Child protection assessment practices in Estonia
After the Soviet Union era and decades of forced interruption, the social work profession development started again in Estonia in 1991. Social work in re-independent Estonia has not had a long tradition, therefore there is a strong need to develop an effective child protection system that responds to adequate satisfaction of children’s needs. The author of this article sought to understand how Estonian child protection workers assess cases where child protection concerns have been identified. The article is based on the case vignette findings from twenty child protection workers from different regions in Estonia. The study indicated that child protection workers’ level of skills and/or commitment to engaging families constructively in the assessment process differs. The assessment practices indicate that assessments are done for the client rather than with the client .
Maintaining a focus on the child? First impressions of the Framework for the Assessment of Children in Need and their Families in cases of child neglect
The Framework for the Assessment of Children in Need and their Families is guidance introduced by the Department of Health in England to improve assessment practice and promote better outcomes for children and their families. This paper considers ways in which the Assessment Framework can improve assessment practice in cases of child neglect. However, as with any national guidance, its effectiveness is dependent on local approaches to implementation. The author has undertaken practice development work around implementation with senior managers and frontline staff in area child protection committees (ACPCs) and social services departments. These experiences are used to explore the local issues and tensions encountered by both practitioners and managers responsible for implementing the Assessment Framework. An argument is made that these issues and tensions if not addressed can result in distorted assessments that lose the focus on the child. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
What Tools Do We Need to Improve Identification of Child Abuse
Child protection work is being transformed by the introduction of information and communication technology (ICT) and other tools to improve frontline work. This article argues that current innovations are being developed without sufficient attention to understanding the needs of frontline workers. Taking the identification of child abuse as an example, the article shows how beginning with the question 'What tools do we need?' produces radically different answers from the current proposed tools such as the Information Sharing and Assessment database (ISA). The approach advocated here involves examining what aspects of the task frontline workers find difficult and identifying where they would most appreciate help. In relation to the problem of sharing information between professionals to ensure accurate assessment of risk, it is argued that the key problems do not lie in the technical process of sharing data but in professionals' ability to collect the necessary information, to interpret it accurately and to communicate it clearly.