Safeguarding Children in the USA - Research Proposal Example

 Safeguarding Children in the USA Introduction In most countries in the world, children are considered a blessing from God. In some cultures, two people will only get married after it has been proven that the two can have children. It is a common occurrence in some African cultures. Children are important because they continue the lineage of a particular family; they grow to become future leaders of a particular community and are valuable to their nation since they are the future of the nation. The government utilises most of its resources in the process of raising healthy, responsible and productive children for its nation. The costs incurred by a government in the growth and development of children include; healthcare, nutrition, education, security and entertainment. Because of the investments made in the children, the government has to develop a system for safeguarding the children within its territory. Various governments across the world have recognized that all the children and young adults require to be raised in the environment that promotes their wellbeing socially, health-wise and economic wise. It will empower them to take up responsibilities effectively in their adulthood (Broadhurst, Grover & Jamieson 2009, p.235). Three pieces of legislation which inform work in the field of safeguarding children The UK has developed legislation, policies and procedures to protect the well-being of children within her territory. All the people below 18 years of age are considered children under the English law. This legislation was first developed in 1989 and has been improved over the years. The following legislation has been developed to guide all the parties involved in the care for children: 1. The children act 1989. This legislation was the first to be developed in the UK regarding the welfare of children. In this legislation, the welfare of the children is considered the core of all the activities undertaken by individuals under whose care the children are. The legislation also provides the guidelines for the implementation of the various regulations and policies regarding the welfare of children. It also provides the requirements for individuals involved in the care of children (Laming, Herbert & Great Britain 2009, p. 2). 2. The children act 2004. The children act of 2004 was an improvement of the children act 1989. This piece of legislation encourages the cooperation between various individuals, organizations and agencies in the promotion of the welfare and safety of children. Several stakeholders are involved in promoting the safety and welfare of children according to this piece of legislation. They include: • The local authority. • Health professionals. • The parents and guardians. • The police. • Education institutions and public organizations such as the Local Safeguarding Children Boards (LSCB). These stakeholders work together and share information whenever it is necessary. It serves to effectively protect the wellbeing of children in their society (Wilson & James 2007, P.69). 3. The children, schools and families act 2010. This law was developed after a few loopholes were discovered in the children act of 2004. The loopholes led to some ineffectiveness in the implementation of the legislation. The children, schools and families act of 2010 advocates for interagency sharing of information to protect the welfare of children. A close inspection and scrutiny of the operations of different agencies involved in child protection. These agencies include the local authorities and the Local Safeguarding Children Boards (Pecora 2009, p. 31). The Common Assessment Framework (CAF) The common assessment framework is an assessment program that is shared by all children services providers. The program is aimed at identifying the additional needs of children and young adults. It also gives guidelines on how to provide for these needs and assess the progress of the children. The beneficiaries of this program include adolescents and even others up to the age of 24 years for people with learning disabilities. Parents and caregivers are also some of the beneficiaries of this program. The CAF ensures that all the providers of services to children share information collectively in a legal way to ensure the needs of children are met effectively (Cawson, Gorin, Cleaver & Walker 2009, p.44). The CAF is conducted in steps as follows:  An initial assessment is conducted to help determine the people who would benefit from the common assessment.  A process is developed to help the members of the children and young people service providing workforce to do the common assessment and take the required actions according to the results.  Record the assessment in a standard form.  An effective plan to deliver the recommendations and a review form for assessing the progress of the children. The initial assessment checklist is provided to help a parent or caregiver determine if a child or young adult needs help. In case the parent or caregiver is not trained to perform the CAF, he/she can know when to consult a professional to conduct the assessment for them. CAF is used alongside other assessment programs to ensure it is effective. Some of these additional programs are the program for assessing children with disabilities. The CAF process involves the following: • Assessing the development of children and young adults. • Assessing the family environment under which the children and the young people grow. • Assessment of the parents and caregivers for the children and young adults. It goes further to provide practical ways in which to meet the needs of all the parties involved for the benefit of the children and young adults (Frangos 2009, p.521). The intent of this program is to determine the extra needs of children early enough and to address them before they get to a problematic point. Most children and young people go through difficulties as they grow, and if not identified at an early stage, it may cause problems in the development of the person. This program provides a favourable environment for children and young people to live and grow. It enables children and young people to transition well into adulthood and develops into all rounded and responsible adults who are productive in society (Horwath 2009, p.16). Aspects to look for during the assessment are as follows:  Inadequate or lack of parental support.  Anti-social behaviour  Special needs in their education.  A case of children with disabilities.  In case, the children are having problems fitting in with other children in their social circles.  Cases where the children are bullied by their peers.  Poor health, poor nutrition and poor clothing among other needs. The CAF can be more effectively implemented in the following places:  Schools.  Health facilities  At homes by the social workers.  In prisons and juvenile detention centres.  Day care facilities and churches as long as they are conducted as per the framework provided for in the law. In cases where the development of a child is progressing well, the child does not need a CAF. Also, in case the needs of the children and the young people are well known, and an adequate plan for meeting these needs is in place the child does not need to undergo the CAF. The CAF process is completely a voluntary process, and it, therefore, requires the consent of the child or the young person involved and in some cases requires the consent of the parent or caregiver. Explore how Working Together to Safeguard Children (HM Government 2013) refers to ensuring safeguarding approaches are child centred The guidelines provided for by the legislation developed in the UK over the years concerning the wellbeing of the children within the jurisdiction of the UK puts the secretary of state at the top of the ladder. The local authorities, who are mostly concerned with the social work and all the related parties, receive the authority to safeguard the welfare of children from the secretary of state. The guidelines provided by the HM Government 2013 document are such that it puts the needs and welfare of the children at the centre of every action taken. The guidance spells out that every individual, who comes into contact with a child, should be keen on the needs of that child. It will enable them to deal with them promptly before the problem worsens (Peckover, Golding & Cooling 2013, p.41). The guidance also indicates that all the relevant bodies and professionals should be able to share the relevant information promptly. It is important so as to deal with any arising problem that threatens the safety and welfare of a child (Foley, & Rixon 2014, p.49). The legislation and the guidance provided have ensured the following is adhered to, so as to protect the child effectively: • The hiring of highly qualified professionals in the field of child protection ensures that the needs of the child are identified and addressed before the problems worsen. • Every professional involved in the field of child protection is aware of what is expected from them, and they work closely with their colleagues to accomplish the important task of safeguarding the welfare of children. • The professionals actively take part in the reviews and assessments required to improve the condition and welfare of children. • The relevant body (LSCB) oversees and coordinates the whole process of child protection and welfare to ensure the relevant professionals and bodies adhere to the guidelines provided for by the law at the local level. • Early intervention in case of any situation that may threaten the welfare of the child. The whole process of safeguarding the welfare and safety of children is guided by two main principles as follows: • Each individual, who engages with a child, has the duty of safeguarding their welfare. Thus, each party involved should understand the role they need to play so as to be effective in protecting the safety of children in their care. • In order for the process of ensuring the safety and welfare of the children, every professional, or agency should understand that the child’s needs are paramount (Karin 2011, p.3). Name the four categories for inclusion on a child protection plan The child protection plan protects children up to the age of 17 years. The local authorities are the ones involved in the child protection plan services. They first carry out an assessment of the conditions under which the children are being raised. The social worker can then decide whether to put the child in protection based on the results of the assessment. The specific categories that the child protection plan deals with include:  Children who are being neglected.  Children who are being abused emotionally.  Children who are being abused sexually.  Children who are being physically abused. With reference to the office of national statistics how many children were listed under each of these categories? Statistics availed by the office of the national statistics as per 31st March the year 2013, the number of children under the child protection plan in the four categories listed below was as follows:  The numbers of children who were being neglected were 52,111 children.  The number of children who were being emotionally abused was 40,290 children.  The number of children who were being physically abused was 14,871 children.  The number, that was being sexually abused, was 6,101 children. Name more than eight key people at Initial Child Protection Meetings and Reviews The following parties are required to be present in an initial child protection meeting or review: 1. The child. 2. The parents 3. Caregiver. 4. A person representing the social services office. 5. A medical practitioner. 6. A person representing the education institution. 7. A person representing the LSCB 8. The police (Hughes & Owen 2009, p.103). Child sexual abuse Child sexual abuse refers to a form of child abuse in which an adult or a young adult uses a child to fulfil their sexual desires. It involves making the child participate in sexual activities either voluntarily or involuntarily. It could take place in homes, churches, children’s camps, schools and even by strangers. Research reveals that a majority of sexual abuse cases are being performed by people known to the child being abused. Even so, in some cases children are abused by complete strangers. Some of the symptoms of sexual abuse on a child include depression, anxiety, physical injury, post-traumatic stress disorder among others. Sexual abuse has a number of long-term effects on the child, and they include low self-esteem, anxiety disorders, hyperactivity disorder, and psychopathology among others. The physical effects include injury, infections and in some cases, neurological damage (Wilson & James 2007, p.36). Protecting children against sexual abuse is the duty of each person who is in contact with the children. It ranges from the local authority, parents, caregivers, authorities in schools, health practitioners amongst other participants. It, therefore, means every individual in society has the responsibility of safeguarding the wellbeing of the children in their vicinity. Research has shown that most sexual abuse cases on children go unreported. It may happen when a person intends to protect the reputation of the family or just to protect the partner from the law in case the child is being abused by a family member. It, therefore, happens at the expense of the child’s welfare (Chase & Statham 2005, p.4). Upon identifying a child who is experiencing sexual abuse, it is the responsibility of that individual to notify the relevant authorities. These authorities include; the local social services and the police. The professionals will then take over the matter and advise the reporter on how to behave regarding the matter. After the necessary authority have received the matter, for example, the local social services, there is the need to perform a comprehensive assessment to determine the dangers the child is in before pressing charges. The assessment will be done by a professional in the presence of all the relevant groups required. The results are then applied to determine whether the child will be a beneficiary of a protection plan or not. In this case, the authorities and professionals are to be guided by the law and should understand that the well-being of the child is paramount. That means everything should be resolved to ensure the child is safe and recovers from the incidence. This procedure will require the corporation of parents, teachers, and medical practitioners. The relevant authorities and individuals are expected to collaborate and share information so as to protect the welfare of the children. The process involves sharing information between the bodies involved in the matter. For example, the medical practitioners involved in assessing the medical condition of the child should be able to share the medical report with the police and the social workers. The police are required to share the findings of their investigations with social workers, and the social workers will also be expected to do the same. A quick intervention is necessary to ensure the child does not suffer the abuse any further. In case the allegations are true, the person responsible will be arrested and charged in court according to the relevant legislation. After determining that the conditions in a home for a child who is being abused within a home are not conducive for the child, the child can be put under a child protection program. These conditions may include other forms of abuse alongside sexual abuse for example neglect, physical abuse or emotional abuse. The case where the home will be safe for the child in if the abuser, the child can stay in the home while the abuser is taken away (Baginsky 2008, p.184). Parental substance misuse (drugs and alcohol) It is necessary that the government and all the other parties involved in safeguarding the welfare of children ensure that the conditions, under which a child or young person grows in, are conducive. This environment should provide for the healthy physical, psychological and economic development of the child or young person. Taking the example of a family where one or both parents of a child or children are involved in alcohol or drug abuse (Humphreys & Stanley 2006, 36). The children in this family are prone to the following dangers: • The children are prone to physical and sexual abuse. • Poor moral standards due to negligent parents. • They may also pick up the habit of using drugs. • The parents may use the children or young people to acquire the drugs hence exposing them to the dangers of crime. • The parents may neglect the needs of the children so as to satisfy their addictions. This problem may be cited by a family member, a teacher at school, a concerned neighbour or friend of the family or a social worker. Some of the signs to note in a child suspected to be living with parents who abuse drugs and alcohol are as follows:  Inadequate dressing and neglected needs.  Malnutrition.  Violence.  In some case depression, anxiety and antisocial behaviour.  The children may have problems fitting in with their peers among others symptoms. Once an individual notices the symptoms above, or in a case where the children may confide in a person they trust, he or she is required to report to the nearest social services. This is because social workers have the duty of safeguarding the welfare of the children. Most social workers understand that the effects of alcohol and drugs abuse affect the whole family and not just an individual (Scott & Ward 2005, p.75). Therefore, the social workers upon receiving the information should seek to conduct an assessment to determine the unmet needs of the children in the family and then decide on how to meet those needs effectively. These assessments should be conducted according to the legislation safeguarding the welfare of children. When conducting the assessment, the social worker should have the needs of the children as the centre of attention. All the decisions, the social worker makes, should be such that the needs of the children be at the forefront. The assessment will determine if the children are to be put under a child protection program or not. If the situation requires an intervention, the social worker will acquire court order to put the children into a child protection plan. In cases where the children are being maltreated, the abuser may either have to be taken out of the home or face charges in court on account of the offence (Radford 2012, p.145). The objective the intervention is to ensure that the neglected needs of the children are being met to the required standards. In some cases, this will require a total rehabilitation program for the whole family. The process will require that the social worker works with the family through the entire process and in the process assessing the progress of the rehabilitation process on both the children and the parents. It may involve putting the parent or parents who are addicted to the drugs in a rehabilitation centre while the children are taken up by the child protection services. It is necessary for a case where both parents are abusing drugs or alcohol. A timely intervention will ensure the children are not being exposed to these dangers to a point where the situation cannot be reversed. The social workers should be prepared to intervene whenever something is going wrong. In a situation where a young person or child is abusing the drugs and alcohol, the social services are required to intervene and help rehabilitate the child. From this study, it is noted that drugs and substance abuse is one of the issues that threaten the wellbeing of children and young adults in families and homes. For this reason, it is a significant factor that needs addressing (Gregoire & Schultz 2001, p.435). Conclusion The process of protecting the wellbeing of children in society has been observed to be a complex process that needs participation of several parties in order to make it successful. This process is being hampered by the very people who are supposed to be actively participating. For example, the parents who fail to report a case where the partner is abusing their children. The legislation on paper alone is not enough to safeguard the welfare of children. A reliable and comprehensive implementation framework is required to ensure the process is a success. It also requires that the parties involved have the genuine interest of the children at heart and that the children be at the centre of the process so as to meet its objectives. A relevant and timely response is required to ensure the unfavourable condition under which a child lives in doesn’t get to a point where it cannot where the situation is irreversible. The corporation between the various government bodies and individuals in terms of sharing information is relevant to the success of the process. Bibliography BAGINSKY, M. (2008). Safeguarding children and schools. London: Jessica Kingsley Publishers. BASARAB-HORWATH, J. A. (2009). The child's world: the comprehensive guide to assessing children in need. London, Jessica Kingsley Publishers BROADHURST, K., GROVER, C., & JAMIESON, J. (2009). Critical perspectives on safeguarding children. CAWSON, P., GORIN, S., CLEAVER, H., & WALKER, S. (2009). Safeguarding Children: A Chichester, UK, Wiley-Blackwell. http://www.123library.org/book_details/?id=23023. CHASE, E., & STATHAM, J. (2005). Commercial and sexual exploitation of children and young people in the UK—a review. Child Abuse Review, 14(1), 4-25. CRAWFORD, KARIN. (2011). Interprofessional Collaboration in Social Work Practice. Sage Pubns Ltd. FRANGOS, C. C. (2009). Quantitative and qualitative methodologies in the economic and administrative sciences: proceedings of the 2nd international conference, Technological Educational Institute of Athens, Greece, 25-26-27 May 2009. Athens, Technological Educational Institute of Athens. FOLEY, P., & RIXON, A. (2014). Changing children's services: working and learning together. Shared Responsibility. Chichester: John Wiley & Sons. GREGOIRE, K. A., & SCHULTZ, D. J. (2001). Substance-abusing child welfare parents: Treatment and child placement outcomes. CHILD WELFARE-NEW YORK-, 80(4), HUGHES, L., & OWEN, H. (2009). Good practice in safeguarding children working effectively in child protection. London, Jessica Kingsley Publishers. http://www.123library.org/book_details/?id=2601. HUMPHREYS, C., & STANLEY, N. (2006). Domestic violence and child protection: Directions for good practice. London [u.a.: Kingsley. LAMING, HERBERT,, & GREAT BRITAIN. (2009). The protection of children in England: :a progress report. London: Stationery Office. PECKOVER, S., GOLDING, B., & COOLING, P. (2013). Multi-Agency Working in Domestic Abuse and Safeguarding Children. PECORA, P. J. (2009). The child welfare challenge policy, practice, and research. New Brunswick, N.J., Transaction Publishers. http://site.ebrary.com/id/10452099. RADFORD, L. (2012). Rethinking children, violence and safeguarding. London, Continuum. SCOTT, J., & WARD, H. (2005). Safeguarding and promoting the well being of children, families, and their communities. London, Jessica Kingsley Publishers. http://www.123library.org/book_details/?id=2184. WILSON, K., & JAMES, A. L. (2007). The child protection handbook: the practitioner's guide to safeguarding children. Edinburgh, Bailliere Tindall. Read More