Child Protection and Disabled Children - Rights at Risk Prof Kirsten Stalker, Dr Pam Green Lister, Jennifer Lerpiniere, Katherine McArthur University of Strathclyde

Study Aims to scope current knowledge about child protection and disabled children to review current social policy and practice in the field in the UK to pilot ways to seek disabled children's views about child protection services

Methods literature review policy analysis – England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland 10 ‘key informant’ interviews at national level interviews with four disabled children using child protection services

Headlines from Literature Review incidence of abuse 3.4 times greater for disabled children those with communication impairments, behavioural ‘disorders’, learning disabilities and sensory impairments most at risk

Literature Review contd evidence of under-reporting in UK and other countries increased vulnerability factors for disabled children unhelpful myths & stereotypes indications that disabled children get lesser treatment in UK safeguarding systems

Child Protection Policy: England mainstreaming approach generic guidance highlights implications for disabled children separate guidance re disabled children 2006; updated 2009 social exclusion/ social model of disability focus wide-ranging + substantial policies cross-referenced between disability and safeguarding arenas

Child Protection Policies: Wales Wales: tends to follow English lead although no dedicated guidance has addressed CP/ disabled children systematically, often in detail social exclusion/ social model of disability focus

Child Protections Policies: Northern Ireland no dedicated guidance balance between including disabled children in generic guidance and highlighting their vulnerability/ support needs new legislation has potential to put them at the forefront of CP practice.

Child Protection Policy: Scotland 2002 CP Reform Programme – very littler attention to disabled children ‘mainstreamed’ to near invisibility in a series of documents new draft guidance has 3 pages on risks for disabled children and some references in generic sections

Key Informant Views under reporting of abuse communicating with disabled children differential treatment in CP system joint working

Implications for Policy and Practice governments should publish nos. of disabled children on CP registers closer joint working between children’s teams in social work, and across social work, health, education, police and vol orgs joint training at all levels with involvement of disabled people

Implications for Policy and Practice contd. a child protection system more accessible to disabled children and sensitive to needs safety training, sex education and rights awareness for disabled children need more preventive and therapeutic work inspection processes to pay particular attention to disabled children