⢠Summary: In the United Kingdom, following the death of Victoria ClimbiĂ, child protection procedures are currently being reviewed once again. At the core of child protection activity is the police/social work relationship and the notion of âworking togetherâ to respond to child abuse. However, there is often a failure to interrogate what rhetorical assertions about multi-disciplinary working actually amount to in terms of the micro-politics of âjoined upâ endeavours. This police/social relationship needs to be analysed because of specific issues related to child protection, but also because of the creation of multi-disciplinary youth offending teams and the more encompassing popularity, within eee policy discourse of New Labour, of âjoined upâ approaches to the delivery of child welfare services.
⢠Findings: Interviews conducted with police officers and social workers in three different locations illuminate how they view their roles. Respondents reveal the tensions in âworking togetherâ and a police tendency to perceive themselves as the âlead agencyâ. In addition, issues bound up with recruitment and selection are significant. Within joint police/social work specialist units, there is a blurring of the social work role.
⢠Applications: It is argued that joint working between social workers and police officers needs to be subject to reflexive scrutiny. Perhaps, in the past, aspects of policing have been inadequately examined in social work education and training. The creation of a new social work degree may provide, however, an opportunity to address this issue. More generally, et should allow course participants the space to comprehend critically other âdisciplinesâ and the social processes that underpin joint working paradigms.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
Adams, C. and Horrocks, C. (1999) âThe Location of Child Protection in Relation to the Current Emphasis on Core Policingâ, in Violence Against Children Study Group Children, Child Abuse and Child Protection. Chichester: Wiley .
2.
Alderson, J. (1979) Policing Freedom. Plymouth: MacDonald and Evans .
Association of Directors of Social Services (2002) âDirectors Reject Separate Agency as Solution to Child Protection Dilemmasâ. Press release (20 March).
5.
Audit Commission (1994) Seen but not Heard: Co-ordinating Community Child Health and Social Services for Children in Need. London: HMSO .
6.
Bailey, R. and Williams, B. (2001) âNo Soft Optionâ , Community Care (11â17 January): 24â26 .
7.
Bard, M. (1969) âFamily Intervention Police Teams as a Community Mental Health Resourceâ , Journal of Criminal Law, Criminology and Police Science60(2): 247â251 .
8.
Bard, M. and Berkowitz, B. (1967) âTraining Police as Specialists in Family Crisis Intervention: A Community Psychology Action Programâ , Community Mental Health Journal3(4): 315â318 .
9.
Bell, S. (1988) When Salem Came to the Boro. London: Pan .
10.
Brown, L. and Fuller, C. (1991a) Joint Police/Social Work Investigation in Child Protection. Stirling: University of Stirling .
11.
Brown, L. and Fuller, C. (1991b) âCentral Scotlandâs Joint Police and Social Work Initiative in Child Abuse: An Evaluationâ , Children and Society5(3): 232â240 .
12.
Brown, J. and Heidensohn, F. (2000) Gender and Policing. Houndmills, Basingstoke: Macmillan .
13.
Campbell, B. (1988) Unofficial Secrets. London: Virago .
14.
Carter, J. (ed.) (1998) Postmodernity and the Fragmentation of Welfare. London: Routledge .
15.
Commission for Racial Equality (2002) âCRE Statement on Institutional Racismâ. Press release (24 June).
16.
Conroy S., Fielding, N. G. and Tunstill, J. (1990) Investigating Child Sexual Abuse: The Study of a Joint Initiative. London: Police Foundation .
17.
Crowther, C. (2000) âThinking about the Underclass: Towards a Political Economy of Policingâ , Theoretical Criminology4(2): 149â167 .
18.
Curtis, P. A. and Lutkus, A. M. (1985) âClient Confidentiality in Social Work Settingsâ , Social Work30(4): 355â361 .
19.
Dale, P., Davies, M., Morrison, T. and Waters, J. (1986) Dangerous Families. London: Tavistock .
20.
Davies, G., Marshall, E. and Robertson, N. (1998) Child Abuse: Training Investigating Officers. London: Home Office .
21.
Department for Education and Employment (2000) Connexions: The Best Start in Life for Every Young Person. Nottingham: DfEE .
22.
Department of Health (1995) Child Protection: Messages from the Research. London: HMSO .
23.
Department of Health (1998) Modernising Social Services. London: HMSO .
24.
Department of Health (2001a) The Children Act Now: Messages from Research. London: Stationery Office .
25.
Department of Health (2001b) âMilburn Orders Inquiry into the Death of Victoria ClimbiĂâ. Press release (12 January).
26.
Department of Health (2001c) âVictoria ClimbiĂ: Terms of Reference Publishedâ. Press release (20 April).
27.
Department of Health (2001d) âCombating Violence against Social Care Staff â New National Plan to Protect Workersâ. Press release (23 January).
28.
Department of Health (2002a) âSocial Services Staffing at 30 September 2001â. Press release (25 April).
29.
Department of Health (2002b) âNew Social Work Degree will Focus on Practical Trainingâ. Press release (22 May).
30.
Department of Health, Department for Education and Employment, Home Office (2000) Framework for the Assessment of Children in Need and their Families. London, Stationery Office .
31.
Department of Health, Home Office, Department for Education and Employment (1999) Working Together to Safeguard Children. London: Stationery Office .
32.
Easen, P., Atkins M. and Dyson, A. (2000) âInter-professional Collaboration and Conceptualisations of Practiceâ , Children and Society14(5): 355â367 .
33.
Ellis, A. L. (1981) âWhere is Social Work? Police Brutality and the Inner Cityâ , Social Work26(6): 511â515 .
34.
Farrell, A. (1992) Crime, Class and Corruption. London: Bookmarks .
35.
Findlay, C. (1991) âJoint Police and Social Work Investigations in Child Abuse: A Practice Example from Scotlandâ , Children and Society5(3): 225â231 .
36.
Freeman, M. D. A. (1983) The Rights and Wrongs of Children. London: Frances Pinter .
37.
Gardiner, M. A. S. (1991) Towards a Model for the Implementation and Management of a Joint Sexual Abuse Investigation Scheme between the Police and Social Services. Hampshire: Hampshire County Council Social Services Department .
38.
Garrett, P. M. (2003) Remaking Social Work with Children and Families: A Critical Discussion of The âModernisationâ of Social Care. London: Routledge .
39.
Gibbons, J. (1991) Fife Child Protection Unit: Report of the Research Consultancy Carried out by the National Institute of Social Work. London: National Institute of Social Work .
40.
Gillen, S. (2002) âWas Race an Issue?â , Community Care (21â27 February): 30â32 .
41.
Gregory, J. and Lees, S. (1999) Policing Sexual Assault. London: Routledge .
42.
Hall, S. (1998) âThe Great Moving Nowhere Showâ, Marxism Today Nov/Dec: 9â15.
43.
Hallett, C. (1995) Interagency Co-ordination in Child Protection. London: HMSO .
44.
Hallett, C. and Birchall, E. (1992) Co-ordination and Child Protection: A Review of the Literature. Scotland: HMSO .
45.
Hallett, C. and Stevenson, O. (1980) Child Abuse: Aspects of Inter-Professional Co-operation. London: Allen and Unwin .
46.
Her Majestyâs Inspectorate of Constabulary (1999) Child Protection: What does it Mean for the Police Service? London: Home Office .
47.
Hicks, C. and Tite, R. (1998) âProfessional Attitudes about the Victims of Child Sexual Abuse: Implications for Collaborative Child Protection Teamsâ , Child and Family Social Work3(1): 37â48 .
48.
Holdaway, S. (1986) âPolice and Social Work Relations: Problems and Possibilitiesâ , British Journal of Social Work16(1): 137â160 .
49.
Home Office, Department of Health (2002) Complex Child Abuse Investigations: Inter-Agency Issues. London: Home Office Communication Directorate .
50.
Hughes, B., Parker, H. and Gallagher, B. (1996) Policing Child Sexual Abuse: The View of Police Practitioners. London: Home Office .
51.
Hughes, J. J. (1972) âTraining Police Recruits for Service in the Urban Ghettoâ, Crime and Delinquency April: 176â184.
52.
Humphreys, C. (1996) âExploring New Territory: Police Organizational Responses to Child Sexual Abuseâ , Child Abuse Review20(5): 332â344 .
53.
Hunter, M. (1999) âTeam Spiritâ , Community Care (17â23 June): 20â22 .
54.
Jones, H. (1963) âPolicemen as Social Workersâ, New Society (14 November): 9â11 .
55.
Kelley, S. J. (1990) âResponsibility and Management Strategies in Child Sexual Abuse: A Comparison of Child Protective Workers, Nurses and Police Officersâ , Child WelfareLX1X(1): 43â52 .
56.
Kvale, S. (1996) InterViews. London: Sage .
57.
Lea, J. (2000) âThe Macpherson Report and the Question of Institutional Racismâ , The Howard Journal39(3): 219â233 .
58.
Leonard, P. (2000) Postmodern Welfare: Reconstructing an Emancipatory Project, 1st reprint. London: Sage .
59.
Lloyd, S. and Burman, M. (1996) âSpecialist Police Units and the Joint Investigation of Child Abuseâ , Child Abuse Review5(1): 4â17 .
60.
McCurry, P. (1999a) âIn on the Actâ , Community Care (1â7 April): 20â22 .
61.
McCurry, P. (1999b) âRaring to Goâ , Community Care (21â27 October): 20â23 .
62.
Macpherson, Sir William of Cluny (1999) The Stephen Lawrence Inquiry. London: Stationery Office .
63.
Martin, S. E. and Besharov, D. J. (1991) Police and Child Abuse: New Policies for Expanded Responsibilities. Washington: US Department of Justice .
64.
May, T. (1993) Social Research. Buckingham: Open University .
65.
Moran Ellis, J., Conroy, S., Fielding, N. and Tunstill, J. (1991) Investigation of Child Abuse: An Executive Summary. London: Police Foundation .
66.
Orkneys Report (1992) The Report of the Inquiry into the Removal of Children from Orkney in February 1991. Edinburgh: HMSO .
67.
Parker, H., Gallagher, B. and Hughes, B. (1996) âThe Policing of Child Sexual Abuse in England and Walesâ , Policing and Society6: 1â13 .
68.
Parkinson, G. C. (1980) âCooperation Between Police and Social Workers: Hidden Issuesâ , Social Work25(1): 12â19 .
69.
Parton, N. (1985) The Politics of Child Abuse. Basingstoke: Macmillan .
70.
Payne, M. (2000) Teamwork in Multiprofessional Care. Basingstoke: Macmillan .
71.
Pearce, J. (2002) âFrontline Workers Faced Pressures of Isolationâ , Community Care (21â27 February): 16â18 .
72.
Reiner, R. (2000) The Politics of the Police, 3rd edn. Oxford: Oxford University .
73.
Sanders, R., Jackson, S. and Thomas, T. (1996) âThe Police Role in the Management of Child Protection Servicesâ , Policing and Society6: 87â100 .
74.
Secretary of State for Health and Secretary of State for the Home Department (2003) The Victoria ClimbiĂ Inquiry: Report of an Inquiry by Lord Laming. London: HMSO, Cm 5730 .
75.
Secretary of State for Social Services (1988) Report of the Inquiry into Child Abuse in Cleveland. London: HMSO .
76.
Smith, D. J. and Gray, J. (1983) Police and People in London: Volume 4 The Police in Action. London: Policy Studies Institute .
77.
Social Services Inspectorate (2001) Modern Social Services: A Commitment to Deliver. London: Department of Health .
78.
Stenson, K. (1993) âCommunity Policing as a Governmental Technologyâ , Economy and Society22(3): 373â390 .
79.
Stephens, M. (1988) âProblems in PoliceâSocial Work Interaction: Some American Lessonsâ , The Howard Journal27(2): 81â92 .
80.
Stone, L. E., Tyler, R. P. and Mead, J. J. (1984) âLaw Enforcement Officers as Investigators and Therapists in Child Sexual Abuse: A Training Modelâ , Child Abuse and Neglect8(1): 75â82 .
81.
Taylor, I. (1999) Crime in Context: A Critical Criminology of Market Societies. Oxford: Polity .
82.
Thomas, T. (1986) The Police and Social Workers. Aldershot: Gower .
83.
Thomas, T. (1988) âThe Police and Social Workers: Creativity or Conflict?â , Practice2(2): 120â129 .
84.
Thomas, T. (1994) The Police and Social Workers, 2nd edn. Aldershot: Arena .
85.
Treger, H. (1975) The PoliceâSocial Work Team: A New Model for Interprofessional Co-operation. Illinois: Charles C. Thomas .
86.
Trute, B.Adkins, E. and MacDonald, G. (1992) âProfessional Attitudes Regarding the Sexual Abuse of Children: Comparing Police, Child Welfare and Community Mental Healthâ , Child Abuse and Neglect16(3): 359â368 .
87.
Waterhouse, L. and Carnie, J. (1990a) âInvestigating Child Sexual Abuse: Towards Inter-agency Co-operationâ , Adoption and Fostering14(4): 7â13 .
88.
Waterhouse, L. and Carnie, J. (1990b) Child Sexual Abuse: The Professional Challenge to Social Work and Police. Edinburgh: University of Edinburgh .
89.
Waterhouse, L. and Carnie, J. (1991) âResearch Note: Social Work and Police Response to Child Sexual Abuse in Scotlandâ , British Journal of Social Work21(4): 373â379 .
90.
Webb, R. and Vulliamy, G. (2001) âJoining Up the Solutions: the Rhetoric and Practice of Inter-agency Cooperationâ , Children and Society15(5): 315â332 .
