Children Placed Outside the Borough Authority - Dissertation Example

Looked After Children Placed Outside the Borough or with Local ity in the United Kingdom Introduction Looked-after children are considered as one of the most vulnerable and at the same time important group in the society. Their needs and protection must be, at all times, considered not only by the social worker and government, but also by the community where they belong. With this on hand, the paper will dwell on the significant role of social work practitioners in cultivating the holistic growth and providing the needs of looked-after children. These children are housed outside the borough or with the local authority in the United Kingdom. Prior to this, the term looked-after children will be defined along with identifying the needs of these children. Along with this, the role of the social worker will also be highlighted within the paper. Moreover, the social injustices, values and ethical dilemmas in relation to the social work practice towards the looked-after children will be identified. Specifically, the attachment problem, inadequate resources, poor training on the part of the social workers or carers, handling different culture and ethnicity, and sexual exploitation towards looked-after children will be discussed. Furthermore, the concepts of ethics, values, anti-discriminatory practices, and equal opportunities in relation to social work practice towards the looked after children will also be exemplified in the paper. Also, legislation and policies will be identified to substantiate the discussion. Social Injustices, Values and Ethical Dilemmas for Social Work Practice Looked-after children (LAC) was first used and introduced by the Children Act 1989. The term was used to refer to children and young persons who are voluntarily looked after or can also be subjected to a care order by the government. A voluntary accommodation is the act of a child or a young person to bring himself or herself to the local authority for accommodation. However, the parents still have the ultimate responsibility towards their child. Therefore, the agreement of the accommodation can be terminated by the parents or the person who has responsibility over the child. On the other hand, the care order is the request of a local authority if it is seen and proven that the child or the young person needs to be taken out from the home. The parental responsibility will be on the local authority; however, the parents of the child will also be considered during the proposal or the decision to look after the child (Children Act 1989 s. 4; Soan, 2010). Furthermore, according to studies, most of the children who are looked after are from the poorest areas of the community (Bebbington & Miles, 1989; Waterhouse & McGee, 2002 cited in Kirton, 2009), and almost 55 percent of these children are male. These children are being looked after due to the following reasons: abuse, absence of parents, acute stress within the family, disability, dysfunctional family, low income and poverty, ill or disabled parents, and socially poor behaviour (Kirton, 2009). Moreover, in September 2009, there were 43,200 children who were looked after for 12 months; 32,300 of these children were full-time students, and 8,700 of these children were with particular educational needs. The population decreased by 1 percent compared to the 43,700 in September 2008 (Department for Children, Schools and Families, 2010). In addition, social work is defined as a career that utilises theories in relation to the behaviour of people and the social system. It is a career that promotes social change, resolves problems in human interaction, and empowers people. Also, in order to achieve such goals, the basic principles of human and social rights must be incorporated (Tops UK Partnership, 2002 cited in Higham, 2009). Furthermore, a social worker also works as a carer for looked-after children. They are considered as the corporate parents who are efficient in providing parenting needs. However, these carers do not take the place of the biological parents of the children (Higham, 2009). In terms of caring with looked-after children, the role of the social worker is particularly valuable especially in times when a social worker acts as a continuous carer of the child. This continuous role of the carer will enable to establish reliability, respect, and confidentiality on the child, who will be considered as an ally. If this is not followed, the relationship of the child with the social worker may be considered as an enduring one. Another important role of a social worker is when he or she listens to the child’s feelings, concerns, and wishes. In this manner, the social worker eases the feeling of unworthiness of the child being looked-after. The social worker also plays a vital role in finding a placement for the child or children. In this process, the social worker must properly assess the child unto where and to whom the child is compatible with. It is in this assessment of the social worker that the child may be able to continue his or her family culture with relatives or family friends. Aside from these, the social worker must also work and communicate with the parents of children. This is considered as a challenging part because the social worker must inform the parents of the harm experienced by the child. Along with this, the social worker must put aside his or her personal judgment towards the parent or parents in order to draw objectivity (Burke & Parker, 2007). On the other hand, the population of the looked after children in the United Kingdom may have reduced by one percent, but it is still alarming to the government. Also, there are social injustices, values and ethical dilemmas that are encountered in the social work practice involving the looked-after children placed outside the borough or with the local authority in the United Kingdom. Furthermore, in terms of ethical issues and values, looked-after children experience attachment problems due to their experience of neglect and abuse. Also, attachment difficulty occurs when children move from one carer to another, and if the child is placed in another neighborhood or another country. These are the factors that add stress to the feeling of the child during the transfer or separation (National Children’s Bureau, n.d.). Therefore, in order to avoid such circumstances, looked-after children must be placed near their homes (Children and Young Persons Act 2008, s. 22C). Nonetheless, according to the Department for Education, there were around 23,000 looked-after children were placed far from their area because there are no more places available for these children. With this on hand, the government had requested for a thorough investigation on decision when children are placed outside the borough in order to protect them from aggressors and the like. Along with this, it is advised that there must be a thorough justification on why the child is placed outside the borough. However, in the attachment problems of looked-after children, it is necessary to give value to the relationships that are built between individuals, i.e. looked after children and social workers. In any perspective, it is essential to strengthen relationships in order to build trust and confidence among individuals. This value is essential to foster or restore the welfare of an individual, i.e. looked-after child (Kirst-Ashman & Hull, 2012; Tickle, 2012). Another ethical issue and value encountered by social workers, in relation to looked-after children, is the lack or inadequate resources that would match to the needs of these children (Bertotti, 2010). The irony is that these children are considered as the most disadvantaged people in United Kingdom, but they experience severe social injustice. The result of such social injustice is that almost 53% of the looked-after children drop out from school without any qualifications. Also, with the population of these children, only 14% leaves school with General Certificate of Secondary Education. Furthermore, due to the lack of proper education, most of the female looked-after children who are 16 to 19 years old get pregnant, who are also most likely incapable to take care of their children (Gentleman, 2009). However, according to the Children and Young Persons Act 2008 in s. 22C, these children must be placed in placements where their education will not be disrupted. In a social worker’s perspective, the value of social justice emerges in this dilemma. A social worker is a catalyst for social change, especially with the suppressed individuals. Also, the value of service by the social workers surfaces in this situation. The social worker will find means and ways to provide for children, and consider the children’s interests and well-being first rather than the social worker’s personal interest (Kirst-Ashman & Hull, 2012). On a personal level, the value and ethical consideration of fairness and not take advantage of these looked-after children can emerge in this type of situation. A person must treat these children fairly and not put them in circumstances where they are harmed, and their weaknesses are used as an advantage (Fernando, 2009). In addition, many consider the poor training of staff and social workers or carers as an ethical and value issue. Most of the workers are inadequately trained to handle the vulnerability of these children. Also, there is a high turnover of staffs and workers which also results to shortage of foster homes. This could be a result of the decline in the standards of the universities that offer trainings on social work. In comparison to Netherlands, Norway, and Germany, social workers and care staff attain their degree within three and half years; however, in England, around 36% workers are not qualified for the care service. Nonetheless, due to the value of competence exhibited by social workers, they are more open in the act of enhancing their profession. Many are open to perform activities in order to enhance their professional standing as social workers. With this on hand, the government decided to hire highly-qualified social workers to pilot a programme for the children homes in England. Also, the new approach in taking care of looked after children, which is the social pedagogy, is being implemented. This is supported by the government in terms of the transformation of the children care in the country (Gentleman, 2009; Kirst-Ashman & Hull, 2012). In addition, another ethical dilemma faced is the differing culture and ethnicity of looked-after children. It is vital to consider the culture, religion, racial origin, and language of the child as stated in the Children Act 1989 in section 22. This is necessary to be able to create a plan that is strategically in line with the background and demographic characteristics of the child. This is also necessary to promote self-awareness. Also, the value of dignity and self-worth will be embodied if these considerations will be followed. It is pertinent to note that understanding the diversity of children whom social workers work with is a vital tool in order to understand where the needs of these children are. In this manner, respect and the ability to understand one’s responsibility towards others will be inculcated to the minds of these children (Cocker & Allain, 2008). In terms of social injustices, many looked-after children are sexually exploited because most of the time they are to take care of themselves and be independent. This also occurs because many take advantage of the fragility of these children. Many children report being housed in hostels where the area is prone to sexual exploitation or is a known establishment for prostitution. This has been manifested in the Rochdale sex abuse that was enacted by nine men between 2008 and 2009. The victims were said to be provided by drugs and alcohol (Children, Schools and Families Committee, 2009; Johnson, 2012). In relation to this dilemma, the value of social justice will emerge on the part of the social worker. This is when a person acts to combat injustice that is enacted upon people, i.e. looked-after children who are in their most vulnerable state. Also, the dignity and the value of the person will also be an imminent value that a social worker might use in order to react to the situation. In the dilemma, a social worker or any person will ethically respect the other person, i.e. the looked-after child. This principle is noteworthy because it allows the looked-after child to alter their needs and in line these with their capabilities, which will be supported by the social worker (Kirst-Ashman & Hull, 2012). Understanding Ethics, Values, Anti-discriminatory Practice, and Equal Opportunities In another light, due to the awareness on the social injustices, values and ethical dilemmas in the social work practice, personally, there has been a broader understanding on the idea of ethics, values, anti-discriminatory practice, and equal opportunities, especially, in relation to the looked-after children placed outside borough or in the local authority in the United Kingdom. By definition, ethics is the moral guideline of an individual; these are the principles that state what is acceptable, proper, and just. It does not immediately console to an answer, but ethics are actions taken into consideration in order to decide in an ethical manner (Fernando, 2009). Furthermore, the Code Values of the National Association of Social Workers Code of Ethics includes “service, social justice, dignity and worth of a person, the importance of human relationships, integrity, and competence.” Among these six core values, in relation to the dilemmas above, the ethics and values of the social work practice in terms of social justice must be religiously practiced. Social justice encompasses the responsibilities of social workers to combat discrimination, which are based on age, gender, economic status, race, religion, and other characteristics of a person. In the social work practice, carers must encourage the looked-after children to maneuver their lives and receive respect and dignity. Also, if a fellow carer is discriminating a fellow carer or a service user, i.e. looked-after children, a carer must immediately report such actions. Furthermore, it is advised that the carer must act accordingly in terms of Human rights and must understand a service user, i.e. a looked-after child in terms of the child’s religion, culture, racial origin, and language (Littlechild, 2012). Moreover, in terms of anti-discriminatory practice, it is the act of promoting equality among people. It is also the practice of helping marginalised families be placed in a status where equal opportunities are given. Also, respect and understanding are vital in this practice, especially between people who consider themselves different from others. In relation to social work, anti-discriminatory practices are the utilisation of the core values. It is also the ability of a social worker to resolve conflict and ethical dilemmas. Also, it encompasses equal treatment and attention to every individual. In this manner, thinking that every child is the same with another is not advisable because every individual is unique; therefore, every individual differ with need and attention. In social work, equality and personal identity are encouraged even in circumstances that deal with diversified matters. It is also encouraged to challenge assumptions to help children and adult to change and learn constructively. Furthermore, anti-discriminatory practice is also helpful in caring for the holistic growth and enhancement of the looked-after children. It also aids in the manner of treating boys and girls or children and the parents through constant and equal communication. It is also helpful in supporting and understanding children of different languages and different level of literacy. Along with this, in this practice, the children will be protected and will be given their rights and privileges, and the manner of dealing with discrimination among children will be put to stop (Lindon, 2003). Analysis The earlier discussions provide an insight that looked-after children are considered as one of the neediest group of people not only in the United Kingdom, but also in other countries. These children have experienced neglect, fear, and detachment from their own families and society. In order to rebuild their identities or personalities, these children are being looked after by social workers or carers. They can also be housed with the local authorities or foster parents, depending on the assessment of the social worker. The social worker plays a vital role in aiding the looked-after children to rebuild himself or herself. The social worker acts as the corporate parent of the children but is not considered, in any manner, the biological parent of the child. Even so, the social worker must sustain the relationship with the child in order to build trust and confidence towards him or her. If this is cut shortly, there is a possibility that the child might endure from the process of jumping from one carer to another. Furthermore, there are also social injustices and ethical issues and values within the looked-after children placed outside the borough or with the local authority in the United Kingdom which has been discussed. Currently, the most dominant social injustice that these children experienced is sexual exploitation when placed far or outside the borough. There have been many aggressors of these children due to their emotional and even physical frailty. Furthermore, if these children are housed away from their local community, most of them tend to experience attachment problems, which could result to more problems. Also, many consider the lack of proper skills and knowledge of the social workers as a dilemma when it comes to looking after these children. This inadequate knowledge may also be caused by the insufficient funds that are needed in order to provide the needs of the looked-after children. Nonetheless, the government had created reforms in order to cater to the increasing demands and needs of the country’s fragile population. With these dilemmas, it is necessary to note that the ethics and values of every individual, may it be a social worker, a citizen, or people in organizations, are necessary in order to understand these children. The ethics and values, such as integrity and service, serve as the first step in addressing the needs of these children. Conclusion It can be concluded that the holistic growth of the looked-after children mostly rely on the proper knowledge, skills, experiences, values and ethics that the social worker has. It is also noteworthy that this branch must be provided with proper funding in order to cater to the needs of these children. Moreover, due to the social injustices and values and ethical dilemmas in dealing with these looked-after children, the social worker must have a proper understanding on the importance of the values and ethics that he or she must have prior to interacting with these children. Furthermore, it is necessary to bear in mind that, as a person, a broader understanding on the concepts of ethics, values, anti-discriminatory practices, and equal opportunities will be extremely helpful in comprehending the importance of the social work practice towards looked-after children. References Bertotti, T., 2010. Decision-making and ethical dilemmas of child and family social workers. Social Work and Society International Online Journal, 8 (2). Burke, P. & Parker, J. ed., 2007. Social work and disadvantage. London: Jessica Kingsley Publishers. Children Act 1989. London: HMSO. Children, Schools and Families Committee, 2009. Looked-after Children. London: Stationery Office. 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Available at: http://www.guardian.co.uk/social-care-network/2012/oct/24/looked-after-children-care-in-community [Accessed 7 October 2012]. Read More