzed over the thread but am surprised not to have spotted any mention of CAF yet.

It seems to me that whilst under resourced CSF is indeed one problem not easily solved, the other serious issue here is the failure of professionals to liaise.

It was exactly this problem that brought about the CAF following recommendations in Lord Laming's report.

However, despite the CAF, (though admittedly in its infancy) many bodies remain reluctant to partnership work. Typically Health, and Social Services are notoriously poor at information sharing as they perhpas used to a long tradition of working on a tight 'need to know' basis.

Organisations are improving with info sharing within their own organisations but still the sharing of concerns between agencies is slow to non existent.

Data Protection laws further muddy the waters and when you consider the significant level of confusion around how the CAF is to be implemented it is little wonder that we still do not have a truly effective systematic approach to disallowing children from slipping through the net.

I doubt that what we need is an overhaul or a rethink on how we are to lessen the numbers of children 'missed' by professionals. However, I do feel that more consideration needs to be given to how we implement systems in place and ensure that all staff are adequately trained and resourced for dealing with problems as they arise.

It is a great failing of an excellent systematic approach [the CAF] that, for example, midday supervisors and other school support staff do not receive CAF training.

*CAF= Core Assessment Framework

continue the fight