Child Disability:
Siblings will be at risk because some people don’t know what they are doing, so they need to be looking after by someone else. In some cases disabled child or young people can be at higher risk of maltreatment.
Offending Behaviour:
Parents did not look after them properly and child or a young person hasbeen remanded. Then they are more likely to end up offending or breaking the law.
The policies and procedures that help children and young people and their families whilst the child is being looked after, these are:
- Untied nations Conventions an the rights of the child (UNCRC) 1989
- Every Child Matters ECM 2003
- The children Act 1989, 2004
- The Human Rights Act 1998
- The data Protection Act 1998
- Frame work for the Assessment of Children in need and Parents 2000
- The Three Policies and Procedures which i am going to talk about they are:
- The Children Act 1989, 2004
- Every child matters 2003
- CommonAssessment Frame work
The Children Act1989
The aim of this act is to protectchildren from abuse, neglect and keep them out of danger. Paramountcy Principle says children should be cared for in their own home. However if there is a possibility that child is being harmed at home by their main carer, may be then children need to be removed from their home for their own safety. They will be looked after by someone else. If you took a child away from its own home, and put them in the safe environment, it may be more cost effective, but it could deprive a child from the essential bond with their family. If they move away from home they might miss a lot of work from school. Care giver need to make sure that children arelearningat home and not missing their work.
Children might need to betaken away from their home because sometime parents are not capable of understanding what’s needed, they might have mental health issues such as drugs and alcohol abuse in the family. If children are taken away from their home for their own safety for example if a child belongs to Asian family, the child needs to be placed in temporary care where he will be looked after by Asian foster parents or Asian support worker. Sometimes the support worker may need to make compromises for children care, how they are looked after.
Social worker helps people with their lives in a variety of environments. Social workers are trained and qualified andcan work with families where there is domestic abuse, in situations of child abuse, with children and young people with disabilities.
The Children Act plays a bigger part now enabling children in most instants to stay with their families rather than being take away and being put in a home.Children will get more support by the agency that way. On the other hand a child could be exposed to further abuse if regular contact isn’t kept with social worker.
Social worker will go in and assess their needs;look at what is happening where parents weren’t coping so well and what strategiesthey could use for helping them. If a teacher saw something on a child’s face such as bruises they should report this to their line manager or welfare officer in school.
Every Child Matters is about taking care of every individual child. In terms of being healthy it’s mainlyabout taking care of children making sure they are eating well and adopting a healthy diet. In order to stay safe children need be aware of what’saround them, for the safety of children many public areasare now covered by CCTV. Enjoying and achieving through learning is also important because it can show you what you are. At the end of the day children always feel that have done something positive and they will feel proud about themselves. Being part of a community or talking to other people with increase their self esteem and then they can make positive contribution to the community, such as volunteer work, working for charities or working with a peer. Achieving economic well-being will help them to stand on their feet. If they get a good job it will solve their finical problems such as paying their electricity bills or insurances etc.
If they don’t eat well they will end up having health problems, which might lead to absence from school and miss lots of work. If they miss lots of work they won’t be able to pass their exams and they won’t get a good job.
All social workers use the Common Assessment Framework for children and their families. Social workers help them if they are “in need” or “at risk”. They take every thing in the consideration.
The framework triangle shows:
Family and environmental factors
Parenting capacity
Child’s developmental needs
In family and environmental factors they look at family history, housing, employment, income and community resources. For parenting Capacity it covers basic care, ensuring safety, emotional warmth, stimulation, guidance and boundaries.
Family Factors could be only mum is looking after 3 children with no father figure in their family; they are missing main part of their family. For environmental factor social worker will look at the environment where they live, are it rented property by local counsellor or rented by private land lord. What is the condition of the house? Is it good condition or in the bad condition with no central heating.Do they have pets in the house if yes! Are they clean is floor is clean.
They also look at parenting capacity, if parents can look after their children well enough or not. Do parents go out on weekends for a drink or do they smoke before eating food. Do they understand children needs such as giving them bath regular? Are their children going school on time?
Are they meeting the childdevelopmental needs, such as at the age of two years they will response to the sounds? They look for different life stages. As they grow their general developmental change. Parents need to be aware of child needs and make sure they respond to them. Children start to go to school at the right age and bring all the correct equipment’s with them and wear appropriate uniform. Make sure they take children out for social and development activities.
The roles and responsibilities of two member of the children’s workforce in relation to looked after children and young people
Make sure that teachers and social worker are well qualified and have knowledge to work with children. Teachers, tutorsand social workers who are working with vulnerable children and young people should have a CRB check.
The role of the social workers is to ensure children are safe. The responsibility of a social worker is to protect and provide the welfare and well being of children, vulnerable adults and communities.“Social workers work to develop a culture of learning, valued and promoted throughout agencies and organisations which reinforce the importance of being aware of current research and putting this into practice”.
Social workers need to make sure that every child is safe in their home if not they have a responsibilities to take child away from their home any provide them with safe and secure environment.
Teachers and tutors have responsibilities to give education and knowledge.Make sure that the environment is safe secure for children in the school and classroom. Teachers also have a responsibility to treat every individual equally,even some children might have different background or they might have disabilities such as leaning difficulties.
The responsibilities are to make sure every student turn up for lessons and on time. If any student is absent make sure teacher have reported student as an absent. If any teachers notice something wrong with children if they are wearing same clothes and they are not washed or children coming into the class and they are tired in every lesson, teacher has a responsibility to inform to the manager so they can talk to their parents. If there is no response from theirparents thenthe school may make contact with a social worker.
Social workers also work with families who are suffering from physical and emotional ill health, to make sure that children are safe but if children are suffering from learning difficulties and have issues interacting with their peers,they might not maintaintheir personal hygiene. Social workers need to take some actions. They will work with parents so they can take control of their situation and make some positive changes to their home and wellbeing. Social workers also support parents to understand a good hygiene standard which is required for their children. This will reduce risk of being harmed.
Vitoria Climbie was abused and eventually killed by her auntie and her partner because no one took any action when she showed physical neglect.It is important that all children and young people enjoy the best available health and that for those who are looked after, special provision is available to raise and maintain their standard of their physical, mental and emotional health. However, I think these regulations are excellent because they consider every child’s safetyand their health.
Care provisions are available for children and young people, also for their families and relatives. After Victoria Climbe’s case the legislation has been changed. I think they made services better because afterwards all the children’s services are now aware and responsible for ensuring that every child is safe, happy and healthy. The needs of the child and young person are paramount and rights of children and their families.
The Children Act 1989 says that if the child belongs to an Asian family and they have to be removed from their home for their own safety. The children should be looked after byfoster parent with the same ethical background. I disagree with this because if a family provide love, care and support and they are concerned about children’s needs, it doesn’t matter if they are black, white or Asian. Quality of care does matter rather than their backgrounds.
Reference
Note from the lessons. September, 20 2011.September, 27, 2011. October, 25 2011
Stretch B, WhitehouseM.Eds (2010)Health and Social Care Level 3 Book 2Essex. Pearson Education Ltd.
Rasheed, E. Hetherington, A. Irvine, J (2010), Health and Social Care, British Library
Adoption. Retrieved November 05, 2011 [online]
Childcare. Retrieved Decembe,28, 2011 [online]http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Parents/Childcare/DG_180969
