Improving Child Protection with Families Affected by Domestic Violence Dr. Siobhan Laird Centre for Social Work University of Nottingham siobhan.laird@nottingham.ac.uk

Domestic Violence and Child Protection 1.8% of households in England affected by DV and 130,000 children (Safelives, 2015) 75% of children on at risk register in England live in households where DV occurs (DoH, 2002) 63% of Serious Case Reviews in England indicated domestic violence in household (Brandon, et al., 2012)

Incidence of aggression towards child protection social workers 12% of child protection social workers report physical violence and 42% threats from a parent or family member (Littlechild, 2005a, 2005b) 50% of child protection social workers reported working with hostile or intimidating parents every week (Community Care 17.11.11)

Training Deficits Weaknesses in child protection practice reflected deficits in social work training for ‘managing conflict and hostility’ Social Work Task Force (2009:19) 50% of social workers received no training to manage hostile or aggressive behaviour (n=450) (Community Care, 16.09.14)

Research Method Multi case studies to investigate situated social phenomena Critical case research focuses on instances of crisis Atypical, but extreme instances foreground underlying obscured dynamics Examination of available Serious Case Reviews in England 2000 – 2013 Identification of instances where domestic violence by parents or their partners was a prime influence on the practice of social workers Thematic analysis checked against the findings of the biennial analysis of Serious Case Reviews

Haringey Local Safeguarding Children Board (2010) Mother subject to domestic abuse as a child Mother intimidated professionals – volatile temper, angry outbursts when challenged One-dimensional characterisation of service-users as disadvantaged and disempowered means that manipulative, deceitful or aggressive behaviour can be downplayed Hidden man in household Criticism of solution-focussed model which emphasised parental strengths at expense of an authoritative approach

Implications for Training Conversation management approaches Development of aggressive scripts Skills Deficiency Model

Barking and Dagenham Safeguarding Children Board (2010) Mother verbally abusive to professionals and made repeated complaints Mother non-compliant with child protection plans Criticism that mother was perceived primarily as a disadvantaged single parent and a victim of domestic violence resulting in an over-empathetic approach

Implications for Training Personality disorders, mental health conditions and aggressive behaviour Transaction analysis Anti-oppressive practice

Lancashire Safeguarding Children Board (2012) Baby E Mother victim of DV from a controlling and violent father of child Mother’s presentation as ‘pleasant’ and ‘engaged’ Mother’s avoidance of services to maintain secrecy of hidden man Minimisation of mother’s alcohol and drug misuse Father’s denial of mental ill health Lack of professional engagement with father Inadequate supervision and under confident social workers

Implications for Training Lack of experience and under-confidence Learned helplessness Impact of stress in the workplace Stress management Development of self-assertion skills Employment rights Active learning techniques to develop practice skills around use of authority

Newham Area Child Protection Committee (2002) Mother victim of DV as child, teenager and partner Alcohol and drug misuse (42% of SCR) Father and mother verbally abusive and had physically assaulted several professionals Withdrawal of multidisciplinary professionals from family Focus on practical issues when gained entry Lack of engagement with children Social workers paralysed

Implications for Training Impact of drug and alcohol misuse Hostage theory Anxiety management Aggressive Incident Model The Assault Cycle

Further Research Laird, S.E. (2013) Child Protection: Managing Conflict, Hostility and Aggression Bristol: Policy Press

Cases Examined Barking and Dagenham Safeguarding Children Board (2010) Serious Case Review: Services Provided for Child T and Child R August 1997- February 2010, London, Barking and Dagenham Safeguarding Children Board. Haringey Local Safeguarding Children Board (2010) Serious Case Review ‘Child A’, London, Department for Education. Lancashire Safeguarding Children Board (2012) Serious Case Review: Baby E Newham Area Child Protection Committee (2002) Ainlee Labonte: Chapter 8 Review, London, Newham Area Child Protection Committee.

References Brandon et al. (2012) New Learning from Serious Case Reviews: A Two Year Report for 2009-2011 London: Department of Education Community Care (17.11.11) ‘Two out of three social workers threatened by aggressive parents’, Community Care Magazine, 4-5. Community Care (16.09.14) ‘Violence against social work staff’ (http://www.communitycare.co.uk/2014/09/16/violence-social-workers-just-part-job-70-incidents-investigated/) DoH (2002) Secure Futures for Women: Making a Difference London: Department of Health Littlechild, B. (2005a) ‘The stresses arising from violence, threats and aggression against child protection social workers’, Journal of Social Work, 5(1) 61-82. Littlechild, B. (2005b) ‘The nature and effects of violence against child-protection social workers: providing effective support’, British Journal of Social Work, 35 387-401.

References Laird, S.E. (2013) Child Protection: Managing Conflict, Hostility and Aggression Bristol: Policy Press. Laird, S.E. (2014) Training social workers to effectively manage aggressive parental behaviour in child protection in Australia, the United States and the United Kingdom British Journal of Social Work, 44(7) 1967-83. Safelives (2015) Getting it Right First Time: Policy Report Bristol: Safelives