www.newdirectionstraining.com Integrated Working: Lessons to Learn Mike Brown

1. www.newdirectionstraining.com Integrated Working: Lessons to Learn Mike Brown

2. Training should increase: • Awareness-what to do if I am worried/concerned-how to report/who do I speak to? • Competence • Confidence • Professional judgement • Analysis and decision- which is clear and evidenced • Process of supervision-tasks and actions with timescales

3. Training should increase: • How to professionally disagreement-SCR • Competence around completing chronologies-building that bigger picture • How not to be a ‘passive recipient of information’ • How to write for the independent reader

4. Training should increase: • Managers ability to manage, lead, direct and be in control. Autocratic v’s democratic • Roles and responsibilities at every level across agencies • Knowledge/skills/abilities which equips professionals to do the job they are paid to do!! • Quality assessments and risk assessments • Developing protection plans • Effectively chairing core groups • Report writing • Court reports • Time management-how to be proactive/calm/clear thinker and not reactive/rushing around/losing control-what are the implications for the child/yp?

5. Training should increase: • Working with avoidant families • How to prevent drift and know how to re-group? • Recognising when we should intervene and stop working in partnership • Legislation/theories/research/SCR’s-evidence informed practice • Skills to work under pressure

6. Training should increase: • A shared understanding of thresholds and processes/systems/common language • We are all in it together • Can do attitude and culture-supporting each other

7. Other types: • Shadowing • Mentoring • Coaching • Comprehensive inductions • Reflective practice/clinical supervision • Debriefing • Making sure our work is inclusive/transparent/open and honest

8. Reflection! Children are murdered by their parents/carers and not by professionals, however…………………..

9. Reflection! The extent of the failure to protect Victoria was lamentable. Tragically, it required nothing more than basic good practice being put into operation. This never happened.’

10. Baby P • Limited effort to engage child’s father • Trust and responsibility placed in family’s friend • Insufficient assessment monitoring/review • Pervasive belief that injuries caused by lack of supervision and child’s behaviour • Inability to identify and prosecute • Delay in referral and provision to specialist health

11. Baby P • Delay in holding a legal planning meeting and advice on threshold criteria • Various assessment processes had not reached an adequate understanding of how he got the injuries and bruises

12. Victoria Climbie • 12 missed opportunities-where someone could have done something……………… • 3 housing dept’s • 4 SSD • 2 GP’s • 2 hospitals • NSPCC run family centre • 2 Police CPT

13. PUTTING INFORMATION TOGETHER • Kouao and Victoria in London on a travel package which included seven nights B+B(Kouao claimed that she was homeless) • Within two days, Kouao presented as homeless • Kouao had no means to support herself and Victoria for more than two days • Kouao said that she left three other children in France • Kouao said she came to England to improve her english

14. PUTTING INFORMATION TOGETHER • Victoria was said to be small and of ‘stunted growth’ • Kouao and Victoria appeared to have a different skin colour • Kouao was ‘forceful’ and manipulative’ and did not allow Victoria to answer questions staff directed to her • SSD believed that Victoria was being coached in her reactions • When Victoria cried it seemed to be ‘staged managed’

15. PUTTING INFORMATION TOGETHER • Kouao made it clear that she had no intention of returning to france • Kouao claimed she was given money by French social security • Kouao gave different stories to different workers • Victoria was wearing a wig • The photograph of Victoria on the passport was a questionable? • Kouao was well dressed • Victoria was shabby and resembled one of the ‘adverts you see for Action Aid’

16. PUTTING INFORMATION TOGETHER • When in the office Victoria did not play with the toys and stood silently • There did not appear to be any parental warmth from Kouao towards Victoria • When a meeting was fixed to perform an assessment of Victoria needs, Kouao attended without Victoria • Despite being in the country for two months, Victoria still had not been registered with a school

17. LL Case _ Caerphilly • Mother and step dad history of substance misuse and domestic abuse – links!!! • ASBO served – no referral made • Initial referral made by carpenter • Mother was hostile and uncooperative • Child placed on CPR but no CP medical but evidence of violence, acceptance of mothers reasons Since case • Joint protocols between adult and children services around DA and SM • LSCB to receive reports on children on CPR who are medically examined • Listen to the community!

18. Reflection!! • Be ‘respectfully uncertain’ • Do not just be a passive recipient of information • Can you critically separate the story given from the actual reality?

19. Key Messages-SCR’s • Agencies not seeing or speaking to the child/ren • Lack of overview or reflection about events or about what is happening • Poor risk assessments and not recognising risk factors across agencies • Over-optimism about parenting capacity • Poor recording

20. Key Messages-SCR’s • Poor analysis and decision-making • Not using historical information • Not checking on the male (often changing) composition of households • Being parent focused rather than child focused • Taking parental statements at face value • Poor communication between agencies

21. Key Messages-SCR’s • Lack of management oversight of cases • Poorly trained, inexperienced staff and managers • Insufficient supervision • Lack of focus on the child’s circumstances and their impact on the child • Not considering the full impact of domestic abuse, mental ill-health, substance misuse

22. Why we lose sight of child/YP • Professionals don’t believe the child’s account • Child/YP is fearful of the professionals • Professionals like the parents ‘they are a nice family’ • Child/YP has no verbal communication • Parents appear nice and plausible • Child is fearful of being removed into ‘care’ • Professionals are frighten of the parent (s)

23. Why we lose sight of the child/YP • Professionals don’t want to be perceived as being racist or discriminatory towards the family • Professionals feel powerless and get frustrated • Overly sympathise with parents • Organisational pressures and changes • Lack of observations of child • No real attempt made to ascertain the wishes and feelings of child • Turnover of staff • Professionals not agreeing to disagree and remain professional-hence child/family manipulates the situation

24. ENGAGING CHILDREN, YOUNG PEOPLE AND THEIR FAMILIES INCLUDE: • Working ethically and with consideration for consent and confidentiality • Understanding behaviour • Interviewing • Questioning • Observation • Listening • Summarising • Accurate empathy and reflective listening • Giving constructive feedback • Challenging • Working for change and positive outcomes for all

25. RIGHTS TO ACTION • Have a flying start in life • Have a comprehensive range of education and learning opportunities • Enjoy the best possible health and are free from abuse, victimisation and exploitation • Have access to play, leisure, sporting and cultural activities • Are listened to, treated with respect and have their race and cultural identity recognised • Have a safe home and a community which support physical and emotional well-being • Are not disadvantaged by poverty

26. Neglect • Neglect is the persistent failure to meet a child’s basic physical and psychological needs, likely to result in the serious impairment of the child’s health or development. • It may involve a parent or carer failing to provide adequate food, shelter and clothing, failure to protect a child from physical harm or danger, or the failure to ensure access to appropriate medical care or treatment. • It may also include neglect of a child’s basic emotional needs.

27. Impact of Abuse and Neglect There are immediate and life long health, social, physical and emotional impact to children’s development and may lead to difficulties into adulthood. • Children who experience abuse, witness violence and other trauma in early childhood may suffer long term, permanent impairment to their brain development

28. Impact of Abuse and Neglect • Trauma in early life can lead to problems in maintaining interpersonal relationships, coping with stressful situations and controlling emotions, learning and emotional difficulties, also it may lead to violence behaviours towards own partner and children, increased risk of teenage pregnancy, increased behavioural problems and increased risk of re-victimisation.

29. Keeping the Child Central • Children cannot wait indefinitely when the parent’s needs overtake the child’s needs. • When parents needs are in conflict with their child’s needs, this increases the vulnerability of the child

30. T.E.A.M @ Child/YP (holistic) HV Playgroup School/College CHILD Police YOT GP Significant people Nursery

31. Conflicting policies, procedures and priorities Lack of understanding about roles and responsibilities Communication difficulties No co-ordination Different organisational cultures The ‘silo’ mentality Separate assessment systems History Barriers to effective multi-agency working

32. Working Together to Safeguard Children requires All organisations providing services for children to have: • Priorities for safeguarding children • Commitment by senior management to safeguarding • Accountability for safeguarding children • Safe recruitment procedures • Allegations against staff procedures • Training in safeguarding children • Induction in safeguarding children • Policies and procedures for safeguarding children • Work on interagency basis to safeguard children • Culture of listening to children • Whistle blowing procedures

33. Partners…

34. Putting Information Together • it is only when information from a range of sources is put together and analysed that a child either could be deemed a ‘child in need’ or in ‘need of protection’ (significant harm)

35. Information Sharing Almost every child death enquiry since Maria Caldwell has never criticised professionals for sharing relevant information but they have for NOT…….in a timely manner!

36. Sharing Information Likely outcome if information is shared Data Protection Act 1998 Human Rights Act 1998 Freedom of Information Act 2000 Children Act 1989 and 2004 Likely outcome if information is not shared

37. Sharing information without consent? You believe you need to share information you have gathered but this has been refused or you think it would be not appropriate to seek consent Decide if information is ‘Confidential-if it is not and you judge information sharing to be legitimate and lawful, you may share. This should not be done ROUTINELY Seek legal advice and support from your agency and others if in doubt!

38. Working Together ‘the support and protection of children cannot be achieved by one agency…every service has to play its part. All staff must have it place upon them the clear expectations that their primary responsibility is to the child and his/her family. Victoria case, the focus was on the needs of the adults responsible for her, rather than the child herself Lord Laming

39. Integrated Working • An awareness and appreciation of the role of others is essential for effective collaboration between organisations and their staff • At the same time it is important to emphasise that we all share responsibility for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young children-this undertaking is important as well to enable those children to have optimum life chances and to enter adulthood successfully in line with ‘Rights to Action-7 Core Aims

40. Significant Harm When you are concerned that a child/YP has suffered or is likely to significant harm as a result of: -ill-treatment -impairment of health or development -seeing or hearing the ill-treatment of another person Consult All Wales CP Procedures

41. Assessment Framework Health Basiccare Education Ensuring safety Emotional and behavioural development Child Safeguarding and promoting Welfare Emotional warmth Identity PARENTING CAPACITY Stimulation CHILDS DEVELOPMENTAL NEEDS Family and social relationships Guidance and boundaries Social presentation Stability Self-care skills FAMILY AND ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS Community resources Family history & functioning Income Housing Family’s social integration Employment Wider family

42. Analysis and Professional Judgement • A Child Developmental Needs must be based on knowledge/research of what would be expected of the child’s development. Are their concerns about the child’s development in relation to the dimensions? • Are we protecting the child from maltreatment? • Are we preventing impairment of children’s health or development?

43. Analysis and Professional Judgement • Parenting Capacity should be draw on knowledge about what would be reasonable to expect a parent to give their child which ensures that the child is growing up in circumstances consistent with the provision of safe and effective care • What’s missing? • Capacity and prognosis for change? • Can the parent change within the child’s timescale? (Safety over time)

44. Analysis and Professional Judgement • Family and Environmental Factors should be drawing on knowledge about the impact these will have on both parenting capacity and directly on a child’s development. • Is the accommodation suitable/accessible for a disabled child? • Impact of poverty/hardship/isolation? • Who else is in the family/extended family that could help/ support? (It takes a village to raise a child-African saying)

45. Risk Assessment • Assessing risk can be defined as the systematic collection of information to determine the degree to which a child/young person is likely to be abused or neglected at some future point in time. (Doueck et al 1992) It should be linked to the question of whether the child/young person is safe in the current living situation

46. Risk Assessment Assessing risk is not just about assessing the intention of harm from parents/carers to the child/young person or to themselves. It is the compilation of significant events, both acute and long-standing, which interrupt, change or damage the child’s physical and psychological development which causes the significant harm

47. Risk Assessment Must consider a risk statement ‘Mike is at risk of physical and emotional neglect’ because/why…………………. (list the current risks) Risk currently reduced by……………. Risk in future might be increased by………………….

48. Signs of Safety Approach

49. Why is this approach useful? • Helps us to engage with children, young people and their families about their worries/concerns but also what is going well for them (strengths) • Organises and structures our thinking in a logical manner from the huge amount of information we gather from various sources • Helps us to be proactive not reactive • Enables children, young people and their families to problem-solve their own issues/difficulties to make sustainable changes which will lead to better outcomes

50. Why is this approach useful? Ensures that professionals are honest, fair, objective, inclusive and transparent • Professionals have to justify their concerns and be accountable for them • Professionals have to use language that makes sense to children, young people and their families • Less likely to have families who are resistant or reluctant • Ensures not to just concentrate on the deficits/negatives (as you will only just get more of this)