Caring For Health And Social Care Case Study
Children’s Needs – Parenting Capacity
Child abuse: Parental mental illness, learning disability, substance misuse, and domestic violence
2nd edition
Hedy Cleaver
Ira Unell
Jane Aldgate
C H I L D R E N ’ S N E E D S – P A R E N T I N G C A PAC I T Y
C h i l d a b u s e : P a r e n t a l m e n t a l i l l n e s s , l e a r n i n g d i s a b i l i t y, substance misuse and domestic violence
2nd edition
HEDY CLEAVER, IRA UNELL AND JANE ALDGATE
LONDON: TSO
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Practically a quarter of referrals to children’s social care resulted in no action being taken (Cleaver and
Walker with Meadows 2004). Lord Laming’s progress report (2009) also expressed concerns that referrals to children’s services from other professionals did not always lead to an initial assessment and that ‘much more needs to be done to ensure that the services are as effective as possible at working together to achieve positive outcomes for children’ (Lord Laming 2009, p.9, paragraph 1.1). Practitioners’ fear of failing to identify a child in need of protection is also a factor driving up the numbers of referrals to children’s social care services which result in no provision of help. ‘This is creating a skewed system that is paying so much attention to identifying cases of abuse
2
Children’s Needs – Parenting Capacity
and neglect that it is draining time and resource away from families’ (Munro 2010, p.6).
Munro’s Interim Report (2011) draws attention once again to the highly traumatic experience for children and families who are drawn into the Child Protection system where maltreatment is not found, which leaves them with a fear of asking for …show more content…
A range of relevant practice guidance is available to local authorities. For example, the Department of Health has produced guidance which focuses on people with severe mental health problems and problematic substance misuse.
Substance misuse is usual rather than exceptional amongst people with severe mental health problems and the relationship between the two is complex.
(Department of Health 2002, p.4)
The guidance supported joint working and improved co-ordinated care between mental health services and specialist substance misuse services (Department of
Health 2002).
Models of Care for Alcohol Misusers (Department of Health and National
Treatment Agency for Substance Misuse 2006) provided practice guidance for local health organisations and their partners in the commissioning and provision of assessments, interventions and treatment of adults who misuse alcohol. The guidance acknowledged the impact of parental alcohol misuse on children. This is clearly stated in the foreword by the then chief medical officer, Sir Liam Donaldson:
There is no doubt that alcohol misuse is associated with a wide range of
Child abuse: Parental mental illness, learning disability, substance misuse, and domestic violence
2nd edition
Hedy Cleaver
Ira Unell
Jane Aldgate
C H I L D R E N ’ S N E E D S – P A R E N T I N G C A PAC I T Y
C h i l d a b u s e : P a r e n t a l m e n t a l i l l n e s s , l e a r n i n g d i s a b i l i t y, substance misuse and domestic violence
2nd edition
HEDY CLEAVER, IRA UNELL AND JANE ALDGATE
LONDON: TSO
1VCMJTIFECZ540 5IF4UBUJPOFSZ0GGJDF
BOEBWBJMBCMFGSPN
0OMJOF
XXXUTPTIPQDPVL
.BJM
5FMFQIPOF
'BY&NBJM
540
10#PY
/PSXJDI
/3(/
5FMFQIPOFPSEFST(FOFSBMFORVJSJFT
'BYPSEFST
&NBJMDVTUPNFSTFSWJDFT!UTPDPVL …show more content…
Practically a quarter of referrals to children’s social care resulted in no action being taken (Cleaver and
Walker with Meadows 2004). Lord Laming’s progress report (2009) also expressed concerns that referrals to children’s services from other professionals did not always lead to an initial assessment and that ‘much more needs to be done to ensure that the services are as effective as possible at working together to achieve positive outcomes for children’ (Lord Laming 2009, p.9, paragraph 1.1). Practitioners’ fear of failing to identify a child in need of protection is also a factor driving up the numbers of referrals to children’s social care services which result in no provision of help. ‘This is creating a skewed system that is paying so much attention to identifying cases of abuse
2
Children’s Needs – Parenting Capacity
and neglect that it is draining time and resource away from families’ (Munro 2010, p.6).
Munro’s Interim Report (2011) draws attention once again to the highly traumatic experience for children and families who are drawn into the Child Protection system where maltreatment is not found, which leaves them with a fear of asking for …show more content…
A range of relevant practice guidance is available to local authorities. For example, the Department of Health has produced guidance which focuses on people with severe mental health problems and problematic substance misuse.
Substance misuse is usual rather than exceptional amongst people with severe mental health problems and the relationship between the two is complex.
(Department of Health 2002, p.4)
The guidance supported joint working and improved co-ordinated care between mental health services and specialist substance misuse services (Department of
Health 2002).
Models of Care for Alcohol Misusers (Department of Health and National
Treatment Agency for Substance Misuse 2006) provided practice guidance for local health organisations and their partners in the commissioning and provision of assessments, interventions and treatment of adults who misuse alcohol. The guidance acknowledged the impact of parental alcohol misuse on children. This is clearly stated in the foreword by the then chief medical officer, Sir Liam Donaldson:
There is no doubt that alcohol misuse is associated with a wide range of