Child Welfare Assessment Practices in Scotland: An Ecological Process Grounded in Relationship-Building

Abstract

Beginning with the initial contact with the family, Scottish child welfare policy and practice are grounded in ecological practice and community relationships. New guidance called “Getting it Right for Every Child in Scotland” (GIRFEC) is focused on universal child well-being and may have a significant impact on social work practice. This article explores the results of a multi-methods case study conducted in Scotland and highlights key aspects of new policy implementation and relational social work characteristics that are important to advance ecological child welfare practice. It may also have implications for other cultural contexts.

KEYWORDS:

• assessment
• child protection
• child welfare
• family engagement
• organizations/systems
• policy issues

NOTES

Notes

1. UNICEF, Convention on the Rights of the Child. Retrieved from http://www.unicef.org/crc/.

2. For example, First Minister Alex Salmond, August 14, 2007.

3. The hearings are not part of the criminal justice system in the same manner as residual systems found in some other countries (Vincent et. al., 2010; Murray & Hallett, 2000). If absolutely necessary for the child's safety, statutory social workers will institute a child protection case conference with a potential outcome of criminal charges by the sheriff. This action, however, is considered a drastic step and is rarely undertaken in the first instance (Scottish Executive, 2002, November). Panelists have the authority to monitor adherence to individual plans and make recommendations to professional staff in social work, education, housing, and other community infrastructures from which a child or family may benefit from extended support (Robertson, 2011; Scottish Executive, 2004; Stafford & Vincent, 2008).

4. Available at: http://www.gro-scotland.gov.uk/statistics/at-a-glance/council-areas-map.html.

5. All names of places and participants are pseudonyms.

6. In qualitative research, emic themes represent ideas that emerge from the data that are guided by participants' responses. The researcher's goal is to hear participants' views that reflect their specific case and develop a coding system accordingly. Alternatively, etic concepts are derived to look at a larger view across cases or numbers, and may be predetermined codes used to frame the research (Denzin & Lincoln, 2005; Steward & Shamdasani, 1998).

7. Child welfare social workers in direct practice in Scotland are responsible for responding to child welfare referrals, meeting with families to determine risk to children's safety, helping create family service plans, and monitoring progress.

8. Voluntary organizations have the ability to develop unique intervention programs that are specifically suited to problems in their regions. They are important resources for the children's panels.

9. An example of the My World Triangle and the LIAP toolkit can be found online at http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Resource/Doc/1141/0109332.pdf and http://www.moray.gov.uk/downloads/file83183.pdf.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Anne S. Robertson

Anne S. Robertson, PhD, is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow in the George Warren Brown School of Social Work at Washington University in St. Louis in St. Louis, MO.