Leadership

How Social Workers Engage Neglectful Parents from Affluent Backgrounds in the Child Protection System

Rich families are using "privilege" to disrupt or avoid child abuse investigations, according to this report from Goldsmith's University. Leadership Briefing (141)

The report found wealthy households were effectively “opting out” of the child protection system.

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      string(5842) "discharge from hospital.FDAC involvementThe parents were seen for the FDAC assessment within a week of their first court dateand the Initial Intervention Planning Meeting (IPM) held the following week. They hadfortnightly FDAC Hearings, weekly key work, testing, referrals for treatment, mentalisationprogramme, and VIG.http://www.theguardian.com/social-care-network/2014/jul/23/child-protection-social-work-social-workershttp://www.theguardian.com/social-care-network/2014/jul/23/child-protection-social-work-social-workershttps://www.gov.uk/government/publications/drug-strategy-2010–2https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/175391/Munro-Review.pdfhttps://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/175391/Munro-Review.pdfhttps://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/217343/family-justice-review-final-report.pdfwww.teachingtimes.com n Vol 4.6Families Every Child Journal89Parents’ progressMillie was largely unable to engage with the FDAC process, as the deeper issues of traumafrom her childhood meant she was not ready to start making the changes needed. Shereturned to drug misuse and spent time on remand and was then recalled to prison. She sentsome correspondence from prison with her intentions to engage although never did so.Jack worked very well with the FDAC process and the arrival of his daughter proveda significant motivator. He worked intensively with a community-based drug treatment,three day week programme. Engagement was positive and he had an assessment ofparenting and attended FDAC’s parenting and feelings (mentalisation) group which helpsparents think about their children’s emotional world, and he engaged with FDAC’ VideoInteraction Guidance.The father’s prognosis was fair, and FDAC advised him to sustain after-care, and engagein further counselling about the underlying causes of his substance misuse, and the impactof family history, grief and loss. Housing was secured out of borough.The child’s permanenceThe local authority in conjunction with the FDAC team devised a programme ofrehabilitation for the child to return home to the father over January 2013. A paternal auntwas positively assessed as an alternative to care for the baby if the father failed. The IssuesResolution Hearing concluded with a 12 month supervision order to the local authority.The father and his daughter have continued to live together and they come to the annualFDAC picnic. We hope he will start training as a parent mentor soon.Benefits of interagency workThe combination of specialised and social care provision to complement the work of thefamily court makes for a highly innovative approach to working with this very difficultpopulation of families, and the team believe that one of the strengths of the model is anemphasis on the parents’ strengths and motivating and encouraging their wish to change.But we acknowledge that it is very difficult work for these parents, the majority of whomhave had multiple traumatic experiences in their adult lives and experienced abuse in theirchildhoods. Helping parents recover from addiction is often only half the problem, withother prevalent issues being mental health problems, violence within the family, chronicpoverty and low sense of expectations of their own and their children’s possibilities.Recognising the success of the model, in 2013, the Department for Education awardeda contract to the Tavistock & Portman NHS Foundation Trust to develop the FDAC modelmore widely – both geographically and in terms of its concept.The team has been working on adapting the model to work with domestic violenceand parental mental health as the critical issue in parental problems. These bring ethical,legal and clinical difficulties which have to be addressed in great detail, but there hasbeen good progress in adapting evidence-based models of assessing and interveningin domestic violence within the tight timescales and ‘trial for change’ principles ofFDAC. For example, this includes carefully timed and benchmarked assessments withclarity of expectation about what meaningful engagement would look like in terms ofthe perpetrators capacity to change. In this work, we have been working closely withDr Chris Newman of Partner Abuse Intervention (PAI). The FDAC team have a specialistdomestic violence worker and we will be piloting the domestic violence approach laterthis year.A history of innovationFDAC has been able to innovate, adapt and bring greater sophistication to its modelsince its inception in 2008 and has had to keep pace with policy changes in that time. It isobvious to even the casual observer that the policy background has changed a great dealsince the programme started in 2008.Vol 4.6 n www.teachingtimes.comFamiliesEvery Child Journal90Six years ago, local authorities were still coming to terms with the implications ofthe Hidden Harm report into parental substance misuse, which estimated that two tothree per cent of children in England and Wales lived with a parent with serious drugproblems and found parental substance issue in almost two-thirds of families in careproceedings.Since then, we have had a comprehensive review of the family justice system,including a substantial reduction in the use of experts in care proceedings and cutsto legal services. The Children & Families Act 2014 among other things, placed judicialcontinuity and swifter conclusion to care proceedings at the forefront of radical reformof the family justice system. Swifter proceedings within 26 weeks"
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Special Needs

The Family Drug and Alcohol Court

11 Dec 2014

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      string(5764) "Vol 1.4 n www.teachingtimes.comFamiliesEvery Child Journal38‘The Family Drug and Alcohol Court’ is a new type of family court. A team of workerssupport, rather than punish, parents with addiction problems – helping them to get cleanand keep custody of their children. Sophie Kershaw reports on the British pilot.The role of theFamily Drug andAlcohol Courtwww.teachingtimes.com n Vol 1.4Families Every Child Journal39The Family Drug and Alcohol Court (FDAC) is basedon a model widely used in the US for about 12years. An American evaluation found outcomeswere better for families attending specialist drugand alcohol courts: more children were reunited with theirparents and quicker decisions were made for out of homecare if reunification was not possible.The results were attributed to the fact that more parentstook up and completed substance misuse treatments than intraditional courts and services.District Judge Nick Crichton was so inspired by the model,he decided to pilot a court in the UK. In collaboration withthe Local Authorities Camden, Islington and Westminster,he found funding to set up a three-year pilot. A Family Drugand Alcohol Court in Wells Street Family Proceedings Court,London, opened on January 28 2008.The FDAC was started because of:increased understanding of, and growing concern about,the effects of parental misuse of drugs and alcohol onchildren.the high percentage of cases in the child protectionsystem and brought to court in care proceedings whereparental substance misuse was involved.concern from research and other policy initiatives thatresponses from children’s social care and adult substancemisuse services are often un-coordinated and lack focuson the needs of the family as a whole.The pilot’s funding came from the Department of ChildrenSchools and Families, the Ministry of Justice, the Home Officeand the participating councils. The government recentlyannounced that it is extending its funding until April 2012.An independent evaluation of the pilot is beingconducted by Brunel University, funded by the NuffieldFoundation. It will identify set-up and implementationlessons and compare FDAC to standard care proceedings andcosts. Preliminary findings are encouraging (Harwin 2009).How does FDAC work?The FDAC aims to help parents stabilise/stop using drugs/alcohol. It tries to keep families together.The aim of the FDAC is to improve outcomes for childrensubject to care proceedings by increasing rates of successfulreunification. If this is not possible, quicker decisions canbe made to find permanent alternative homes for children.FDAC offers parents with substance misusing problems:Intensive assessment and support from the specialistcourtHelp from ‘parent mentors’Quicker access to community servicesBetter co-ordination between child and adult servicesnnnnnnnThe innovative FDAC model can be best appreciatedwhen it is contrasted with the traditional, adversarialapproach to Care Proceedings. A family chosen for theFDAC process will go through a more supportive process.The FDAC process involves co-ordinating a range ofservices so that the family’s needs, concerns and strengthsare all taken into account, with everyone working towardsthe best possible outcome for the children.The unique and innovative parts of the project include:The judge’s roleThe specialist multi-disciplinary team‘Parent mentors’Court proceedings continue while the FDAC assessmentsare taking place. Each parent involved in the project hastheir own solicitor who represents their wishes to thecourt.The solicitor attends the first two to three courthearings while the assessment is conducted and theIntervention Plan agreed. Once the intervention plan hasbeen agreed and work begins, the solicitors take a backseat and do not attend the fortnightly Non-lawyer ReviewHearings – unless there is a problem the parents want theirsolicitor to raise with the court.The FDAC has some expectations of the families. Themost important thing is that they engage with the process.The family is expected to be honest with the court andthe professionals involved. They need to engage with anyservices identified for them. They will also be expected toattend the fortnightly court hearings to review progressof the case. These hearings are address problems as theyarise and review the intervention plan. The judge also hasa unique role in motivating parents.The pilot court is supported by a multi-disciplinaryteam (the FDAC team). This is provided by the Tavistockand Portman NHS Foundation Trust and the charity Coram,who will coordinate the process and intervention plan.The team includes: a service manager, a clinical nurse,a substance misuse specialist, a senior practitioner, socialworkers, a child and adolescent psychiatrist and an adultpsychiatrist. The team also includes volunteer ‘parentmentors’ – parents who have successfully completed rehabprogrammes themselves, and want to help others.The FDAC team has links with the Housing andDomestic Violence Teams within the Local Authority. It isalso supported by a team of 12 guardians, one of whomis appointed for the child(ren) in each case. The guardianappoints a solicitor to represent them.The FDAC team meets parents at the ‘First Hearing’and continues to work with them throughout the careproceedings. The team uses assessment, motivation,support, co-ordination of services and ‘holds’ the parentthrough the process.nnnVol 1.4 n www.teachingtimes.comFamiliesEvery Child Journal40Parents have said:“Everything was explained to us in a way that we couldunderstand without"
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Special Needs

The role of the Family Drug and Alcohol Court

26 May 2010

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      string(391) "... uk/publications/aspirations-attitudes-educational-attainment-roundup6. Education and Poverty – a critical review of theory, policy and practice, Joseph Rowntree Foundation 20077. National Centre for Social Research, Disengagement from Education among 14-16 year olds, Andy Ross 2009 https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/189435 ..."
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      string(3939) "http://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/toolkit/approaches/parental-involvement2. Parents’/Carers’ Attitudes Towards School Attendance DES 20053. Ibid4. Ibid5. Joseph Rowntree Foundation. The Role of Aspirations, Attitudes and Behaviour in Closing the Educational AttainmentGap, Charlotte Carter-Wall, Graham Whitfield, April 2012 http://www.jrf.org.uk/publications/aspirations-attitudes-educational-attainment-roundup6. Education and Poverty – a critical review of theory, policy and practice, Joseph Rowntree Foundation 20077. National Centre for Social Research, Disengagement from Education among 14-16 year olds, Andy Ross 2009 https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/189435/DCSF-RR178.pdf.pdf8. Joseph Rowntree Foundation. The Role of Aspirations, Attitudes and Behaviour in Closing the Educational AttainmentGap, Charlotte Carter-Wall, Graham Whitfield, April 20129. Drivers and Challenges in Raising the Achievement of Pupils from Bangladeshi, Somali and Turkish Backgrounds. DSCF2010 https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/189385/DCSF-RR226.pdf.pdf10. http://www.outcomesstar.org.uk/family-star/ A Troubled Families Star which references Work as an area for assessmentand support is currently in developmentThe Family Action learning on tackling exclusionChildren who exhibit very challenging behaviours in school may be witnessing traumatic events in the home, includingdomestic abuse, which present child protection issues. They may have special needs that require a response fromservices.Getting children to talk about their emotions is key if they are to gain self-awareness and consider alternative socialstrategies to aggression and joining gangsExtra-curricular activities may help boost the self-esteem of children who are not able to display academic prowess inthe classroom.What schools can doSchools have much to gain from co-ordinating their response to truancy and exclusion with the local Troubled FamiliesProgramme and working in multi-agency partnership with health and social services.Early identification of vulnerable pupils will assist with early intervention before pupils reach crisis point. Free schoolmeals data can help schools with targeting help at the most disadvantaged children for example using the PupilPremium.It is vital that schools use the Pupil Premium on interventions that are proven to work in responding to disadvantagedchildren and young people.The Sutton Trust toolkit is a useful starting point for key ideas that are proven to work; and the DfE website pageson the Pupil Premium also showcase some of the great work that schools are already doing in this area. The Childrenand Young People’s Mental Health Coalition also offer Resilience and Results a useful briefing for schools on charityprogrammes that could benefit childrenTruancy and exclusion increase in secondary schools. It is vital to raise awareness among parents of primary school agechildren of their role in providing a home life that supports children being ready for school every day. Family Actionand the National Association of Head Teachers are teaming up for a year to provide a programme of free resourcesthat primary schools and children’s centres can use to engage parents o the theme of Ready to learn Every Day. Theseresources will be available from May 2013.Rhian Beynon is Head of Policy and Campaigns at Family Action.nnnnnnnnhttps://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/189385/DCSF-RR226.pdf.pdfhttp://www.outcomesstar.org.uk/family-star/http://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/toolkit/approaches/parental-involvementhttp://www.education.gov.uk/schools/pupilsupport/premiumhttp://www.cypmhc.org.uk/resources/leading_children_and_young_peoples_charities_offer/www.family-action.org.uk"
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Special Needs

Getting to the root of exclusion

18 Jun 2013

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      string(5234) "2013) – children can learn when they aresupported in activities which would otherwise be beyondtheir own ability- saw adult intervention within thecontext of social learning. He underlined the importanceof adults both supporting children, through appropriateintervention and modeling good practice, in enablingchildren to develop social and cognitive skills.In practice, emotional well-being, social competenceand self-concept, as identified by Bertram and Pascal(2002) are integrated and should be addressed alongsidethe cognitive dimension of learning and development.The extent to which children develop these skills, withappropriate support from educators, hinges on theirself-confidence. A pupil’s self-confidence is enhancedby, and to a large degree founded on, their ability tocommunicate effectively.■■■ Professional Development: The role ofparents and carersQuality early education not only puts children aheadin terms of cognitive development at age 5, but alsoleads to better performance in GCSE English andmaths (Sylva et al., 2014). However, pre-school isnot the whole picture. Parents or carers have a keyrole in their children’s language development; familyinfluences are likely to be the earliest in a child’s life.It is essential at this time that children have warmand supportive environments, where parents or carersactively communicate with them in different ways.Early years settings have a role in supporting parentsor carers to develop the home learning environment.The Achievement for All programme, delivered throughcoaching leaders and practitioners, has shown that whenparents or carers engagement with their child’s learningis encouraged and supported (e.g. at school throughbook club and other activities) it leads to acceleratedprogress in children’s outcomes in literacy (Humphreyand Squires, 2011). This idea has been successfullypiloted in early years settings in England through theAchieving Early programme; the Taking Time for Talk,structured conversation model has enabled parents andcarers to engage effectively with their child’s learning anddevelopment (unpublished interim report, Achievementfor All, 2015).■■■ Professional Development: ChangingCulture and PracticeAgainst this backdrop, early years settings need torespond to the various challenges they face, not least inensuring children are school ready. This is best achievedthrough a structured, systematic approach built on keyprinciples and focused on raising children’s outcomes.This might include a consideration of the culture of thesetting, professional development and practice and howit supports a whole setting approach to speech, language,communication and the development of reading andwriting. It will undoubtedly involve the development ofhigh expectations among staff for children’s outcomesunderpinned by investment in professional developmentand coaching.Aspiration encompasses the expectations, beliefs,understanding and capacity of children to engagefully and positively in the learning process. Themind-set that underpins all educational endeavours,Policy andpractice13……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………whereby practitioners, parents and carers have a sharedunderstanding of that which can be achieved throughthe setting of goals (short, medium and long term)culminating in the raising of aspirations. The embeddingof ‘aspiration’ across the setting is closely connected toideas of ‘access’. Access has a two-fold meaning. The firstis the removal of barriers preventing access to learning;these can be broad or specific, e.g. low expectations,physiological, social, environmental, educational andmore. The second is the provision of education; someparents or carers, might not have perceived educationas having any significance or value in their lives, whichplaces emphasis on the support provided by practitionersfor children and their familiesA key aspect of aspiration is that of giving ‘voice’ tothe child. This is central to the SEND Code of Practice0-25 (DoH/DfE, 2014); the opinion of parents orcarers and their child are important in decision makingaround issues which affect their life. In practice, givingchildren ’voice’ provides opportunity to develop theircommunication skills, give their opinion and contributeto the setting. There are many ways that this can beachieved through ‘Time to Talk’ sessions and trainingfor key workers.■■■ Professional Development: LeadersIn recent years there has been much discussion aroundleadership of settings and the need for workforcedevelopment (Nutbrown, 2012). Effective leadershipis central to bring about cultural change. A model ofinclusive leadership, based on an inclusive approachto education, looks towards increasing"
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Professional Development

Talking with young children: how professional development can improve children’s speech and language, thinking and learning

3 Nov 2015

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