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This assignment will critically evaluate theories of risk, and consider the approaches to practice for the role of a local authority social worker in the identification, assessment and management of risk of social work with children, young people and families. There will be consideration given to the impact of social work practice on service users and carers including my understanding of anti-discriminatory and anti-oppressive practice.

The idiom ‘damned if you do and damned if you don’t’ is a definitive climax of the dilemmas that social workers are faced with daily within their professional role. It could be argued that in reference to the culmination of tragedies reported by the media, more prevalently in the death of children, for example Peter Connolly namely (Baby P), social workers are perceived by the public extremely negatively.

It could be said that the general public lack the understanding of what the social work role truly involves. And the media contribute to this by highlighting the failings. It could be argued that ‘people fear what they do not understand’ as reported online in the (Guardian, 2010). Hence social workers are ‘Damned if they do and damned if they don’t’

The Children Act 1989, states local authority social workers are required to support and work with parents and carers to meet the needs of their children; promoting their welfare whilst safeguarding them from harm (Howarth, 2010). What this means practically for social workers is the continual dealing with the balancing of ‘care’ versus ‘control’ Thus this is not always welcomed and social workers are perceived as interfering.

Local authority social workers are guided by the Framework for Assessment of Children in Need and their Families (Department of Health et al, 2000), which will be discussed in more detail later. This is based on the ecological model, which emphasise the importance of understanding the world of the child. This process involves



References: Adam, J (1995) Risk, London: UCL Press Adam, R., Dominelli, L Ball, D., Gill, T and Spiegal, B (2008) Managing Risk in Play Provision: Implementation guide, Nottingham: DCSF Publications. Beck, U (2005) Risk Society: Towards a new modernity. London: Sage Publications Ltd. Bellaby, p (1990) To risk or not to risk? Uses and limitations of Mary Douglas on risk acceptability for understanding health and safety at work and road accidents, Sociological Review, 30 (3), 465-83. Brammer, A (2010) Social Work Law (3rd Ed) Essex: Pearson Education Ltd. Campbell, J (2007) Assessing Dangerousness: Violence by Batterers and Child Abusers. New York: Springer. Carson, D and Bain, A (2008) Professional Risk and Working with People: Decision making in health, social care and criminal Justice. London: Jessica Kingsley. Culpitt, I. (1999) Social Policy and Risk, London: Sage Publications. Department of Education (2010)Working Together to Safeguard Children Guidance 2010 (online) accessed 12th December, 2012. Available at: https://www.education.gov.uk/publications/standard/publicationdetail/page1/DCSF-00305-2010. Department of Health, Department for Education and Employment and Home Office (2000) Framework for Assessment of Children in Need and their Families. London: The Stationery Office. Guardian (2012) How to Change Perceptions of Social Work in the Media (online) accessed on 12th December 2012. Available at: www.guardian.co.uk/social-care-network/social-life-blog/2012/nov/30/change-perceptions-social-work-media. Giddens, A (1999) ‘Risk and the runaway world’ in the Reith Lecture Revisited. London: London School of Economics. Green, D (1997) From National Health monopoly to National Health guarantee, D. Gladstone (ed.) How to Pay for Health care: Public and Private Alternatives. London: IEA Health and Welfare Unit. Harne, L (2009) Domestic violence and safeguarding children: the use of systematic risk identification and assessment in private law proceedings by family court advisors: a pilot study. Bristol: University of Bristol and Cafcass. Hawkes, S (2011) The Assessment of Need and Assessment of Risk: The Challenges for Child Protection (online) accessed on the 12th December 2010. Available at: http://www.sheffield.ac.uk/polopoly_fs/1.71407!/file/8hawkes.pdf. Hope, T and Sparks, R (2000) Crime, Risk and insecurity. London: Routledge. Hothersall, S, J and Mass-Lowit, M (2011) Need, Risk and Protection in Social Work Practice. Exeter: Learning Matters. Howarth, J (2010) The Childs World. (2nd Ed) London: Jessica Kinglsey Publisher. Hoyle, C (2008) "Will she be safe? A critical analysis of risk assessment in domestic violence cases". In Children and Youth Services Review, 30 (2008) 323 - 337. HM Government (2010) Working Together to Safeguard Children: A Guide to Inter-Agency Working to Safeguard and Promote the Welfare of Children. London: Stationary Office. Howarth, J (2010) The Childs World (2nd Ed) London: Jessica Kingsley Publishers. International Federation of Social Work (2012) Definition of Social Work.(Online) Available at: http://ifsw.org/policies/definition-of-social-work. Accessed on the 27th of December 2012. Kemshall, H (2002) Risk, Social Policy and Welfare. Buckingham: Open University Press. Local Authority and Social Services Act (1970)(online) Available at: http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1970/42 Accessed 22nd December 2012 McClosky, L. Figueredo, A and Koss, P (1995) ‘The effects of systemic family violence on children’s mental health’ Child Development. 66 (5) 1239-1261. Parton, N., Thorpe, D. and Wattam, C (1997) Child Protection: Risk and the Moral Order, Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan. Parton, N (1998) Risk advanced liberalism and child welfare: the need to rediscover uncertainty and ambiguity. British Journal of Social Work, 33(1), p. 1-16. Prins, H (1999) Will they do it again: Risk Assessment and Management in Criminal Justice and Psychiatry, London: Routledge Stanford, S The Orange Book (2004) Management of Risk- Principles and Concepts. London: HM Treasury. Watts, B (2008) What are todays new Social Evils? The results of a web consultation. York: Joseph Rowntree Publications. Walker, S and Beckett, C (2004) Social work assessment and intervention. Lyme Regis: Russell House Publishing. Webb, A. (2006) Social Work in a Risk Society: Social and Political Perspectives, Hampshire. Palgrave Macmillan. Yekwai, D. (1988). British racism, miseducation and the Afrikan child. London: Karnak.

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