Memorandum submitted by Christina Clarke
— Bring harmony into a family
unit.
— Obtain assistance to the family unit.
— Monitor/PCT surveillance.
— Identify and administer.
1. Bring harmony into a family unit—A
Social Worker is a community adviser/administrator. They should
be trained in how a family, no matter how big or small, should
acceptably function. Bringing into a family unit suitable boundaries
and discipline. A Social Worker should not be entering a family
home to target and split up a family unit. Their initial contact
is to be approachable and advise on ways to bring harmony to that
family unit. They should be hands on—with methods—to
turn around the dysfunctional family.
2. Obtain assistance to the family unit—Parents
often see unusual behaviour in their children prior to the professionals,
due to spending much of their time together. A Social Worker should
be asking what help has been offered that family. Obtaining further
assistance to that family. After all, a Social Worker is not a
medically trained specialist. The Social Worker supports the family
through any problems and befriends the family to again obtain
a harmonious family unit.
3. Monitor/PCT Surveillance—The
Social Worker, during contact with the family unit, logs all contact
and help given. The Social Care Team send a request to the PCT
to monitor only the family concerned and to all log all contact
with that family. The health visitor would carry out weekly visits
in order to ascertain no further problems arising. Should there
be further developments the Social Worker is informed via the
professional—for the Social Worker to re-visit the family
unit and put right anything that has developed. The PCT and Social
Care stop surveillance after two years have elapsed and family
unit is functioning to a better level.
4. Preventative Targets—Help
and assistance to a family unit that turns a family unit around
for the better is a preventative process than removal of the child.
By all professionals concerned their logs must show what help
or guidance they have given that family unit. If a profession
has not provided any help, then the system has let down that family.
The family is therefore not at fault, but that of the system.
All logs are important in order to make any further decisions.
Help may be by means of employing a cleaner to training or do
the housework (deducted from family unit income), the help may
be from identifying a medical condition via a specialist and support
given for the family unit with means of care and/or respite. The
help may be from the Social Worker providing parental guidance.
All of which is logged.
5. Identify and Administer—A
qualified specialist having identified a concern of severe harm
to a child or children has a direct line to the Social Worker
on the case. The Social Worker firstly sees the child (therefore
being protected). The Social Worker contacts the family. The Social
Worker also calls the CPC for backup. The Social Worker logs the
process and the CPC handles the case. The Social Worker through
any court process asks all professionals for a copy of there logs
on that family. This is for cases of severe abuse, where harm
to a child would continue. If community professionals were doing
their jobs correctly they would ascertain the severe case quite
quickly. Schools play an important part in this, as they could
use education to identify the cause and also ask children to say
or write. if anything bad happens, who would they tell. From this
they know that the person they would tell could be advised on
highlighting areas of concern and directing such concerns to the
system. As a first point of contact for an issue, the person a
child is likely to tell needs to be prepped in their role to protect
that child. As the Social Worker is not a trained expert in every
area of life—it is important that they administer (correctly)
the help and concerns of outside professionals. It is the Social
Worker's job to collate all information to be presented to a Judge
if necessary.
6. Meetings—Should only be
required if the child is to be or has been removed from the family
unit. The parent at this stage would have to be fully versed on
the outcome of their actions. The meetings are to give the child
or children protection against any more severe harm. The meetings
can still incorporate a care plan for the foster carer, but also
needs to take into count the long term future of that child.
7. Outcome—because of preventative
targets, very few children, unless being severely harmed, would
be left in foster care. At a saving of £400 per week per
child the saving could go to assistance, holidays and specialist
help for the birth family unit. Those unfortunately that with
regret end up in foster care need twice weekly support from the
Social Worker. To again provide help or assistance to that child
and/or foster carer. Rewards for bad behaviour in care must stop.
The child affected by circumstances at a young age still need
to be guided on the rights and wrongs of their actions. A good
response deserves a good treat. Children that have the fortune
of being adopted from foster care are again monitored for two
years via the PCT surveillance and Social Care. This is to ensure
the new parents are not placing the child into further harm.
Overall, the Social Care system doesn't have
to be a harsh one. Social Care needs to provide a positive outlook.
The feedback in cases are from trained medical, educational professionals—the
Social Worker is the community support worker that brings in any
help or training needed into the family unit to put right any
dysfunction. The protection and care of children is paramount
to all professionals and lay persons, but the professionals need
to be very hands on with the community in order to prevent any
unnecessary suffering. However, if a child has had a traumatic
upbringing, they should not be targeted by Social Care in their
adult life. The Procedure stated in my bullet points would cover
any new eventuality.
February 2008
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