Department For Communities And Local Government Social Work Essay Essays

Department For Communities And Local Government Social Work Essay Essays Department For Communities And Local Government Social Work Essay Essay Department For Communities And Local Government Social Work Essay Essay The Family Intervention Project ( FIP ) theoretical account began in 1996 in Dundee Scotland and was known as the Dundee Intervention Project ; founded by the charity Action for Children Scotland who besides worked in partnership with Dundee City Council ( Scott, 2006 ) . Glasgow University studied 56 households who were council renters and known to services, with complexnesss, for illustration helter-skelter lives with a history of terrible anti-social behavior and required intensive intercession ( Scott, 2002 ) . The purpose of the programme was to understand the bosom of the issues behind anti-social behaviors within communities and place by pattern which intercession methods had positive consequences to undertake the lifting issues of anti-social behaviors ensuing from troubled households ( www.actionforchildren.org.uk, 2012 ) . This paper shall critically discourse theoretical constructs and patterns in respects to current societal work systems. Contemporary schemes which attempt to advance the protection and support to kids, their households and carers shall be explored and critically analysed. In December 2010 Prime Minister David Cameron declared one purpose during his clip in parliament was to assist turn the lives unit of ammunition of troubled households ( Casey, 2012 ) . In November 2011 Louise Casey was instructed by the current Prime Minister to head a programme with the purpose to help and work with households. Casey had experience as the manager of the Anti-Social Behaviour Unit as ordered the by the old Labour authorities ( Millie, 2009 ) when they launched the Respect Action Plan in 2006 ( Carr, 2008 ) . The present Coalition authorities announced programs to shoot ?448 million in support to spread out the Family Intervention Programme ; before the programme was to be delivered Louise Casey wro te a paper that investigated the households already involved with the Family Intervention Project. This paper shall give an in-depth critical treatment in respects to the study by Casey Listening to Troubled Families ( Casey, 2012 ) . The paper shall present statements by measuring and critically revising societal policy, legislative alterations and analyzing the function of a Family Intervention Worker and researching their engagement in multi-agency working. The paper shall foreground how the proposed developments could impact traditional societal work values typically implemented with kids and households, with mention to anti-oppressive pattern and equal chances. Critical contemplation shall research service user narratives with mention as to how future societal work can develop. New policies frequently arise after a serious instance reappraisal has taken topographic point, when a kid has died or suffered important injury ( NSPCC, 2010 ) , after a serious instance reappraisal recommendations are frequently implemented in to action programs for local governments to entree and so proctor. In 1973 Maria Cowell tragically died whilst under supervising of local authorization ( Parton et al, 2010 ) , her decease lead to a public enquiry as to set up what went incorrect amongst the system for professionals to non take action. Since that clip new policies and Torahs have been introduced, but it could be questioned as to what has truly changed as in February 2000 Victoria Climbe suffered horrific inhuman treatment and tragically died. Her Great Aunt Marie-Therese Kouao and Carl John Manning were convicted of Victoria s decease, two curates at their local church told her aunt that Victoria was possessed by an evil spirit ( Darlymple A ; Burke, 2006 ) . Victoria was known to services and had been continually forgotten despite her obvious hurts and deteriorating wellness, Practitioners viewed the Markss on her organic structure on African civilization ( Department of Health and Home Office, 2003. Para 16.4 ) . A paper by Parton ( 2003 ) suggested at that clip that something must be done to halt such failures within the wellness and societal attention system go oning. Lord Laming was asked to chair an Independent Statutory Inquiry doing recommendations as to how services and bureaus could collaboratively work together to avoid such events in the hereafter ( Laming, 2003 ) . The amendment of the Children Act 1989 was mostly due to the Victoria Climbe Inquiry ; Lamings findings emphasized the deficiency of inter-agency working, therefore the Children Act 2004 subdivisions 10 A ; 11 placed a responsibility on local governments and other services to work together to advance the well-being of kids ( Broadhurst, Grover A ; Jamieson, 2009 ) . Recommendation 17 of Lamings Inquiry ( Laming, 2003 ) was to make a national kids database keeping information on all under 16 s to let those professionals involved with kids or who had concerns, the authorities welcomed this strategy and went in front with its development. The outgo of this system was important but in August 2010 the Coalition Government axed contact database ( Cocker, 2011 ) . The Coalition def ended their determination mentioning the Data Protection Act 1998, saying the database could set kids at hazard as every kid ( theirs included ) in the state would be on the system, Battersby ( 2010 ) has argued that the authorities are more concerned with privateness instead than child protection. Michael Gove the Shadow Secretary for kids, schools and households argued that the database created excessively much bureaucratism, and proposed a Duty to co-operate on constabularies, schools and societal services ( Ramesh, 2010 ) . It could be argued that the authorities had their ain political docket taking to cut down disbursement in Local Authorities ( Politt, 2012 ) , consideration must besides be taken in to account that the Coalition may hold thoughts for policy alterations that were implemented under the Labour authorities and presently look to be under menace. Social work has seen many cardinal alterations in the last decennary with new policies, counsel, ordinances and alterations in authorities ( Vincent et al, 2010 ) . Regardless of such alterations the profession continues to endure significantly from aggressive imperativeness, high profile instances in the media often placed societal workers at the bosom of a blasted civilization ( Ingram, 2009 ) . One could propose the many issues environing weaknesss in Local Authorities could be the deficiency of support received from cardinal authorities, Carvel ( 2005 ) stated that societal services need a momentous rise of budget if they are to present betterments that are required. Coulshed and Orme ( 2006 ) have argued that since the birth of societal work, practicians have confronted force per unit areas from authoritiess of the left and right, but despite all challenges have survived. The Coalition Government came in to power in 2010 with an heritage of debt from the old Labour authorities ; the state was in recession ( Kessleman, Krieger A ; Joseph, 2012 ) and many reforms began to take topographic point. Welfare budgets and many other countries of public disbursement have been drastically reduced ; Golding ( 2011 ) argues that Britain has non seen cuts like this since the 2nd wold war. Front line societal workers are on a regular basis troubled with multiple instance tonss and are now expected by the authorities to take on more disposal and less clip to pass in the community with households ( www.communitycare.co.uk, 2012 ) ; in her study Munro ( 2011 ) has called for bureaucratism to be significantly reduced. It could be questioned that the policy alterations presently taking topographic point were originally introduced by the old labour authorities, current amendments to the Every Child Matters website describe that the content was right when introduced but s hould non be considered to reflect current policy or counsel ( Department of Education, 2012 ) . Every Child Matters set out the national model which was supported by the Children Act 2004 ; the purpose of the policy was that professionals recognised the demands all kids non merely those who were considered at hazard ( HM Government, 2003 ) . In add-on to the breakability of Every Child Matters ( 2004 ) , the HM Government counsel Working Together to Safeguard Children ( 2010 ) is presently under Reconstruction ( www.education.gov.uk 2012 ) ; which was recommendation 1 from Munro s ( 2011 ) reappraisal which the authorities accepted. Stanley ( 2012 ) has argued that there is a demand for pattern reforms but acknowledges that this is non ever easy, dying politicians who wish to implement their ain thoughts of policy can move against the patterned advance of societal work pattern. This could hold important impact on multi-agency working ; the model identifies the professional s function of intercession and what is expected of them. Significantly cut downing the Working Together to Safeguard Children ( 2010 ) paper could intend ; in peculiar freshly qualified professionals may accidentally set a kid at hazard by non suitably sharing information. A recent research survey by the British Journal of Guidance and Counselling ( 2012 ) found that school counselors had a deficiency of cognition in respects to information sharing policies ( Jenkins A ; Palmer, 2012 ) in instances of kid maltreatment, thoughts that confidentiality was overriding despite grounds of inappropriate behaviors portrayed by other immature individuals. This is potentially alarming intelligence for societal workers, despite policies concentrating on multi-professional working ; there are still many professionals who are wholly incognizant of processs. One could reason that there has long been a deficiency of multi-professional communicating amongst services. Before the Family Intervention Programme, common subjects were that households systematically involved with services but non needfully having the appropriate intercession to run into their demands. Cacciottolo ( 2011 ) suggests many households have lost religion in services, because the deficiency of local authorization s early intercession, potentially forestalling persons confronting crisis such as kid public assistance concerns or hazard of eviction. Support workers have more freedom than societal workers stepping off from the bureaucratism and legal restraints, Parr ( 2008 ) argues that societal workers public image prevents trust, fearing one s kid will be taken in to care. Support workers do non transport the stigma enabling a platform for relationship edifice. Practitioners conform to guidelines in the Framework of Assessments for Children in Need and their Families ( 2 000 ) which recognise that appraisals should non be intrusive or repeated unnecessarily. Dominelli ( 2002 ) has suggested that societal workers must take to cut down the spread between themselves and marginalised service users if they want households to prosecute and construct a relationship. Parr ( 2008 ) has theorised FIP S ability to prosecute with households as relationship-based work, consideration must be taken for the support workers intercession programmes which normally lasts for a period of 12 months, though in some instances households may necessitate farther support to acquire back on path if a crisis has occurred and they are unable to get by entirely. Casey s ( 2012 ) paper has brought to attending the alarmingly common subjects of sexual, physical, emotional maltreatment that seem to repeat throughout many household coevalss ; some have expressed that they feel ignored when asked for aid. Evans ( 2012 ) argues that support for victims must be sensitive and individual centred , narratives suggest that services have non been put in topographic point to back up those who have suffered such traumatic experiences ( Casey, 2012 ) . The paper states that FIP accesses services for persons who have on traveling problems, Family Action ( 2012 ) strongly supports any sort of intercession that will assist convey the degrees of want households are enduring to visible radiation, enabling to back up parents to rear their kids, but argues in order to make this the Work Programme must be at the terminal of the docket non first precedence. Parr ( 2008 ) proposes that FIP could enable societal workers to pattern creatively with persons, policies ; processs and bureaucratism have restrained practicians antecedently. It could be suggested that FIP could be a political tool to travel off from traditional societal work in order to salvage authorities money. The thought being that this policy will salvage the taxpayer an estimated ?9bn a twelvemonth ( Ramesh, 2012 ) ( such as NHS, offense, societal services, lodging could be questioned ) local governments will be paid by the authorities on positive results. Charity Adfam/DrugScope ( 2012 ) has concerns that FIP may Cherry choice easier households who will co-operate, enabling local governments to run into marks and hence neglect households with more pressing demands which might set kids at hazard, bing more money in the long term. In understanding with Munro ( 2011 ) Loughton ( 2011 ) has stated how important a kid centred system, listening and taking into consideration the kid s and wants is paramount in order to run into the kid s demands. Using the Common Assessment Framework ( CAF ) which is a referral for services ; is a tool typically used by professionals who are involved with kids and want to measure how to develop an apprehension with parents to run into the demands of the kid or immature individual ( www.education.gov.uk, 2012 ) . During the CAF procedure practicians apply a holistic attack that provides consideration to the environment in which the kid is populating and if their milieus impact on the kid s development and wellness, a theoretical attack possibly unfamiliar to a support worker non exposed to societal work patterns. Working together with other professionals is cardinal in run intoing the demands of the households using a politically nuanced holistic theoretical account non merely gives a practician a bigger image of jobs the households may confront but certain strengths shown by an single possibly identified by another professional which a societal worker may hold missed during appraisal ( Davis, 2011 ) . This theoretical account is a less oppressive signifier of intercession, hence can assist develop a relationship based attack ( Parr, 2008 ) . Cameron s motivation behind his thought of The Big Society people coming together and better their ain lives ( www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk, 2012 ) could be questioned ; Pitt ( 2011 ) has argued that authorities s large society vision is impaired by obscureness of disbursement cuts. A study by Community Care ( 2011 ) identified that kids s charities have been the worst hit by the disbursement cuts, which contradicts Cameron s thought that we are all in this together ( Cameron, 2011 ) . In respects to a kid being in demand under subdivision 17 of the Children act 1989 ( Morris, 2005 ) , a affinity attention order significantly reduces public assistance costs and takes the kid s wants in to consideration, but from a carers perspective many feel they receive less support, peculiarly financially, where Foster carers have that support ( Family Rights Group, 2001 ) . Carmichael ( 2011 ) states that the costs incurred in looking after another individual is unrecognised in policy determinatio ns, this attack may set vulnerable kids at hazard. Morris ( 2005 ) argues that non all household members considered as affinity carers are an appropriate pick ; societal services may hold exhausted this intercession attack or carers feel unable to get by. One of the parents in Casey s ( 2012 ) paper negotiations about populating with grandparents but explains that web fell apart when they became sick and hence had to travel back to her female parent. There are many ethical issues environing Casey s paper, the figure of 120,000 was determined ; some have suggested there was wrong usage of informations. Professor Ruth Levitas ( 2012 ) examined the beginnings of this research methodological analysis and confirms the figure is from a sample study which took topographic point in 2004, interviews described in the paper as instance surveies are besides from that period by households who were already to a great extent involved in FIP. One could reason that the authorities have imposed their policy on households to interact with FIP, or Casey has stated the households who come on the programme are confronting the hazard of eviction and their kids traveling into attention ( Ramesh, 2012 ) . It could be suggested that there are small other picks for households, this method of intercession is traveling off from societal work anti-oppressive pattern, moreover from the basic rules of the Children Act 2004 in working together with households. B ailey ( 2012 ) voices further concerns that the paper breaches ethical criterions as the households did non consent to the publication of their narrations. To knock and place farther ethical quandary there are issues environing the fact that the paper may besides hold put households at hazard of being identified, as the description of each single narrative is rather expressed in respects to the personal injury that have been experienced. There is small grounds of an ethical commission which is mandatory when any research is carried out ; to province that the paper was formal research Casey would hold sought blessing to carry on research on such vulnerable persons. The paper states that it is not formal research ( Casey, 2011 ) , Bailey ( 2012 ) has argued this point and provinces that the authorities portrayed the papers as a solid piece of research with an evidence based attack , one must oppugn the fact that this paper was the footing on which a policy was formed is rather dismaying. Sublime portes ( 2012 ) called this an abuse of informations , there is no grounds that all 120,000 households have taken portion in some sort of anti -social behavior or other condemnable activities. Common subjects of multiple want among the households interviewed occurs throughout the paper and seems to be the bosom of the jobs that persons are sing. Levitas ( 2012 ) has argued that the paper may hold been written with calculated purposes to label those who are enduring from terrible want as scroungers . It could be questioned that Cameron s Large Society thoughts are making a divide between the rich and the really hapless ; demonizing those in poorness as felons who are bing the honest taxpayer 1000000s ( Williams, 2012 ) , hence losing any understanding from society and plumping farther into isolation. Murray ( 1996 ) believes that there is a minority amongst society that he describes as the underclass those who are unemployed, display behavioral issues, deficiency of instruction and unrecorded in soiled places, supported merely by province benefits, engendering multiple kids and raising their kids without male parents. It could be suggested that Murray s beliefs are runnin g subjects throughout the paper as the bulk of the households are portrayed in this mode reflecting his thoughts, therefore the proposal that individual parent households may intentionally hold been used in the paper to cement society s thoughts about individual female parents populating on benefits. Hill ( 2003 ) has argued that authoritiess are non admiting the biggest influences on the problem household are structural restraints, throughout the paper many parents believed that holding a new relationship or kid meant that they could start once more and hopefully this clip would acquire it right, one could reason that they were non the job but the effects of economic constructions has greater influence on their life opportunities. Parr ( 2008 ) believes that the nature of the political context which policy has been based is on criminalisation , it could be questioned if the policy pays attending to anti-oppressive pattern. The intercession method applied possibly one that is concentrating on rectifying condemnable behavior, corroborating society s belief that the Problem household are the cause of the job among communities. Therefore, households may fall into farther want as the intercession procedure of FIP is paying small attending to the Personal Cultural Structural ( PCS ) theoretical account. Homer thompsons PCS theoretical account ( 1997 ) explores anti-oppressive pattern at three degrees portraying fluctuations of subjugation that one may meet ; Casey does non province if cultural minority households or persons were interviewed, hence by analyzing the first degree of the PCS theoretical account a individual s Personal single position, consideration in respects to prejudices a individual may be sing m ust be portion of 1s appraisal. The 2nd degree analyses the Cultural facets of a individual s life, such as shared beliefs organizing a consensus, the 3rd degree looks at Structural degree, how subjugation among society is influenced by the media, authorities which can enforce on a individual s beliefs ( www.youthworkcentral.tripod.com, 2012 ) . Application of this theoretical account could assist one place why people behave in a peculiar manner ( a cardinal tool to understand the households discussed ) , baring this in head practicians can therefore work in an anti-oppressive mode. To reason, this paper has discussed theoretical thoughts and procedures with the societal work system, bureaucratism must be significantly reduced in order for societal workers to prosecute with households and have the chance to relationship construct as the FIP support workers do, therefore budget cuts may forestall such chance. Discussion in respects to policy and statute law alterations have highlighted that a bulk of policies devised by the Labour authorities are presently under menace, the motion could drive households further into deepnesss of want. One could propose that the authorities have their ain docket and thoughts to specify troubled households as the root of society s jobs, irrespective of the ecological factors that contribute to the terrible want they are enduring. Therefore society will go on to marginalize the vulnerable if the perceptual experience of households confronting troubles continues to be distorted by authorities political orientations and by the media. Word Count: 3294