Child Abuse and Service User Involvement - Essay Example

? Topic: Dimensions of Social Policy Research School Affiliation: Dimensions of Social Policy Research Child Abuse and Service User Involvement Introduction: In today's world, technology is at its paramount and science has given birth to unfathomable miracles. However, these comforts and luxuries come with dire consequences. Population explosion has engendered challenges like poverty, unemployment, and lawlessness etc. These factors are further responsible for social and health care concerns; one of which is child abuse. The social policies present on this issue will be evaluated in this paper along with the impacts of service user involvement on the service development. In order to conduct a study on the various dimensions of social policy research, it is essential to have a clear understanding of the key terms involved. Social Policy: Social policy is the study of social services and human welfare state. It is basically the public policy, and its relationship to social welfare politics. It refers to the principles, legislations, activities and guidelines that address the issues of health care, criminal justice, education, labor, inequality etc. and the administration of these policies related to health, old age, family policy, disability, pensions, unemployment insurance, child protection etc. (Beresford, P. 2012, p.95-105). The main goal of social policy is to improve human welfare and meet the health requirements of the members of a society. As the wellbeing of a society depends on various factors, social policy is divided into many important types and areas. The policy area which will be evaluated and discussed in this essay is ‘child protection’. Child Protection: The term child protection is referred to a set of social welfare services designed and initiated specifically for the protection of children and underage adolescents against abuse, violence, and exploitation (Becerra, R. and Giovannoni, J. 1979, p.37-65). The main rationale of this social policy area is to protect the rights of children and to promote family stability. The term child abuse is an umbrella term associated mainly with the following phenomenon: Child Sexual Abuse Negligence Medical Neglect Physical Abuse Psychological Abuse (Seddon, D. and Robinson, C. 2009, p. 1-8). Over 3 million reports of child abuse are made in the USA every year. Sexual child abuse accounts for 7.6% of the total child abuse acts (Roberts, S. 2011, p1-4). The correct statistics are even worse and exacerbated because of the hidden nature of sexual child abuse, as many children and adolescents who are sexually abused do not inform the authorities or delay reporting it until they have reached adulthood. This makes it almost impossible to estimate the accurate percentage of children affected by sexual abuse. According to a World Health Organization (WHO) estimate, 126 million children aged 5-17 are engaged in hazardous physical labor apart from physical domestic child abuse. Negligence accounts for 78.3% of the total child abuse statistics and is the biggest form of child abuse at large (UNICEF, 2006, p.1-2). Neglect can be in the form of lack of acknowledgement and attention from the family as well as medical neglect, which is the non-availability of medical facilities to children. National Child Abuse statistics show that 50-60% of child fatalities due to maltreatment and medical neglect are not recorded as such on the death certificates of these abused children (Browne, A. and Finkelhor, D. 2010, p.530-541). A report of child abuse is made every ten seconds, but is timely and sufficient action being taken on this critical issue? The number of abused children and deaths resulting due to child abuse is increasing in the past decade, and serious measures should be taken by the government and private social policy welfare services in order to prevent these heinous acts against children (Childhelp.org, 2009). Service Development of Child Abuse: Social welfare services are working tirelessly for the prevention of child abuse. These service providing organizations are operating at both national and international levels, but their prime goals and rationale are similar. National Institute for Social Care and Health Research (NISCHR), UNICEF, Alliance for Children and Families, and National Child Abuse are some non-profit associations working for the cause of service development on the issue of child abuse (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Gaudin Jr. 1993, p. 2-5). The main target and service users in the evaluation of this policy and service development of child protection programs are the children who are being abused. Service Users: Service users can be individuals or a community that are receiving services form health or social care. In regard to this context, service users can be defined as individuals who are in receipt of social care and welfare by the help of social policy service providers. The service users, in the case of child protection social services, are children and under age adolescents (Beresford, P. 2012, p95-105). In social work and administration of social services, contact with service users can be termed as user engagement. This interaction can be of two types. Firstly there is the interaction of the client with the social worker or the social welfare organization, and secondly there is a more participative and consultative engagement which involves the feedback and view of users about the service they have been provided with, and what more do they expect and want from the social services. This user engagement or interaction with the service users can lead to the positive changes in the social service organization and the evaluation of their policy (Gallagher, M. et al. 2010, p.1-4). Policy Evaluation: Policy evaluation is conducted in order to study and check the effects of a social policy on its target groups. This evaluation is done to gauge the policies in terms of their validity, efficiency and necessity so that the planning and implementation process can be further improved. The main objectives of the conduction of a policy evaluation are: Realization of high quality and effective public administration focused on the service users. Shift to public administration based on performance from the point of view of the service users and the citizens of the society. Thorough accountability to the service users. (Independent Evaluation Unit 2003, p.4-11) After recognizing the importance of evaluation of social policies, the Government Policy Evaluations Act has been enforced since April 2002. The evaluation of policies is a systematic and organized endeavor, programmed to meet the human welfare needs of the service users. This is essential for the ideal service development so that the policy service providing organization, devises a concise report on the activities, plans, and progress of the organization. After thorough evaluation and research to maintain the coherence of the report and organization, the evaluation report and the result of the evaluation activities is published and made available to the service users (Beresford, P. 2012, p.95-105). Origins of User Involvement in Social Policy: The above mentioned facts lead to the belief that social work services should be designed and personalized in order to meet the requirements of the service users. Similarly they should be encouraged to plan the services and the methods of how they should be delivered. The idea of tailoring the services which are being provided according to the needs of the service users is essentially more effective, but at the same time it is more challenging (Coote, A. et al. 2004, p.10-34). The concept of user involvement in research and evaluation done in the fields of social care and social policy is not very old. It can be traced back to 1960s as a specific policy development is related to community development initiatives and public participation (Wright, T. et al, 2008, p3-67). In the last decade of the twentieth century, there was a growing focus and emphasis on the involvement of service users in the shaping of social policy and practice. This resulted in bestowing service user participation with many names like, User Involvement, Empowerment, User Engagement and Partnership etc. The revival of interest towards the involvement of service users towards the end of the twentieth century was the result of market led approaches towards public policy and provisions, and the emergence of New Right. The second powerful catalyst behind this approach was the development of organizations, and movements of social care and welfare service users. These emerging movements have been growing on an unprecedented rate after the 1980s, escalating in size, influence, and confidence (Gallagher, M. et al. 2010, p.1-4). Models of Involvement: Involvement of service users is not of a single type; this interaction can be justified and explained by various models. The most important of which are: Consumerist Model: This model classifies social service users as customers or consumers of services in the boundaries of a capitalist market. According to this approach, the users of social services expect the same variety, flexibility, and choice, which they demand from the business sector. This approach can prove to be problematic in the case of involuntary service users whose choices regarding social services are constrained to specific limits (Scottish Executive, 2006, p.20). Rights Based Model: This model is considered as a key method for acquiring social justice; it is an effective way of eliminating inequality from the society by giving people the power to let their voices be heard. The main promoters of this model are service users who are campaigning for change (Wright, T. et al, 2008, p.3-67). A research was conducted by SCIE, which shows that service user involvement and participation is advantageous to both the people whom the social services are directed at, as well as the social services organizations that cater to their needs (Childhelp.org, 2009). A main hurdle in the progress made by user involvement is the lack of feedback. Surveys show that service users are encouraged by the feedback they receive on their participation; they are discouraged and demoralized when not acknowledged for the role they played (Langenhove, L. et al. 2012, p.4). Moreover, another way of service user involvement is by asking them to participate in consultation groups, which ask and value their opinions on policy making and service plans formulation; however, service users are not as keen to be a part of this activity. Similarly if service users are not getting the support they require from social welfare organizations, they are at times too intimidated to make a formal complaint, as they find the procedures troublesome and difficult. This example also shows the importance of service user and service provider interaction; more interaction and involvement will lead to a better working and operating environment where service users will be able to better trust the social workers. Special attention should be paid to the participation of the minority groups of the community as they often feel neglected and ignored by the authorities. At times, the service users are not sure about their own needs and cannot express them effectively. Workshops and programs should be initiated by the social policy organizations to address this issue so that service users can confide in the social workers for their own betterment (Plotnikoff, J. and Woolfson, R. 1995, p34-78). Conflicts can also arise between the opinions and demands of service users and organizations. Sometimes the ideas presented by service users are impractical or too much costly for the organization to manage. To avoid this situation, organizations and social workers should be honest from the start about their resources, and the elements which are being offered as a choice as well as those that are not negotiable, so that organization maintains a degree of authority and professionalism while respecting and keeping in mind the views and needs of service users. This does not mean disregarding the wishes of service users but professionally choosing what is best for them while keeping their needs in consideration (McLaughlin, 2009, p.1109). Benefits of Service User Involvement: A number of benefits of service user involvement have been identified, which are beneficial for both the social service providing organizations as well as the service users themselves. These are: For Service Users: Rise in self-esteem and self-efficacy Acquirement of new skills Adapting to the services to meet their needs in a better way Increase in service ownership For Services: Development of efficient services Complementation of the social reintegration goals of services Recruitment of appropriate staff (Beresford, P. 2012, p. 95-105). Importance of Evaluation and Research: Evaluation of social policies is the best way of designing policies based on facts and the needs of service users. This is why evaluation research serves as a cornerstone in evidence based policy planning and implementation. Evidence based policies and practices are imperatives of voluntary, nonprofit private sector organizations nationally and internationally, as well as the independent government organizations. The ability to comprehend, conduct, monitor, and commission evaluative work is increasingly important as organizations and social service providers consider their efficiency, influence, effectiveness, and equity on the basis of evaluation results gathered by the feedback of service users (Plotnikoff, J. and Woolfson, R. 1995, p.34-78). Purpose of the Research: In this study, critical evaluation of the methods of consultation and involvement of service users in service development is reflected in an empirical work on the aforementioned topic. Aims of the Research: 1. To analyze the empirical work done in the field of social policies and child abuse 2. To evaluate the ways discussed in the literature through which abused children and under age adolescents are consulted and involved in service development. 3. The critical appraisal of the pros and cons of involving child abuse victims for the better administration of social services. Method: Critical assessment of literature regarding child abuse, service user involvement, and evaluation policies will be done. The empirical work which will be analyzed and assessed in this essay is Service users’ perceptions of the Irish Child Protection System from the Office of the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs. Findings: By the critical evaluation of the literature, based on the studies related to child abuse and the evaluation policy regarding this issue, gave various findings on this topic. First time approach towards service finders, their responses and feedback, service user participation, its result on evaluation policy, and service development are the main aspects on which the findings in the above mentioned empirical work are focused upon. Objectives: To examine and analyze the experience of service users about their first contact with child protection services organizations. To examine and analyze the experience of service users regarding involvement with the child protection services. To assess the perception of service users regarding the quality of child protection services, including staff qualities and competencies, organizational issues, and other factors which affect the efficiency and effectiveness of the organization. To examine and analyze the degree of inclusiveness applied to work with the victims of child abuse and their families, according to the perspective of the service users. To evaluate the degree to which the service users think that their identified needs have been addressed by the social services (Carr, N. et al. 2008, p. 3-97). Methodology: The methodology used by the authors of the empirical work being evaluated in this essay used specific research methods in order to obtain their results. Those methods are being discussed in this paragraph. The research conducted was mainly qualitative involving sampling of the views and experiences of 67 service users. Out of these, 39% had initiated contact with HSE child protection services and 61% of them were referred to these services by others. The ethical permissions for this research were granted by HSE and Trinity College Dublin. The detailed research was conducted throughout 16 counties in the Ireland region and the information collected was processed by N Vivo software (Carr, N. et al. 2008, p.3-97). Findings: The data collected by the research resulted in findings, which demonstrate that most of the service users had a stereotypical negative image of the child protection services. Many of them were under the impression that these hostile and powerful institutions are means of distancing parents and their children. Only those service users who had previous history of association with child protection services had a clear understanding of the functions of these social services. Most of the service users, involved in this research, were critical of the methods and functioning of child protection services. Some of them wanted more efficient services while others were concerned with the delays in the intervention (Carr, N. et al. 2008, p.3-97). Moreover the victims of domestic child abuse and violence found it difficult to believe that their concerns can be taken seriously, or their involvement can bring about a serious change in the policies of the service providers. The positive responses, though less in number, were there and some of them changed their attitude towards social services after this first interaction (Seddon, D. and Robinson, C. 2009, p. 1-8). A high level of incongruity was shown between the concerns of the service users and the concerns of the child protection services. A large number of service users complained about being unfairly judged, put under too much stress, being burdened with too much responsibility in their traumatized conditions, and regarding the overall failure of the child protection services to realize the complexities of their lives, etc. Examples of positive working alliances between the service users and the child protection services were also there, which involved service users who coordinated with the social organizations and got benefited by this experience (United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, 2005, p.4-5). The service users involved in this research were fully aware of the tasks they had to perform in order to stop their children from child abuse, like taking treatment programs for drug and alcohol use, reaching specific targets and goals regarding parenting, and forming child violence protection plans, often involving them to move out of their homes etc. Most service users had a clear idea of these tasks and the consequences they had to face if they didn't imply by those rules; however; they still refused or grudgingly agreed to the prospect of out of home protection programs for their children (Carr, S. 2004, p.4-19). On the other hand, the parents who had put their children in ‘out of home’ care programs were satisfied with the results and the conditions of those treatment places. Adolescents who had spent time in these care facilities stressed on honest communication so that they could come on terms with their past trauma, and develop their own sense of purpose and identity in life. Another challenge faced by the underage adolescents residing in these facilities was the change in workers as the abused children do not develop trusting relationships with others that easily. It is easier for them to confide in a worker they are already acquainted with. The young service users indicate a requirement for friendly treatment atmosphere, sufficient and honest information, and support and guidance throughout their recovery, which includes the provision of advocacy supports to the parents (Gill, D. 1973, p.23-57). User Involvement: Even though throughout the process of research, the parents were invited to be a part of this program, they were not participating wholeheartedly and showed visible signs of discomfort regarding the child protection programs. Furthermore, their lack of involvement was mainly due to the reason that they believed their input to be invaluable and of no real help and importance to the services. This belief was spread chiefly due to the inaccessibility of the information written about the service users, lack of instructions about how to make a complaint, or file a report if they are unsatisfied with the services being provided (Carr, N. et al. 2008, p.3-97). Research shows faults in the policies of the professionals; moreover many of them preferred partial attendance in child protection programs, as overwhelmed and intimidated parents made the professionals feel inhibited. Similarly the parents felt like they were being interviewed on trial basis, feeling outnumbered by the large amount of professionals, and found the discussion about their family lives embarrassing. Even though child neglect is the most frequently reported category of child abuse all over the world, studies have testified that families where child neglect is the principal issue, do not tend to participate in child protection services and programs (UNICEF, 2006, p.1-2). Service User Involvement: Most young people disregarded child protection programs as they considered them unhelpful and stressful experiences with no positive outcomes. More than 50% of child abuse victims are likely to develop psychological disorders, and they discard the society believing that no one will help them or listen to what they have to say (Carr, S. 2004, p.4-19). This is one of the main reasons as to why they don't approach for help. Another cause of distance from social welfare services is the stigma and shame of approaching child protection services. The peer pressure in the lives of adolescents can be a major factor in these circumstances. Fellow students, teachers, and other trusted school staff members can act as a source of referral to these welfare organizations, proving to be beneficial for the abused children. A major requirement of the youth, which was revealed by the service user involvement program, is the timely and appropriate response from the service organization. The issue of waiting lists for specialist treatments and services is also considered to be a major issue, because if an adolescent musters up enough courage to talk about his feelings and past trauma, only to become even more frustrated by the delay in the services of social welfare organizations, then this is a grave problem. It was notable that service access and issues of resourcing were mainly faced by those abused victims who were engaged in problematic behaviors that placed them at serious risk of harm (United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, 2005, p.4-5). Another major area of concern for adolescent victims was the lack of expertise or perceived inexperience of social workers. When young people had a large amount of social workers, the differences in individual attitudes and responses along with the experience were highlighted. Other concerns were raised, for example, about the young age of the social workers, and the allocation of a student or trainee social health worker etc. An issue which was highlighted by a majority of young service users was the ability to communicate easily with their social workers. The maintenance of a friendly relationship with the worker and receiving a feeling of genuine interest was a very vital factor for most young service users (Child Welfare Information Gateway 2012, p.2-8). Young service users also included a respect for their privacy and confidentiality in the list of requirements from the social workers and child protection services generally. Some people are also not comfortable with their family's access to their track records at the treatment facilities, and want this information to remain confidential and private. Young people emphasized strongly on the importance of feeling believed and having an access to appropriate information. Gender issues were also noted amongst many adolescents who confided they would have been more comfortable if they had been interviewed by someone of their own gender (Gill, D. 1973, p. 23-57). Conclusion: This study shows the key points and competencies which service users require in child protection services. These issues have highlighted the main points which should be taken in account by social welfare organizations and the evaluation of social policies regarding child abuse. Participation of service users in the shaping of their evaluating policy leaves them more confident than before, and encourages them to develop an identity of their own by respecting and meeting their requirements up to the elements which could be negotiated. Thus, the worldwide social and health care concern of child abuse can be curbed by following the social evaluation policy and involving service users and their feedback (Carr, N. et al. 2008, p.3-97). References Becerra, R. and Giovannoni, J. (1979) Defining Child Abuse. New York: The Free Press, p.37-65. Beresford, P. (2012) User Involvement in Research and Evaluation: Liberation or Regulation? Social Policy and Society, 1 (2), p.95-105 Browne, A. and Finkelhor, D. (2010) The Traumatic Impact of Child Sexual Abuse: A Conceptualization. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 55 (4), p.530-541 Carr, N. et al. (2008) Service users’ perceptions of the Irish Child Protection System. Office of the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, 13 (1), p.3-97 Carr, S. 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