Assessing risk in child protection
Summary of research and findings
By Hedy Cleaver, Corinne Wattam and Pat Cawson (September 1998)
Assessing risk in child protection: summary of research and findings (PDF, 18KB)
The full report includes
Ten pitfalls and how to avoid them: what research tells us (PDF, 366KB)
which takes social workers through the stages of the crucial first interview with a family when an allegation of abuse or neglect has been made.
Introduction
A programme of research on child abuse commissioned by the Department of Health indicated that the early stages of child protection enquires were crucial in creating or destroying a co-operative relationship between families and social workers. Furthermore, major resources were placed at the beginning of an enquiry, but relatively few families subsequently received the support they needed. Findings indicated that the decision making process required some rationalisation (Department of Health, 1995).
The present project was commissioned to identify an effective way of feeding these and other research findings into child protection practice. Evidence from the USA suggested that research derived models were superior to models based on professional consensus as predictors of subsequent abuse (Ciccinelli, 1991).
Literature relevant to risk assessment in child protection
Decision making about taking action to pursue a child protection enquiry is dependent not just on the presenting harm or injury, but on making judgements about what is normal behaviour in parents and children.
We are still some way from either social or professional consensus on the definitions of child abuse or on what is in a child's best interests. The limited state of current knowledge about risk factors requires a circumspect approach to applying research findings, combined with sound, and open minded observation by practitioners.
- There appears to be some consensus that a number of integrated factors may predispose a parent or caretaker to harm or injure their children, and that a culture of violence, either marital or disciplinary, is important. At the beginning of an investigation the presence or absence of these factors is likely to be unknown.
- A further dimension to the risk assessment task is the processing of information. Such things as interpretation, having attention diverted by other features of a family's situation (the decoy of dual pathology), the ability to be objective and to assemble information from all sources, the ability to adopt different modes of understanding and escape preconceptions, become crucial.
- There are several risk assessment models already available. The predictability of actuarial models is not sufficiently high for them to be fully reliable guides in specific situations as they commonly include factors which are found in large sections of the population and the most serious incidents of child abuse often include unpredictable events and circumstances.
- The most helpful approaches combine rigorous observation and assessment with an action plan, such as that proposed by Stein and Rzepnicki (1983,1984).
Using research in practice - the development of evidence based risk assessment
Four local authorities took part in the development of prototype tools to assist in risk assessment. The objective was to feed knowledge from research into practice, while avoiding the unhelpful tradition of checklists based on statistical probability.
Initial interviews in two local authorities charted the process of enquiries and decision making and clarified what might prove helpful to social workers. Twenty four practitioners representing different positions, levels of experience, and gender were interviewed. The objective of interviewing a multi-racial group of social workers could not be met and all except one were white.
When handling the referral the social workers said their judgement was influenced by:
the clarity and specificity of the allegation
the professional status of the referrer
the referrer's assessment of the situation
their own personal levels of experience and training
the nature of the allegation.
Workers were confident in dealing with physical abuse and, in many instances, with sexual abuse, but were much less so with neglect and emotional abuse.
When interviewing families, social workers said their judgement was influenced by:
the severity and duration of the suspected abuse
the parents' attitude and willingness to co-operate
the relationship between mother and child
the balance between positive and negative aspects of the family
the type of abuse alleged
their own personal level of experience.
Social workers expressed concern about the need for specialist knowledge and advice when dealing with many situations such as disability, mental illness or substance abuse, and the difficulties in obtaining advice quickly.
Two 'prototype' tools were explored: a chart to help with recording essential details at referral and a data book to summarise some basic research findings to assist in interviews. The original tools were developed and tried out in all four local authorities for a period of two months. As a result of feedback from the trials and further discussions with professionals working in child protection, the prototypes were revised.
It was concluded that each tool should have a different focus. The chart should be targeted on the whole range of children's referrals to assist in identifying the full range of services needed by a family. The data book should be targeted on the initial child protection enquiry to alert social workers to pitfalls which were known to arise in observing and assessing family situations.
The tools were designed to meet the needs of less experienced workers and to cover basic requirements since both the research literature and the present fieldwork indicated considerable difficulties for less experienced staff in dealing with child protection and other child welfare enquiries. Both tools offer a simple style and assume little previous knowledge.
Postscript: issues for management in risk assessment
Both previous research and the present study stress the importance of clear policies for permitted decision making in risky situations and for dealing with 'near misses' when problems are narrowly averted.
There are training implications for social workers and managers, particularly concerning the support given to social workers who may face violence towards themselves in the course of child protection work, and in developing good recording practice.
Finally, the report emphasises the importance of planning services to ensure that families can obtain the help they need without unnecessary involvement in the child protection system.
References
Cicchinelli, L. F. (1991) Proceedings of the symposium on risk assessment in child protective services . National Center on Abuse and Neglect, December, 1991, Washington, DC.
Department of Health. (1995) Child protection: messages from research . London: HMSO.
Stein, T. J. and Rzepnicki, T. L. (1983) Decision making at child welfare intake: a handbook for practitioners . New York: Child Welfare League of America, Inc.
Stein, T. J. and Rzepnicki, T. L. (1984) Decision making in child welfare services: intake and planning. Boston: Kluwer-Nijhoff Publishing.
Full report:
Cleaver, H., Wattam, C. and Cawson, P. (1998) Assessing risk in child protection. London: NSPCC. [NSPCC Policy Practice Research Series].
ISBN: 0902498819
Available from NSPCC Publications
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Curtain Road, London EC2A 3NH. Incorporated by Royal Charter. Registered charity number 216401. NSPCC, charity registered in Scotland, charity number SC037717.