1. Assessing the Quality of DecisionAssessing the Quality of
Decision Making in Child Protection:Making in Child Protection: A
cross-country studyA cross-country study Marit Skivenes, Jonathan
Dickens, Tarja Ps, Jill BerrickMarit Skivenes, Jonathan Dickens,
Tarja Ps, Jill Berrick Edinburgh, ScotlandEdinburgh, Scotland
BASPCANBASPCAN April, 2015April, 2015 Legitimacy and Fallibility in
Child Welfare ServicesLegitimacy and Fallibility in Child Welfare
Services
2. Structure of the workshopStructure of the workshop The
research projectThe research project Part 1:Part 1: The key
findings on social workersThe key findings on social workers
perceptions of time and institutional supportperceptions of time
and institutional support for their decisionsfor their decisions
Part 2:Part 2: International research: challenges andInternational
research: challenges and opportunitiesopportunities Legitimacy and
Fallibility in Child Welfare ServicesLegitimacy and Fallibility in
Child Welfare Services
3. The research projectThe research project Legitimacy and
Fallibility in Child WelfareLegitimacy and Fallibility in Child
Welfare Services A cross country study ofServices A cross country
study of decision-makingdecision-making Social workersSocial
workers CourtsCourts Different child welfare systemsDifferent child
welfare systems Funded by Norwegian Research CouncilFunded by
Norwegian Research Council in 2012-2016 with Marit Skivenes as PIin
2012-2016 with Marit Skivenes as PI Legitimacy and Fallibility in
Child Welfare ServicesLegitimacy and Fallibility in Child Welfare
Services
4. PART 1PART 1 Research findings on time andResearch findings
on time and supportsupport
5. MethodsMethods On-line surveyOn-line survey Front-line child
protection staff that haveFront-line child protection staff that
have experienceexperience withwith care order proceedingscare order
proceedings N = 772N = 772 Norway = 367Norway = 367 Finland =
208Finland = 208 England = 102England = 102 California =
84California = 84 Completed between February and June
2014.Completed between February and June 2014. Legitimacy and
Fallibility in Child Welfare ServicesLegitimacy and Fallibility in
Child Welfare Services
6. Questions and responsesQuestions and responses The questions
we are focusing on today:The questions we are focusing on today:
How long from time of informing parents until theHow long from time
of informing parents until the court application is made?court
application is made? Do workers have sufficient time for solid
decisionDo workers have sufficient time for solid decision
making?making? What authorization and assessment processesWhat
authorization and assessment processes review appropriateness of
decisions?review appropriateness of decisions? Legitimacy and
Fallibility in Child Welfare ServicesLegitimacy and Fallibility in
Child Welfare Services
7. Departure from the sameDeparture from the same situation:
Case vignettesituation: Case vignette You are working with a boy
Alex who is 5 (11) years oldYou are working with a boy Alex who is
5 (11) years old and whose family has received in-home services
over aand whose family has received in-home services over a period
of time. The case includes parental substanceperiod of time. The
case includes parental substance abuse, previous domestic violence,
and general neglect.abuse, previous domestic violence, and general
neglect. The circumstances of the case have deteriorated
recentlyThe circumstances of the case have deteriorated recently to
such an extent that you are concerned that the boys riskto such an
extent that you are concerned that the boys risk of harm is high.
You are starting preparations for care orderof harm is high. You
are starting preparations for care order proceedings with a view to
removing Alex from his parents,proceedings with a view to removing
Alex from his parents, and you have an interview with the parents
to inform themand you have an interview with the parents to inform
them about this. The parents are opposing a removal of Alex.about
this. The parents are opposing a removal of Alex. Legitimacy and
Fallibility in Child Welfare ServicesLegitimacy and Fallibility in
Child Welfare Services
8. Time for Decision MakingTime for Decision Making Would you
have sufficient time to prepare a care order (the Alex case in
theWould you have sufficient time to prepare a care order (the Alex
case in the vignette) to your satisfaction? (N=756)vignette) to
your satisfaction? (N=756) Finland Norway England California All %
(N) % (N) % (N) % (N) % (N) Yes 24 % 37 % 52 % 43 % 36 % No 68 % 46
% 45 % 49 % 53 % I dont know 8 % 17 % 3 % 8 % 12 % Total % N 100
(208) 100 (363) 100 (97) 100 (88) 100 (756) Legitimacy and
Fallibility in Child Welfare ServicesLegitimacy and Fallibility in
Child Welfare Services
9. Time workers spend on the Alex case (theTime workers spend
on the Alex case (the vignette)vignette) MEDIAN. Highest
n=653MEDIAN. Highest n=653 Country A. Time spent, from informing
the parents of the possibility until decision is made. B. Time
spent, from decision about sending application until the
application is sent. Finland 10 (4-6 weeks) 11 (7-9 weeks) Norway
11 (7-9 weeks) 11 (7-9 weeks) England 5 (5 days) 6 (6 days) US 3
(72 hours) 3 (72 hours) Legitimacy and Fallibility in Child Welfare
ServicesLegitimacy and Fallibility in Child Welfare Services
10. Time summaryTime summary Same case scenario very different
lengthSame case scenario very different length on the preparations
for proceedingson the preparations for proceedings The time spent
on care order decision makingThe time spent on care order decision
making follows the system expectationsfollows the system
expectations Although Nordic countriesAlthough Nordic countries
havehave more time,more time, they feel the press of time more
acutely.they feel the press of time more acutely. What can this
tell us about the solidness ofWhat can this tell us about the
solidness of the decisions made?the decisions made? Legitimacy and
Fallibility in Child Welfare ServicesLegitimacy and Fallibility in
Child Welfare Services
11. How confident are you inHow confident are you inon cases
about seeking care orders in court? Mean responses. (1 = Highly
confident, 5 = very skeptical). N=758Mean responses. (1 = Highly
confident, 5 = very skeptical). N=758 Fin Nor Eng US The decisions
you make 1,76 1,68 2,47 1,61 The decisions your colleagues make
1,96 1,86 2,69 2,38 The decisions your managers make 1,95 1,76 2,76
2,2 Legitimacy and Fallibility in Child Welfare ServicesLegitimacy
and Fallibility in Child Welfare Services
12. Who authorizes your decision?Who authorizes your decision?
Supervisors & senior managers almostSupervisors & senior
managers almost always noted.always noted. Finns more often
indicated peers,Finns more often indicated peers, parents, and
children than staff in otherparents, and children than staff in
other countries.countries. England & CA more often noted the
role ofEngland & CA more often noted the role of
attorneys.attorneys. Legitimacy and Fallibility in Child Welfare
ServicesLegitimacy and Fallibility in Child Welfare Services
13. DiscussionDiscussion Frameworks for decision making are
different acrossFrameworks for decision making are different across
countries. Tight timelines in CA and England; morecountries. Tight
timelines in CA and England; more flexible timeframes in Finland
and Norway. Timeflexible timeframes in Finland and Norway. Time
follows system lines.follows system lines. Most staff feel the
press of time; the Finns mostMost staff feel the press of time; the
Finns most acutely.acutely. Degree of confidence varies; the
Norwegians standDegree of confidence varies; the Norwegians stand
out have high degree of confidenceout have high degree of
confidence Child welfare decision making is weighty. No oneChild
welfare decision making is weighty. No one makes these decisions
alone. But we wouldmakes these decisions alone. But we would
characterize the English and CA institutional supportscharacterize
the English and CA institutional supports as more vertical, and the
Norwegian and Finnishas more vertical, and the Norwegian and
Finnish institutional supports as more horizontal.institutional
supports as more horizontal. Legitimacy and Fallibility in Child
Welfare ServicesLegitimacy and Fallibility in Child Welfare
Services
14. PART 2PART 2 International research:
challengesInternational research: challenges and opportunitiesand
opportunities
15. Questions arising from aQuestions arising from a
cross-country approach:cross-country approach: The challenges
of:The challenges of: designing a cross-national vignettedesigning
a cross-national vignette Language, e.g. who authorizes your
decisions?,Language, e.g. who authorizes your decisions?, childrens
participationchildrens participation system differences on for
example what is consideredsystem differences on for example what is
considered a care order, abuse, providing in-home services,a care
order, abuse, providing in-home services, Defining a moment when a
family separation occursDefining a moment when a family separation
occurs Separating the policy and practiceSeparating the policy and
practice Interpretations of findingsInterpretations of findings
Often huge variations within country sampleOften huge variations
within country sample Explorative research designExplorative
research design InterdisciplinaryInterdisciplinary Legitimacy and
Fallibility in Child Welfare ServicesLegitimacy and Fallibility in
Child Welfare Services
16. The bigger questions?The bigger questions? The whole object
of travel is not to set foot onThe whole object of travel is not to
set foot on foreign land; it is at last to set foot on ones
ownforeign land; it is at last to set foot on ones own country as a
foreign land. (G. K. Chesterton)country as a foreign land. (G. K.
Chesterton) Do international comparative studies challengeDo
international comparative studies challenge our preconceptions or
reinforce them?our preconceptions or reinforce them? What are the
opportunities for learning acrossWhat are the opportunities for
learning across systems?systems? What are the similarities across
countries andWhat are the similarities across countries and across
systems?across systems? Legitimacy and Fallibility in Child Welfare
ServicesLegitimacy and Fallibility in Child Welfare Services