Significant Harm and Children in Need

In the UK, 89,528 social workers are getting ready to re-register with the regulator for the protected title of social worker from 1st September 2014.

Meanwhile the UK media is yet again flooding the public with what is wrong about social worker and the problems with how we protect children. Child Sexual Exploitation in Rotherham a large area in the North of England has prompted public outcry and the regulator is considering if social workers should be investigated with regards to their fitness to practice.

As a contradiction, you might say, the Howard League for Reform are concerned that too many children, especially girls are locked up for non crime related issues  because social workers fear for their safety including sexual exploitation.

What can all social workers do when faced with issues like these? Concentrate on the child and ensure you remember your practice, these are difficult times and we know what happens when people take their eyes off protecting children within good and clear boundaries.

Child sexual exploitation is a label which defines actions of violation against children, significant harm and children in need is what social workers should always focus on as an assessment model and concept to ensure those children are protected and safeguarded.

What is significant harm and as a social worker how would you assess it for children in need?

When considering Significant Harm and the assessment procedures that surround this, we need to focus on defining a child in need. Social Workers can do this by focusing on past experiences and outcomes, including using cultural awareness and to identify the issues and gaps that may interfere with the effectiveness of the service they provide or have been provided to children and their families in the past. If you start there you can be open to considering what it really means to be a child in need and the significance of harm. There is a wealth of knowledge and research as well as personal experience that social workers can call upon to make these crucial assessments about significant harm.

All Local Authorities have a legal obligation under the Children Act 1989 and 2004 to make appropriate provision for children in need. Without the assistance of the local authority and partner agencies such as police, health, education and housing, a child in need suffers from poor health, wellbeing and development.

In reality there are many children and young people in a wide variety of circumstances, however only those with more complex needs are assessed and classed as being in need. The Children Act 1989 defines children in need as either in need of support and services under section 17 or in need of protection under Section 47 of the children act 1989. Those below the threshold for children’s social care services are often supported through the common assessment framework (CAF) Those who are considered in need are supported through a care plan delivered by children’s social care and partner agencies.

Looking at significant harm, what needs to be considered is whether the child is suffering, or is likely to suffer harm. Harm is defined as ill- treatment: physical, sexual or mental, impairment of health: physical or mental and impairment of development: physical, social, emotional, intellectual and behavioural.

The real question is, is it significant? Is it noteworthy to what would be expected of a similar child? The 1989 act doesn’t provide an absolute definition of what significant harm is, so you, as the assessing social worker have to consider if there is significant harm, or if in the long-term, there is likely significant harm whether through ill-treatment, impairment of health or development.

The harm, or likelihood of harm may be attributable to the care being given by the parents or carer. This is not about finding perfect parents, as no-one is, but about identifying reasonable parenting, good enough parenting, and applying those criteria to the assessment situation. Is the care not reasonable in relation to expectations of a parent? The assessment framework helps you to assess this as the system is already in place for you to work from.

If children in need are not identified and referred onto appropriate support they may be at risk of experiencing poor outcomes. These may include issues with their health, whether physical or mental. Deterioration through issues and neglect including loss of weight and mental disorders.

Safety is also a priority. A child may become at risk of serious harm now or in the future and it is important to assess the situation and the likelihood of this becoming a situation in the future. Can a parent apply appropriate boundaries for the child and are they kept safe when it comes to adults being in the home, drugs and alcohol issues and parenting techniques.
Lastly, their development can be seriously impaired if they are not supported.

Their learning, social and emotional development may suffer as a result of not having appropriate educational support and inadequate opportunities to socialise with their peers. Consider the long-term when it comes to development such as what are the life-chances and achievements outlook for the child if this situation continues? For example, a child who isn’t going to school raises concerns for long-term prognosis and success. If a child is being withheld from communication and socialisation then their ability to form healthy relationships in the future will decrease.

If these issues and problems are not effectively addressed then the situation may escalate and the child or young person may become subject to a child protections plan or a looked after child. (LAC)

A factor which remains in many serious case reviews and judgments is cultural awareness. The world is changing and many different cultures live in the same towns, use the same services, but their thoughts and home-life may be completely different to each others. Parenting may be shared more widely within kinship networks, and you may have to conduct your assessment on a wider scale. Households may even include some non-relatives and may be more fluid.

Always commit to taking cultural context into consideration. Find out how the family defines family, who is the main carer for the child or children? It may not always be the parent. In some cultures it may be unacceptable to express feelings openly, and however much you want a child or parent to open up to your questioning on the situation, they may not feel free enough to express it. There may also be a tradition of not using public services and being self-reliant. Or a bad experience using public services, especially if the family has emigrated from another country to the UK, can be a massive deterrent.

Significant Harm and Children in Need have 4 levels of concern on a threshold criteria:

Urgent Acute – The child is currently suffering from significant harm or is in serious danger

Significant Harm – The child is suffering from or is likely to suffer significant harm.

Child in Need – The child`s normal development is likely to be impaired if support is not offered. This is the stage where intervention is needed for early support or the situation often escalates.

Concerns – There appear to be some worrying issues but not enough to be placed in the first 3 categories. Just starting to notice the child is missing school, or a sudden change in behaviour etc.