Table Of Content‘The author highlights a wide array of models and theories that are easily adaptable to everyday
use and will increase practitioners’ abilities to make robust and sound judgments.’ IN A ASSESSMENT
– DARREN SHAW, INDEPENDENT SOCIAL WORKER AND CSS
H
INTERIM MANAGER, DWS SOCIAL WORK SOLUTIONS LTD E CHILDCARE
ILS IN
DS
M
C
AE
Martin C. Calder presents a clear guide to understanding RN
ET
risk and the part it plays in child protection work.
The book considers what risk means and how risk assessments should be
defined. It outlines the key challenges practitioners face day-to-day and offers an
evidence-based assessment framework for use by frontline staff. Calder argues
that risk has to be reconceived as a multi-disciplinary activity which stretches
beyond social work. As such, he highlights a need for a clearer shared terminology C R
among professionals and encourages the social work profession to look to related H is
I k
disciplines, such as criminal justice, for ideas to improve practice. L
D i
n Risk in
Demystifying the complex debates around risk and showing how to deliver
P
effective assessment, this is an important and thought-provoking reference for
R
social workers and social work students, as well as lecturers. O
T CHILD
E
MARTIN C. CALDER, Series Editor, is Director of Calder Training and Consultancy Limited, which he
C
established in 2005, having managed the child protection and domestic violence services for Salford.
T
Martin trains extensively on frontline assessment issues and continues to be driven to develop, and
I
deliver a range of evidence-based assessment tools for frontline staff. For more information about Martin O
PROTECTION
visit www.caldertrainingandconsultancy.co.uk. N
JULIE ARCHER has been a social worker since 1987 and has spent her career working within child
protection, both at grass roots and as a manager. Since 2006, Julie has been an independent trainer
specialising in training staff to carry out effective section 47 enquiries and supporting managers in
developing and embedding reflective supervision within social care.
ASSESSMENT CHALLENGES
AND FRAMEWORKS
‘[It] provides an excellent resource for practitioners, explicitly linking theory and research with
FOR PRACTICE
very practical guidance and advice – a rare achievement. Written in an accessible and engaging
wM
manner, this book is to be commended for its usefulness.’ itha
– JOHN DEVANEY, RESEARCH DIRECTOR, QUEEN’S UNIVERSITY BELFAST Julie Artin C
rch. C Martin C. Calder
ea
rld
e
r with Julie Archer
Jessica Kingsley Publishers
73 Collier Street
London N1 9BE, UK
400 Market Street, Suite 400
Philadelphia, PA 19106, USA
www.jkp.com JKP
Cover design by Rebecca Hersey
Risk in Child Protection
Assessment in Childcare Series
An accessible series that explores the key challenges facing frontline
professionals in child protection. Each book offers a concise overview
of a specific subject area, such as risk or domestic abuse, and suggests
practical frameworks for undertaking effective assessments. The
series conveys the reality of contemporary casework and provides
the missing link between conceptual statutory guidance and practical
instruction for facing the day-to-day issues that arise. Martin C.
Calder is Director of Calder Training and Consultancy Limited.
of related interest
Practical Guide to Child Protection Putting Analysis Into Child
The Challenges, Pitfalls and and Family Assessment
Practical Solutions Undertaking Assessments of Need
Joanna Nicolas Third Edition
ISBN 978 1 84905 586 4 Ruth Dalzell and Emma Sawyer
eISBN 978 1 78450 032 0 ISBN 978 1 90939 123 9
eISBN 978 1 90939 127 7
The Common-Sense
Guide to Improving the The Child’s World
Safeguarding of Children The Comprehensive Guide to
Three Steps to Make A Real Difference Assessing Children in Need
Terry McCarthy Second Edition
ISBN: 978 1 84310 568 8
ISBN 978 1 84905 621 2
eISBN: 978 0 85700 183 2
eISBN 978 1 78450 092 4
Improving Child and
Eradicating Child Maltreatment
Evidence-Based Approaches to Family Assessments
Prevention and Intervention Turning Research into Practice
Across Services Danielle Turney, Dendy Platt,
Edited by Arnon Bentovim Julie Selwyn and Elaine Farmer
and Jenny Gray ISBN 978 1 84905 256 6
Foreword by Harriet Ward eISBN 978 0 85700 553 3
ISBN 978 1 84905 449 2
Social Work with Troubled Families
eISBN 978 0 85700 823 7
A Critical Introduction
Good Practice in Assessing Risk Edited by Keith Davies
Current Knowledge, Issues ISBN 978 1 84905 549 9
and Approaches eISBN 978 0 85700 974 6
Edited by Hazel Kemshall and
Bernadette Wilkinson
ISBN 978 1 84905 059 3
eISBN 978 0 85700 252 5
Risk in
CHILD
PROTECTION
ASSESSMENT CHALLENGES AND
FRAMEWORKS FOR PRACTICE
Martin C. Calder
Jessica Kingsley Publishers
London and Philadelphia
First published in 2016
by Jessica Kingsley Publishers
73 Collier Street
London N1 9BE, UK
and
400 Market Street, Suite 400
Philadelphia, PA 19106, USA
www.jkp.com
Copyright for chapters 1 to 5 © Martin C. Calder 2016
Copyright for chapter 6 © Jessica Kingsley Publishers 2016
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any material
form (including photocopying or storing it in any medium by electronic means and
whether or not transiently or incidentally to some other use of this publication)
without the written permission of the copyright owner except in accordance with
the provisions of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 or under the terms of
a licence issued by the Copyright Licensing Agency Ltd, Saffron House, 6–10 Kirby
Street, London EC1N 8TS. Applications for the copyright owner’s written permission
to reproduce any part of this publication should be addressed to the publisher.
Warning: The doing of an unauthorised act in relation to a copyright work
may result in both a civil claim for damages and criminal prosecution.
Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data
Calder, Martin C.
Risk in child protection work : frameworks for practice / Martin C. Calder.
pages cm. -- (Assessment in child care)
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-1-84905-479-9 (alk. paper)
1. Child welfare--Great Britain. 2. Child abuse--Prevention.
3. Child sexual abuse--Prevention. 4. Risk
management. I. Title.
HV751.A6C24 2015
362.7--dc23
2015024546
British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data
A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
ISBN 978 1 84905 479 9
eISBN 978 0 85700 858 9
Contentment cultivates creativity
A reflection of Janet, Stacey and Emma and our family life.
Martin C. Calder May 2015
Contents
StandardiSed chapter guidance 10
1. Introduction: Policy Background 11
Professionally dangerous practice 31
Professional Accommodation Syndrome 33
Positive pathways to protection 46
Latent and active failures 46
Building an Emotionally Competent Organisation 48
Social Work Task Force (Gibb 2009) 51
The preface to Munro and the battle to reclaim child protection 54
Multiple Munro manuscripts and missed opportunities 57
Working Together 2013: too little, too late 61
2. Ten Key Challenges for Practice 63
The challenges of professionals working together 64
Understanding communication 72
Authority, and the challenges of partnerships with parents, carers and children 74
Partnerships with men 78
Partnerships with children 79
Worker challenges from the work 84
Hostage theory (Stanley and Goddard 1997) 86
Leadership challenges 87
Thresholds, eligibility criteria and assessment practice 89
Barriers and blocks to identifying and managing risk 93
The challenges of evidence-based practice 97
What evidence can be brought before the court? 99
Critical thinking 104
Errors and their impact on workers and outcomes 107
The exercise of professional judgments 112
Defensible and sensible decision-making 121
3. Risk Unravelled 126
The evolving nature of risk 126
Risk definitions 128
Eliminating or totally controlling risk in social work is impossible 132
Risk deletion 134
The omission of risk 137
Risk in the multidisciplinary network 138
Risk factors 141
Subjective notions of risk 150
Integrating not separating 151
Static, stable and dynamic risk factors 152
Rotational Risk (Calder 2007) 157
Atomistic or holistic approaches 159
Time and risk 161
Risk to staff 162
Young people’s perceptions of risk 164
Risk and gender 165
4. Risk Assessment 168
What is assessment? 168
The stepwise model to the framework for assessment 173
Structured decision-making 178
Case formulation 179
The assessment framework – risk-averse and perpetrator friendly 181
What is a risk assessment? 183
Likelihood 187
Strengths-based approaches 190
Forensic not therapeutic 196
Checklist of risk assessment information required 200
A model for risk assessment (Brearley 1982) 202
Chronology construction 202
Interagency chronology 203
Reassessment of risk 212
How to judge whether a risk assessment tool is fit for purpose 213
Essential ingredients of a risk assessment tool 213
Evidence-based assessment 214
Analysis 217
Risk management 223
