‘This has given people what is needed’: progress and pitfalls for establishing child protection pathways in England that address significant harm beyond families

Firmin, Carlene; Manister, Molly

Abstract

Child protection systems, and the legal frameworks underpinning them, are central to safeguarding young people at risk of significant harm. However, their design often assumes that the risks young people need protecting from are attributable to the action or inaction of their parents/caregivers. In the UK, growing interest in significant harm that young people experience in extra-familial contexts and relationships has raised questions about the sufficiency of such child protection systems. In this paper we present the results from three English pilots of alternative child protection processes; ones intended to safeguard young people at risk beyond their family homes and relationships. We identify five features of these alternative pathways and discuss their conceptual, legal, and practical implications for child protection systems and the social workers who practise within them. While the pilots addressed some limitations of traditional child protection responses to extra-familial harm, progress was hampered by wider system features and foundations that, while not prohibitive of the approaches piloted, did not enable them. These pitfalls require attention and debate to develop/sustain effective child protection responses to extra-familial harm in the UK and internationally.

Citation

Firmin, C., & Manister, M. (2023). ‘This has given people what is needed’: progress and pitfalls for establishing child protection pathways in England that address significant harm beyond families. Child and family law quarterly, 35(2), 159-182

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Apr 30, 2023
• Publication Date: 2023-06
• Deposit Date: May 7, 2024
• Publicly Available Date: May 8, 2024
• Journal: Child and Family Law Quarterly
• Print ISSN: 1358-8184
• Electronic ISSN: 1742-6618
• Publisher: Jordan
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 35
• Issue: 2
• Pages: 159-182
• Public URL: https://durham-repository.worktribe.com/output/2434169
• Publisher URL: https://lexisweb.co.uk/sources/child-and-family-law-quarterly