Social Work Theories for Neglected Children

Social Work Theories for Neglected ChildrenCritically esteem the offices of surmise, research, jurisprudence and policy to amicable diddle practice in sexual congress to one aspect of practice in one of the following Children and Families.In this essay I am going to critically evaluate the contributions of supposition, research, economy and policy to loving acetify practice in relative to looked subsequently(prenominal) baby birdren who fuck sink. Erickson and Egeland (2002) argue that there argon five types of heedlessness emotional, medical, physical, genial riseness and educational neglect and these back tooth all impact forbidly on a squirt. I swallow chosen to concentrate on middle daysd peasantren around the ages of five to ten course of studys of age who score experienced neglect because neglect is one of the most(prenominal) determine forms of squirt convolute and rear establish serious effects on shaverren of this age (Mennon et al, 2010). A ccording to the DfES (2014) 62% of looked by and by nestlingren atomic payoff 18 looked later on because of abuse or neglect. Therefore it is consequential to evaluate how theory, research, ordinance and policy can contribute to hearty-disposed workers deriveing of neglect and how complaisant workers can survive electric razorren in overcoming these effects. I appreciate that children who cash in ones chips looked later due to neglect very much experience other forms of abuse and these can have get ahead negative effects on children (Mennon et al, 2010), however because this essay aims to be normative rather than exhaustive I have chosen to concentrate on middle aged children who experience neglect.Research has do a substantive contribution to kind work practice in relation to looked later on children who experience neglect. The majority of research concentrating on children who experience neglect (Mennon et al, 2010 Trickett and McBride Chang, 1995 Hildyard a nd Wolfe, 2002) has escapeed to parade that the risk factors associated with neglect can significantly hinder childrens harvest-festival and phylogenesis. Children who are neglect hunt to live in poverty, with a overleap of paternal interest, parents whitethorn be misusing substances, parents may have mental health problems, one parent may be experiencing domestic violence, and poor prenatal and postnatal make do can all conk out to a child organism neglected by their parents (Pelton, 1994). Research has shown that children who are neglected tended to have the lowest academic grades (Eckenrode, Laird and Dorris). Studies have found that children of school age who were neglected showed sociable and behavioural problems, they were genially withdrawn, unpopular with other children and heartyly obscure (Erickson and Egeland, 2002 and Trickett and McBride Chang, 1995). Hildyard and Wolfe (2002) found that children who were severely neglected impacted detrimentally on childr ens emotional well- macrocosm. Therefore, the factors associated with neglect can impact negatively on a childs normal development and have adverse effects, which is wherefore it is live for kindly workers to understand the impact of neglect on children so they can target the most effective interventions to patron children overcome the effects.However, it could be argued that there is a lack of research that specifically relates to children who are looked by and by and experience neglect. Many children who are neglected who are involved with child protection services will have interventions targeted at them in company to prevent neglect from continuing and children do not always become looked after. For example, a child who is being neglected because their parents have substance blackguard problems may not end up being taken in to care because the parents seek help for their problems. Or a parent who is being abused may move away from the abusive partner which enhances their top executive to parent the child. Much of the research tends to concentrate on how social workers in child protection services can help families where children are experiencing neglect. arguably thereof there is a lack of research which specifically looks at how the two compounding issues of neglect and being looked after impacts on children. disrespect this, the research exploring the effects of neglect on children help social workers understand the impact of neglect on children who are looked after and how this hinders their development which they can accordingly consider when undertaking assessments. This can then help social workers decide what intervention is needed to promote a childs health and well-being. Attachment theory for instance is invaluable in rationality why looked after children experience some of the adverse effects that they do (Trickett and McBride Chang, 1995). Howe argues that bail beat theory is very useful to child welfare and credence workers (1995 136) because it can explain childrens behaviour which can help social workers target the most effective interventions (Howe, 2005). Attachment theory, developed by commode Bowlby, argued that children need infrangible attachments to their acquire in order for them to be inactive individuals in later life (Dunk-west, 2013 42). Attachment theory suggests that children who grow up without a secure care go byr have uncontrollabley forming stable social kinds in later life. The lack of a warm and secure relationship with a caregiver during early childhood can lead to a child experiencing adverse effects, such as delinquent behaviour and imprint (Howe, 1995).Therefore children who have been neglected are likely to have unsettled attachments because of the lack of care and nurturance they received growing up (Hildyard and Wolfe, 2002). Attachment theory can therefore contribute significantly to social work practice because it helps social workers in their assessments to understand the childs needs. It as well as helps social workers understand the need to place looked after children who have experienced neglect in stable placements so they can develop secure attachments to their smart caregivers (Howe, 2005 Cocker and Allain, 2008). This can support the emotional and social development of children and is key in designing resilience (Crawford and Walker, 2007). To ensure placements are stable and secure attachments can develop social workers must carry out reliable role assessments and develop robust care plans (Cocker and Allain, 2008). Social workers must then frequently assess children in their smart placements and assess the role of their new attachments with their new caregivers, continually updating the care plan to ensure they are supporting the childs social and emotional development (Cocker and Allain, 2008).However, Dunk-West (2013) argues that whilst attachment theory is important, it is vital to assess children at heart their social conte xts. The inequalities looked after children stage can be much in effect explained by using an bionomical get along. Walter (2007) argued in his study that a combination of risks and multiple stressors can lead to adverse effects for looked after children and therefore a holistic memory access such as the ecological model can help social workers to do that. Using Brofenbrenners (1979) theory for example, deep down the micro arranging a social worker could assess that a looked after child who has been neglected is highly likely to have had very little parental support and there may have been family conflict and this could have been because of characteristics within the exo system of a childs life. Their exo system is likely to have been characterized by poverty and living in a deprived neighbourhood. For example, parents may argue because of the stress of living in poverty or shut away in excessive drinking or drug taking to fork up and cope with the stress of living in pove rty which then affects their ability to parent effectively and provide children with adequate support or supervision.Further more than, within the macro system looked after children are aware that society perceives them as a group of children that are deemed as at risk (Walter, 2007). For example, in wield and Prejudice (2009) an Ofsted study that interviewed three hundred children in care found that half the children in their study mat that the public held negative stereotypes about them, such as being delinquent and troublemakers. Looked after children felt heavily discriminated against and felt that this impacted on their ability to do well academically, build friendships and gain employment (Care and Prejudice, 2009). Therefore, it could be argued using an ecological hail that looked after children who experience neglect have poorer outcomes than other children because of the multiple social and environmental factors that impact on parents capacity to parent effectively (Mc Auley and Davis, 2009).It could be argued that attachment theory is matriarchal in nature. For example, Bowlbys work in exceptional which was developed in the 1950s is arguably sexist because the capital caregiver is assumed to be the mother (Beckett, 2006). Yet more upstart work on attachment theory has reframed attachment as not meaning attachment to the mother. In modern society as more women have entered the labour market, children are increasingly taken care of by multiple figures this can include the pay back, childminders or grandparents (Dunk West, 2013 Nicolsen et al, 2006). Children tend to attach and bond to multiple key figures, male and female (Beckett, 2006).Despite this, research does tend to demonstrate how fathers are marginalized by social workers in children services and are poorly engaged. This can be particularly detrimental for children who are looked after because social workers potentially lose a valuable asset for children (Brigid and Taylor, 2000). Brig id and Taylor (2000) similarly argued that legislation and policy does not contribute effectively enough to submit social workers in how to challenge traditional gender assumptions, nor does legislation give clear guidance for engaging fathers. For instance, it was only from 2003 that fathers who were not married to the mother of their child acquired parental indebtedness automatically even if he was on the birth certificate. Prior to this channelize in legislation a father could only acquire parental obligation by a indite agreement with the mother or by applying to court (Cocker and Allain, 2008). Therefore, it could be argued that the preceding work of attachment theory has heavily influenced social workers in childrens services. The importance of the attachment to the mother has been persistent and as a effect social workers have often marginalized fathers (Brigid and Taylor, 2000). Attachment theory has therefore arguably contributed negatively to looked after children because social workers are still heavily influenced by its matriarchal nature.Legislation however underpins how social workers should support looked after children and therefore makes a huge contribution to looked after children who experience neglect, in particular the Childrens numeral 1989 and Childrens affect 2004. Under section 22 of the Children Act 1989 there is a handicraft on the local laterality to safeguard and promote the childs welfare (Branye and Carr, 2013 291) it looks after. The Childrens Act 2004 added an additional duty on local authorities to promote the childs educational achievements. When a child is subject to a care order or interim care order, social workers become the looked after childs corporate parent and appoint parental tariff with the birth parents. Therefore the local authority becomes responsible for a childs care and achieving positive outcomes (Cocker and Allain, 2008). For example, Section 7 of the Education Act 1996 states that parents ha ve a duty to ensure their children are suitably meliorate (Cocker and Allain, 2008 138), social workers as a corporate parent therefore share this duty with the birth parents (Cocker and Allain, 2008). As a result of this legislation looked after children are given a designated teacher who ensures they have a individual(prenominal) education plan which sets out developmental and educational needs and identifies targets (Cocker and Allain, 2008). personalized education plan meetings are then held twice a grade to assess the childs educational progress. Research has shown that looked after children tend to achieve lower grades at school than their peers and has therefore arguably heavily influenced legislation.In addition, local authorities have a duty to monitoring device childrens developmental progress and so children receive medicals once a year. This is all part of safeguarding and promoting the childs welfare. CAMHS involvement may also be necessary if the child has additio nal therapeutic needs (Cocker and Allain, 2008). The Childrens Act 2004 do it mandatory for different agencies to work collaboratively and share responsibility for vulnerable children and this includes looked after children so social workers have a duty to work with a range of professionals in order to promote the well being of children. Legislation is therefore central to working with looked after children as it mandates how social workers should support looked after children.Despite parental responsibility being shared, the local authority can overrule birth parents but social workers must work in league with parents or anybody else with parental responsibility and consult them when making any decisions regarding the childs welfare (Cocker and Allain, 2008). However, partnership working with parents in practice can be extremely difficult for social workers when parents do not agree with their decisions regarding the child. For example, a number of studies have highlighted how g ainsay it is for social workers to work in partnership with parents and take their wishes into reputation when a decision is do to permanently remove a child (Clifford and Burke, 2004 Charlton et al, 1998). Working in partnership with parents therefore becomes extremely challenging for social workers as they try to take the parents wishes in to visor but also stressful to act in the best interests of the child and gather evidence to explain why the child should not arrest home. Furthermore, Wigley et als (2006) study found that social workers often approach challenges when trying to collaborate with schools, as they either did not implement personal education plans or they did not communicate effectively with social workers which made it difficult to work in partnership with educational professionals.In addition, social workers under Section 22 of the Childrens Act 1989 must also consult the child about their wishes before any decision is made and this is a key principle of the Childrens Act 1989. However, a number of studies have found that children felt they were not listened to by social workers. They often felt powerless and had very little say about their placements (Morgan, 2006 Wigley et al, 2006). It is vital for children to feel listened to so they can develop a sense of self-efficacy (Schofield and Beek, 2006) which Rutter (1985) suggests is a key factor in building resilience. It could be argued however that in many cases the child could not understand why they were being travel to a different placement and did not understand that social workers were trying to act in their best interests. Therefore, legislation although good in principle, is arguably not always effectively put in to social work practice in relation to looked after children.Care Matters Time for change (DfES, 2007) is a major policy framework for looked after children and is similar to legislation because it stresses the importance of improving the educational, health and emotio nal needs of children (Cocker and Allain, 2008). In particular, Care Matters suggests that educational attainment needs to be improved, looked after children should be prioritised in school admissions, health outcomes for looked after children should be improved, and placements need to be more local and stable and this can be delivered through high quality assessment and care planning (DfES, 2007). In addition, Care Matters suggests that children should be helped to engage in leisure activities and hobbies, which can help children to build their self-esteem and build support networks and friendships. Rutter (1985) suggested that a sense of self-esteem and confidence is vitally important to help children build resilience. Jaffee et al (2007) defines resilience as achieving normal development in the face of considerable adversity. Therefore, policy has made a vital contribution to social work practice in relation to looked after children.However, with local authorities facing a fourth year of cuts to funding and with increasing numbers of children going in to care (McNicoll and Stothart, 2014) it could be argued that it is causing increasing pressure for social workers to implement policy effectively in to practice. In particular, some local authorities arehaving to make cuts to harbor placements making it increasingly difficult for social workers to find high quality placements for children who have high level and complex needs (McNicoll and Stothart, 2014). This makes it extremely challenging for social workers to find placements that are local and stable for children.To conclude, it is evident that theory, research, legislation and policy have all made a major contribution to social work practice in relation to looked after children who experience neglect. Research has heavily influenced legislation and policy, which in turn underpins social work practice in relation to looked after children. In addition, attachment theory has helped social workers to unders tand why looked after children may behave in the way they do and the ecological approach helps social workers to understand why looked after children experience inequalities and tend to have poorer outcomes than children in the rest of the population. These theories help social workers when carrying out their assessments and finding the most effective interventions to support looked after children who have experienced neglect. However, it is evident that policy and legislation cannot always easily be applied effectively in to practice because of the challenges of working in partnership with birth families who may oppose the childs permanency plan and children who may not understand that the social worker is playacting in their best interests. In addition, attachment theory is arguably preferably matriarchal in nature and this has influenced social workers and has resulted in fathers being marginalised. Furthermore, social workers may not have the time or resources to provide the most appropriate support to looked after children and this is a weakness of the ecological approach and policy. Despite this, it is evident that theory, research, legislation and policy have all made a significant contribution to social work practice in relation to looked after children who have experienced neglect.