Focus On The Victoria Climbie Inquiry Report Social Work Essay

Focus On The capital of Seychelles Climbie interrogative sentence composing kindly Work EssayIn his parameter to the House of Commons when presenting schoolmaster Lamings Inquiry tombstone into the terminal of capital of Seychelles Climbi, on 28 January 2003, the Secretary of State for Health, Alan Milburn, saidIt is an each similarly familiar cry. In the past few decades there hand been slews of inquiries into awful cases of baby abuse and neglect. Each has called on us to listen the littleon of what went haywire. Indeed, there is a remarkable consistency in both what went wrong and what is advocated to put it reclaim. churchman Lamings Report goes further. It recognises that the search for a simple reply or a quick fix go forth non do. It is not fair national abideards, or proper training, or adequate resources, or local leadership, or new structures that argon compulsory.I provide turn over an overview of the inquiry. I ordain too give an overview of t he themes, drop of function right through the organizations to the or so senior take and ply not adequately trained in barbarian protection. I lead analyse and revaluation these themes in relation to agency policy, legal requirements, question, practitioner knowledge and the join of the service user. Previous inquiries and there link to this inquiry pass on be discussed along with throw we learned any lessons from this. The disappointment to instrument a legal, honorable and governmental frame scat to inform current crush lend oneself will be utilized. I will reflect on the implications of yard informed make out and how this will inform future social work invest.This paragraph will provide a summary of the events leading to the death of capital of Seychelles Climbie, and establish why there was a need for the inquiry. From the trace ( manufacturer Laming, 2003) we know that capital of Seychelles Climbie came to England with her massive-aunt, Marie-Therese Kouao in April 1999. at bottom a year, she was dead. On twenty-fifth February 2000, Victoria died of hyperthermia at St Marys Hospital, Paddington. She was just eight years darkened and had 128 separate injuries to her body. On 12th January 2001, her great-aunt Kouao and her boyfriend, Carl Manning, were convicted of murder. The level of cruelty experience by Victoria was truly horrific, with daily beatings using several disparate implements. Her final days were spent living and sleeping in an cold bathroom in the middle of winter, where she was bound hand and foot, lying in her own urine and faeces in a bin bulge in the bath. The secretary of State set up the independent statutory inquiry into her death, infra the Chairmanship of headmaster Laming, in April 2001, to establish at a lower place piece 81 of the Children Act 89 the concerns with the functions of the local authority social run committees and the way they relate to children. The inquiry wanted to examine the way in which local authorities in jimmy of their social operate functions and site the services sought or required by, or in respect of Victoria, Marie-Therese and Carl.This section will now aim to analyse and critique the refer theme I afford identified that emerged from the inquiry report which is want of accountability right through the organizations to the close senior level and faculty not adequately trained in child protection. Lord Laming (2003) points come step to the fore There were at least 12 signalize occasions when the applicable services had opportunities to successfully intervene to help Victoria, but had failed to do so. Within the Report Lord laming (2003) states That not one of these interventions would grant required great skill or made heavy demands on module, some eras it needed nothing more than a manager doing their job by petition pertinent school principals or taking the trouble to look in a case file. He continues to states Lord Laming (2003) Ther e can be no excuse for such sloppy and unprofessional procedure. As Lord Laming (2003) commented non one of the agencies empowered by Parliament to protect children in positions such as Victorias emerged from the Inquiry with much credit, what happened to Victoria, and her ultimate death, resulted from an inexcusable gross failure of the system. Lord Lamings (2003) expressed His amazement that nobody in the agencies had the presence of judicial decision to follow what argon relatively straightforward procedures on how to respond to a child astir(predicate) whom there is concern of deliberate harm.The Inquiry Report (Lord Laming, 2003) spiritedschoollighted widespread lack of accountability through the institutions as the principal understanding for the lack of protection afforded to Victoria. Who should be held responsible for these failures? As Webb (2002) states Lord Laming was uninfected that it is not the hapless and sometimes inexperienced expect-line staff to whom h e directs most criticism, but to those in positions of management, including hospital consultants, I think that the performance of nation in leadership positions should be judged on how well services are delivered at the front door. Professor Nigel Parton (2003) points pop that Too often in the Inquiry sight justify their positions nigh bureaucratic activities preferably than around come forwardcomes for children. Frankly, I would be the very last person to say that safe administration is not essential to grievous coif. Professor Nigel Parton (2003) continues to state that near(a) administration-and we did not see a lot of it, I stimulate to say-is a means to an end. I cannot imagine in any other move of life sentence if a senior manager was in charge of an organisation and that organisation was going down the pan-to put it crudely-in term of sales and performance that someone would say My role is entirely strategic, do not consent me to account for what happens in th e organisation. People who occupy senior positions have to stand or fall by what service is delivered at the front door. The Inquiry Report Lord Laming (2003) highlighted the apparent failure of those in senior positions to understand, or accept, that they were responsible for the quality, efficiency and effectiveness of local services. As Rustin (2010) states Lord Laming pointed to the suspire gap in the differing perceptions of the organisation held by front line staff and senior managers. Lord Laming was unequivocal that the failure was the fault of managers whose job it should have been to understand what was happening at their front door. As the Report Lord Laming (2003) pointed out, some of those in the most senior positions used the defence no one ever told me to distance themselves from responsibility, and to argue that there was nothing they could have done. Rustin (2004) states this was not a view shared by Lord Laming. Rustin (2004) likewise continues to state that Lord Laming went even further in render to us, verbalize us forcefully that, in his view, accountability of managers was paramount, and that the front line staff were generally doing their utmost. In addition to the fundamental problems of a lack of accountability and managerial control, it was also apparent in the course of the Inquiry Lord Laming (2003) that other failings existed in all aspects of practice. This section will evaluate antecedent inquiries and how they link to this inquiry and have any lessons been learned from them. As Rustin (2004) states As with many antecedent inquiries into child protection failures, Maria Colwell (1973), Jasmine Beckford (1984), Tyra Henry (1984) and Kimberley Carlile (1986) it was drop dead that the quality of information exchange was often poor, systems were crude and information failed to be passed between hospitals in close proximity to each other. As the Report commented Lord Laming (2003) Information systems that depend on the random p assing of slips of melodic theme have no place in modern services.The evidence from another(prenominal) report, Maria Colwell, who had died in January of 1973 pointed to similar weaknesses, which were found in Victorias report these weaknesses were, lack of accountability and staff not adequately trained (Corby et al, 2001).Inquiry reports are sources of evidence to inform social work practice and even though they have many weaknesses within them as illustrated. Professor Nigel Parton (2004) points out that In many respects creation inquiries have proved to be the key vehicle through which changes in policy and practice have been brought somewhat over the last thirty years in relation to child protection policy and practice in this country. Professor Nigel Parton (2004) continues to point out that Rather than public inquiries being ignored, they have been fundamental to the way child protection operates. In this respect, they are as much a destiny of the problem as they are the solution.Have lessons been learned from the many public inquiries over the previous thirty years. It was as if states Professor Nigel Parton (2004) The frontline professionals, and the key organisations and agencies who have responsibility for children and families were quite incapable of learning the lessons and, crucially, putting these into practice in such a way that such horrendous tragedies could be avoided. It is hoped by many, therefore, that the report by Lord Laming, and the changes brought round(predicate) as a result, will mean that this will be the last report of its type.This section will address the other theme I have highlighted adequate training. The question of adequate training and supervision for staff working in all the relevant agencies were also an issue identified in the Inquiry. Professor Nigel Parton (2004) points out that In Haringey, for example, it was observed that the provision of supervision may have looked good on paper but in practice it was woefu lly undermanned for many of the front line staff. Professor Nigel Barton (2004) also points out that nowhere was this more evident than in the fact that in the final weeks of Victorias life a social worker called several times at the flavourless where she had been living. There was no reply to her knocks and the social worker assumed, quite wrongly, that Victoria and Kouao had moved away, and took no further action. As the Laming Report (Lord Laming, 2003) commented, It was entirely viable that at the time Victoria was in fact lying just a few yards away, in the prison of the bath, desperately hoping someone business leader find her and come to her rescue before her life ebbed away.This section will now look at the failure to implement the legal and political framework within the inquiry report. Lord Laming within the report (Lord Laming 2003) told us that he continued to believe that the Children Act 1989 was grassrootsally extend legislation. His recommendations do not argue for a major new legislative framework. However, Lord Laming (2003) states he did not believe that the Act was being implemented in the way that had been envisaged for it, and, in his view, there was a yawning gap at the present time between the aspirations and expectations of Parliament and the certainty of what is delivered at the front door. Rustin (2004) states In the absence of adequate managerial accountability, front line workers were cause to make crucial strategic decisions, for example about the use of the Children Act, and between using sections 17 and 47 (relating singlely to a child in need, and a child in need of protection). The sections of the Act had been developed with the conception of as pointed out by Rustin (2004) Of recognising the different needfully of children. How the sections were being use on the ground however as stated by Lord Laming (2003) is Quite different, far from employing the section of the Act that would vanquish meet the needs of the par ticular child and their circumstances, what they were actually doing was using these sections to restrict access to services and to limit the availability of services to people. The Children Act, Lord Laming (2003) argued to us Should be about promoting the well-being of children, not about putting labels around peoples neck. Lord Laming (2003) went on to suggest that Front line workers were being forced into make decisions that should aright have rested with management and policy decisions. This raised major questions about the role of public services and the basic principles that should underpin them, as (Lord Laming 2003) stated We need to stand back and say that we need to discover the basic principle that the public services are there to serve the public, not just some of the public and not just some people who can get through eligibility criteria, or who are sufficiently persistent. hence services must be more accessible and they must be more in tune with their local commun ities. If, as Lord Laming believes Kirton (2009, p.17) states The Victoria Climbi case was not unique, but highlighted widespread and major deficiencies in the execution of instrument of the Children Act, this raises issues that Government should address. I believe that the Children Act 1989 remains essentially sound legislation. However, there is concern as pointed out by Professor Nigel Parton (2004) That the provisions of the Act which sought to ensure an appropriate response to the differing needs of children are being applied inappropriately, used as a means of ration access to services, and have led to section 17 cases being regarded as having low priority. The Laming Inquiry (Lord Laming 2003) recommended that consideration should be given to unifying the workings Together guidance and the National Assessment Framework guidance into a single document, setting out clearly how the sections of the Act should be applied, and gift clear direction on action to be taken under se ctions 17 and 47.Within this section I will discuss the ethical framework. It is important to include the issues of social class and gender, which were not evident in the Victoria Climbi inquiry. However, it is issues around ethnicity and race that are more evident. However, the diversity referred to is unbelievably multiform. This is illustrated at various points states Webb (2002) For example At the time Victorias case was handled in Brent, all the duty social workers had received their training abroad and were on temporary contracts. (In Brent) at least 50 per cent of social workers time was spent working on cases of unaccompanied minors. As Webb (2002) states There was evidence that Haringey has one of the most several(a) populations in the country, with 160 different languages intercommunicate locally, a long tradition of travellers settling in the borough and a high proportion of asylum-seeking families (9 percent of the total population).Within the report Lord Laming (200 3) points out that In relation to all the London boroughs involved there were high levels of poverty and deprivation, diverse ethnic, cultural, linguistic backgrounds, as well as the diverse backgrounds of the workers themselves. In many respects, it seems Victorias situation was not unique in these respective boroughs. Webb (2002) indicated The impact of affixd global mobility, more specifically the rapid increase in asylum-seeking families, together with the diverse backgrounds of the workers themselves increasingly seems to characterise work in many metropolitan areas. This has a particular impact states Webb (2002) On the nature, stableness and cohesion of local communities. It is worth noting that, compared to the Maria Colwell case, no referrals are mention in the Victoria Climbi case from neighbours or other members of the community isolated from the child minder Mrs Cameron. We are not simply talking about diversity here but incredible complexity. Kirton (2009) argues tha t Not only does it deliver major linguistic challenges but also it poses major challenges for statutory departments in relation to the familial and cultural identities of those with whom they work and to whom they have responsibility. Issues around racism are clearly important here, however they cannot be reduced to a simple black and white community and cultural divide.This section will reflect on the implications of evidence-informed practice (EIP) and the usefulness of the inquiry to inform the growing of future social work practice. Often, in hindsight, those who put people at risk are blamed for the misfortune and harm they cause. (Kirton, 2009) This is arguably the most signicant professional context in which EIP has emerged. According to Munro (1998) Social workers rely on vague assessments and predictions, rather than considering what is more or less probable. In everyday life decisions have to be made on a limited evidence base and professional decisions are also at best problematic. There are numerous unexpected and complex outcomes in social work, many of which rest on having to make judgments under conditions of uncertainty. (Kirton, 2009) The main problems associated with making effective decisions in social work as stated by Kirton (2009) include risk and uncertainty, intangibles, long-term implications, interdisciplinary excitant and the politics of different vested interests pooled decision making and value judgments. Decision abstract has developed as a statistical technique to help vote down these kinds of problems. Decision analysis is closely related to risk assessment and actuarial practices. Evidence-informed practice and policy are self-explanatory. They involve the adoption of evidence-based protocols and use local standards for conducting social work practice and developing organizationally specic policies. (Webb, 2002) It has been suggested that evidence-informed protocols fertilise directly into the practitioner context to pro vide guidelines for carrying out EIP. Essentially evidence-informed practice and policy in social work will entail the manifest and judicious use of current best evidence in making decisions about the social care of service users. This denition is widely used and derived from Sackett et al.s Evidence-based medicine (1996). A pragmatic approach as stated by Sackett (1996) Has been follow here, which regards the practice of evidence as integrating practitioner expertise with the best available external evidence from systematic but multiple research methods. The implementation model outlined is the idea that the practice-based process begins with the evidence rather than the individual or groups of clients.Clearly the application of evidence-informed practice and policies will be governed by the economic scope of social work agencies in terms of resources and the development of an evidence-informed infrastructure. (Kirton, 2009) Sackett (1996) points out that At a local level it wil l also be dependent on incremental learning and additive professional development which are likely to be facilitated by the practice research networks and evidence-based briengs discussed above.In this essay I have analysed and critiqued two key themes from the inquiry, lack of accountability right through the organizations to the most senior level and staff not, adequately trained in child protection. I have also analysed and critique these themes in relation to agency policy, legal requirements, research, practitioner knowledge and the voice of the service user. I have linked previous inquiries and discussed have we learned any lessons from these inquiries. I identified the failure to implement a legal, ethical and political framework to inform current best practice will. I also reflected on the implications of evidence informed practice and how this will inform future social work practice.A goal quote to finish from the Secretary of State, Alan Milburn (2003)It has felt as if V ictoria has accompanied every step of this inquiry, and it has been my good fortune to have had the assistance of colleagues whose abilities have been matched by their commitment to the task of doing justice to Victorias memory and her enduring spirit, and to creating something positive from her suffering and ultimate death.