1. ALTERNATIVE CHILD-REARING PRACTICES Wednesday 25th January 2017
Rubina Mazher, Group Manager Assessment, MASH & NRPF Children’s Care and Support

2. The Child Protection issues raised in the high profile cases of Victoria Climbié and Khyra Ishaq, continue today amongst families from ethnic minorities. There are still concerns that many professionals are wary of tackling, such as cultural and religious beliefs, as they do not always fully understand them.

3. It is easy to become entrapped by cultural and/or religious beliefs that seem mystifying. As long as professionals maintain a baseline of what is acceptable parenting and what is harmful to children, they will not be lost in the debate about culture or religion, nor will they allow these powerful subjects to supersede the safety of children. There is a need to demystify beliefs while engaging positively and ensuring children are safeguarded.

4. In small groups, please briefly discuss the following case scenarios: Scenario 1 Child A (aged 7), live with her parents and two siblings. Her parents arrived in the UK six years ago and Child A joined them, from Angola, last year. She has recently told a teacher that she is hungry and that she has been forced to fast because her parents believe she is a witch – she has ‘kindoki’.

5. Child A has also told her teacher that she has had people pray for her and it makes her feel frightened. She is shaking and sobbing as she describes when people hold various parts of her body and shakes her. Child A’s parents say they love her very much, but they want her to undergo ‘deliverance’. Their descriptions of this include rituals which they are reluctant to go into details about.

6. Q1. Do you think Consent was needed for sharing this information with Children’s Care and Support? Q2. As a Social Worker, how would you deal with this disclosure? Q3. What professional challenges do you think you would you face, addressing these issues with J’s parents?

7. Scenario 2 A referral has been received from a local primary school that Child B has two bruises on her left forearm. The first bruise is on the inside of her arm, and the second on the far side of the same arm. Child B has disclosed that her mother hit her with a stick this morning before school. She was putting on her tights and her mother got annoyed with her because she was taking too long. Child B’s mother then hit her repeatedly with the stick.

8. Child B did not present with much anxiety when making her disclosure and when the teacher explored this further, her response was “that is what black people do to punish their children.” Child B is of Black African descent. Child B has cited other examples of occasions when she has been inappropriately disciplined, however, could not provide a timeline for most of the incidents.

9. Concern is heightened as the had been a referral the previous year, whereby the child disclosed being hit by her father because of not completing her homework to the standard that he expects. Father leads the Men’s Ministry in local Pentecostal Church and he has been described as very strict, with high expectations of his daughter, which she struggles to live up to. Child B does not have any siblings.

10. Q1. Do you think Consent was needed for sharing this information with Children’s Care and Support? Q2. As a Social Worker, how would you deal with this disclosure? Q3. What professional challenges do you think you would you face, addressing these issues with J’s parents?

11. A referral was received from a primary school, stating that J (age 10) had disclosed physical abuse by his parents, and the last incident was 14th September J disclosed that his father hits him with a shoe or a cane. J later added that his mother usually hits him with a wooden spoon or long stick. J also said that his parents used stress positions as a form of punishment.

12. Following J’s disclosure, a joint investigation was undertaken with the Police. J was interviewed and was consistent with his disclosure. Both of J’s parents were also interviewed at school, but denied any physical chastisement. They did however, admit using stress positions and said they did not know it was not allowed to be used as a method of punishment in this country.

13. Both Mr E (father) and Mrs W (mother) were arrested on the grounds of child cruelty and bailed with conditions not to attend the school. They were to have only supervised contact with J. J was placed under Police Protection and moved into a foster placement. Family members came forward and offered to care for J, but this was rejected by the Police. Family were given the reason that J would be needing an ABE interview and family may collude with J’s parents.

14. On 15th September 2015: J was PP’d and placed in foster care
On 15th September 2015: J was PP’d and placed in foster care. He subsequently remained in this placement under Section 20. The following day, J underwent an ABE interview at which he gave a detailed description of the incident. On 21st September, J underwent a CP Medical exam. No bruises or injuries were identified.

15. J was subsequently placed with family members following a Viability Assessment and Safeguarding Agreement signed by the parents, that they would adhere to supervised contact. A Single Assessment was completed on 12th November 2015 and recommended that an ICPC be convened.

16. On 27th November 2015, CAIT informed CC&S that a decision had been made to take No Further Action in relation to J’s parents and that a recommendation has been made for Community Resolution (engagement with Children’s Care and Support). The Police outcome was discussed with the Group Manager (Rubina Mazher), who advised that J could go back to his parents, since all conditions had been lifted.

17. Q1. Do you think Consent was needed for sharing this information with Children’s Care and Support? Q2. As a Social Worker, how would you deal with this disclosure? Q3. What professional challenges do you think you would you face, addressing these issues with J’s parents?
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