Impact of Child Protection and Safeguarding Policy on Children and Families

This report analyzes the impact of Child Protection and Safeguarding policy since 2010 on children, families and implications for those working in children services. It focuses on 'Policy should be about supporting practitioners, children and families to flourish.' The report discusses the necessity of having a policy in place for safeguarding and protecting children, principles that should be used to improve outcomes for children and their families, elements that should be included in a policy that focuses on supporting practitioners, children and families to flourish, reasons for developing policies that ensure the flourishing of children, families and child welfare workers, and the impact of such policies on children and families.

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Early Childhood Studies
Name
Course
Professor’s Name
Institutional
Date

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Table of Contents
Introduction......................................................................................................................................3
Why do you think it is necessary to have a policy in place on safeguarding and protecting
children?.......................................................................................................................................4
What principles do you think should be used so that there is improved outcomes for children
and their families?........................................................................................................................4
What do you think should be included in a policy that focuses on supporting practitioners,
children and families to flourish ?................................................................................................5
What reasons would make it necessary for the development of policies that ensure the
flourishing of children, families and child welfare workers?......................................................7
How do you think a policy that supports the floushing of children, families and child welfare
workers would impact children?..................................................................................................8
How do you think a policy which encourages the flourishing of children, families and child
protective agencies would impact the families?..........................................................................9
How do you think a policy which encourages the flourishing of children, families and child
protective agencies would impact the child welfare and protection agencies?..........................10
Conclusion.....................................................................................................................................10
References......................................................................................................................................12

EARLY CHILDHOOD STUDIES 3
Analyze the impact of Child Protection and Safeguarding policy since 2010 on children,
families and implications for those working in children services. Focus on ‘Policy should be
about supporting practitioners, children and families to flourish.’
Introduction
In the current world, it is becoming more frequent to hear about cases of child abuse.
These cases are worse because the families who are supposed to protect these children are
broken. Also, the practitioners who work in child services are not as efficient as they should be
thus they do not protect the children (Munro 2011). It’s no surprise that the family is the
foundation of a child’s well-being. Children who grow up in warm, nurturing and stable
households gain a lot of positives. From childhood to teenage years and all through adulthood,
these kids are fitter, show less behavioural issues, partake in drug use less commonly, do well at
school and while they are employed, and are less probable to end up being arrested and in jail.
Also, in the case where the kid does not have a regular family setting, for their good, there are
child protective services. These agencies will ensure that the children will be okay and safe.
They also find families who can take in these children and foster the ensuring their lives are
influenced positively (Doyle Jr 2008). Thus to make sure that the good of the child is always in
the foreground, policies should be developed to cover this. This is a report of a conversation I
had with a fellow early childhood undergraduate academic where we discussed intensely on how
policies which focus on supporting practitioners, children and families to flourish influences
children and their families and also its implications to those in child welfare services.

EARLY CHILDHOOD STUDIES 4
Why do you think it is necessary to have a policy in place for safeguarding and protecting
children?
In my opinion, it is necessary for such a policy to be in place because it is a reality that
there are children who are being abused right now and this policy will aid them. Also, it will act
as an intervention in cases where the abuse can predict thus making it possible to protect the
children from harm. Such a policy will provide a framework which can prevent and fight against
various forms of abuse. Also, in my view, will act as a deterrence for those who abuse children
as the policy sets out steps to be taken in such case. Hence they will know the penalties they will
face if caught. It is my opinion that people will not want to face these penalties and this avoid
abusing their children (Ferguson and Norton 2011).
Also, as the policy is compiled in a public document, many people will know about its
contents. Thus this will ensure that the children know their rights and what steps to take when
they are faced with abuse. It also sets out a clear chain of command to follow to ensure that every
child’s rights are protected and safeguarded. Finally, according to me, a policy will let everyone
know what their responsibility is in the matter of child protection and safeguarding (Parton
2010).
What principles do you think should be used so that there are improved outcomes for
children and their families when developing child protection policies?
According to him, there are various principles which can help those coming up with
policies to develop them to benefit children, families and those working in child welfare to
flourish. The first principle is that everyone should know that the safety of children is all of their
responsibility. He said that it would ensure that each person knows they have a role to play in
ensuring children flourish, from their families to those who work in child welfare. The second

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principle is that parents or guardians of children should be respected and be included in decisions
that concern their families. In his opinion, when there is respect for the parents and agencies who
work with children, I would ensure that there is communication between concerned parties and
that everything done will benefit everyone (Healy and Darlington 2009).
The next principle is that he said that there should be accountability. It will ensure that
when these policies are implemented every concerned party will be held accountable for their
actions. They should know that when they break the rules, there are consequences. It should also
ensure that the institutions that care for children are continually assessed for their ability to care
for the children (Darlington, Healy and Feeney 2010). Also, he said another principle
acknowledges that every child and family has a distinctive set of fortes and issues and thus
creates protection policies that enhance those fortes while solving the problems. Hence this will
ensure that families in different situations benefit from it entirely and therefore it is not
discriminatory. The next principle according to him is to ensure that there will be interagency
cooperation. It would ensure that all sectors concerned with the child are involved regarding
coming up with policies that protect the child’s interests and ensure that all parties are involved
(Gilbert, Parton and Skivenes 2011).
What do you think should be included in a policy that focuses on supporting practitioners,
children and families to flourish?
In my view, such a policy should contain various elements to make it as useful as possible and
thus serve its purpose. Some of these include; it should raise awareness of issues involved in
child protection and safeguard among those around the children. Also ensuring children have
skills and methods, they will use so that they can stay safe. I see this as necessary because it
makes sure that everyone involved knows what dangers the child might face, and when they see

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this, they can intervene. Also, if there is no adult around the child can take steps to protect
themselves (Fattore, Mason and Watson 2009). The next element I thought should be included in
the policy is it should give an environment where children and teenagers feel that they are safe,
protected, respected and have the freedom to approach adults in case of any problems. With this
environment, children who are in danger of abuse or have unstable home environment have a
place to go when all things go wrong. They will also feel free to let know those adults when they
do not feel safe at home, and thus interventions can take place. I also thought those adults who
interact with children at different institutions like schools and community centres had been
vetted for their suitability. In my opinion, this ensures that the children are safe from predators
who take advantage of this access to abuse children. Thus by vetting them, it ensures that those
in contact with children such as teachers have the best interest of kids in mind (Livingstone,
Haddon, Görzi and Ólafsson 2011).
Another element that according to me should be included in the policy is the training of
child welfare workers and even those adults around the children on how to recognise, respond to
and give help to those children and adults that are vulnerable. These children and adults may be
in need of safeguarding, and thus when these people are adequately trained, they can get
interventions in time. It will also help those working in child protective services to do their work
well and prevent incidences where children in need are overlooked (Roberts 2017). The policy,
in my view, should also provide a framework for reporting cases of abuse in families. This will
ensure that there is a procedure to follow when there are cases, and thus nothing will fall through
the cracks when they are reported. It will result in all those facing abuse getting help as fast as
possible. It will also ensure there is accountability in the system (Zolotor et al 2009). Another
essential part of the policy is that it should include ways to give support to families who have

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problems and challenges. When this is provided, in my view, it will reduce cases of neglect as
the families will know where to go for support when they are facing challenges. With this type of
support, it will ensure that they can have a shot at succeeding and flourishing in future. Finally, I
thought the policy should involve ways in which bodies engaged in child protection can work
together to make this happen. It will make it easier if they have a working relationship as it
would ensure that everything works smoothly and faster. It would benefit these agencies and
child protective services as it would make their work more accessible if they work in
collaboration (Warmington, Edwards, Gallagher, Leadbetter and Daniels 2009).
What reasons would make it necessary for the development of policies that ensure the
flourishing of children, families and child welfare workers?
According to him, there various reasons that necessitate the creation of such policies. Some of
these reasons include; first is the most common cause which is the increased cases of child
abuse. There are various kinds of abuse that a child could face, physical abuse, sexual abuse,
neglect and emotional abuse. Physical abuse is where the child is beaten and battered causing
them bodily harm. Sexual abuse is where the child is sexually assaulted especially by those
around them who are meant to keep them safe. Neglect is where a child’s basic needs are not
provided by those who are meant to do so and also when no one prevents the child from being
harmed. Emotional abuse is where psychological distress is intentionally inflicted on a child
(Munro 2010). According to current research, he said that an average of four children loses their
lives daily in America due to child abuse and neglect. Also, 1 in every 58 children face some
abuse in America; this results in 1.25 million children suffering some abuse (DuMont et.al
2008). Another reason he gave for the creation of these policies is that when children experience
abuse and exploitation, they get traumatised. They are adversely affected by these situations.

EARLY CHILDHOOD STUDIES 8
According to him, it would impact the development and growth of the child negatively when
they are abused hence the need o this policy to prevent this. It would reduce the chance of
children facing long-term effect of abuse when the policies are used right to prevent cases of
abuse or to intervene where abuse is already occurring. Currently, according to him, every year
approximately more than three million cases of referrals are made to child protective services.
Ths translates to more than six million children reported (Sedlak et al 2010).
Another reason why he thought these policies need to be formulated is to regulate those
agencies meant to protect children. Most of the agencies, he said, which are supposed to protect
children do not do so efficiently, and thus many children face abuse even if their cases have been
reported to these agencies. Therefore the policies will be able to hold them accountable, and it
will provide a clear framework on how to handle cases of child abuse. He gave an example of
statistics showing that of the more than six million cases of child abuse reported to the agencies
yearly, only less than half of that was investigated and dealt with. It is a worrying statistic thus
necessitating the policy on child protection and safeguarding (Lonne, Parton, Thomson and
Harries 2008).
How do you think a policy that supports the flourishing of children, families and child
welfare workers would impact children?
My thoughts on this were that such a policy would have various effects on a child. Some of the
effects include; first children would feel safe because such a policy is meant to protect them.
This policy provides precise ways in which they are protected in every way possible, and in case
there is abuse they have a way in which they can ask for and receive the help they require.
Another impact is that children are given skills on how to deal with any difficulties they face.
Thus whenever they get in trouble, the children would know what to do even if no adult is

EARLY CHILDHOOD STUDIES 9
present. Therefore ensuring that they are not too vulnerable. Next, in my view, those children
who have been removed from an abusive environment are guaranteed not to be put in similar
situations. With this policy, all the adults who will be around the child need to be vetted for
suitability.hence when they are placed with foster families or group homes, it ensures they are
not in danger of being abused once more. It will hold everyone accountable for their action hence
ensuring that the child is safe after the intervention (Forrester and Harwin 2011).
How do you think a policy which encourages the flourishing of children, families and child
protective agencies would impact the families?
He said that in his opinion that such a policy would have both positive and negative effects on
families. The first effect he spoke about is that as the policy was designed to protect children at
all cost, the adults around the child face a lot of scrutinies even when it's not necessary. Every
action is suspicious even without merit hence making it difficult to parent children anymore. As
most hospitals have to log in children who are brought in with injuries so that it can be
investigated if it’s a case of abuse, it sometimes makes it hard for the parent. Thus it will
sometimes cause the parents avoid hospitals as they do not want to be scrutinised (Lewig, Arney
and Salveron 2010). According to him, there have been many cases where an explainable injury
has been mistaken for child abuse. Thus many parents feel that they will be seen as guilty of
abuse until proven innocent (Guterman, Lee, Taylor and Rathouz 2009). On the other hand, he
said that it would positively influence families in that in the policy there is a stipulation where
they will get support when they feel they are facing a lot of challenges. According to him, the
families can use it when it gets too much for them. Hence, they can get the support until they can
make get back on their feet. It results in a reduction of cases of neglect and abuse as everyone is
happy and supported (Garbarino 2017).

EARLY CHILDHOOD STUDIES 10
How do you think a policy which encourages the flourishing of children, families and child
protective agencies would impact the child welfare and protection agencies?
In my view, such a policy would impact child protective agencies in many ways such as;
one as the policy gives way for people to report cases of abuse, they will be able to gather much
information on child abuse. It provides a clearer picture of what is happening, and the dangers
children are facing. Thus, I think this would provide them with information that will aid in
creating interventions against these cases of abuse and thus reducing the incidences as much as
possible. An increase in reporting of child abuse cases does not mean that there is an upsurge in
child abuse, it means that more and more people are no longer tolerating it (Barry 2003). Another
impact I think this policy would have is that it would help while looking for good, trustworthy
employees who put the interest of children first. As this policy stipulates on how people should
be vetted for their suitability to interact with children, it will ensure the safety of the children.
When the employees are good, and there are cases reported on the abuse, they will ensure to
investigate 100% of the cases. Hence this will prevent cases where some cases are just ignored
without investigation because employees feel it’s not that serious or is plain lazy. All in all the
agency and children will benefit (Forrester, McCambridge, Waissbein and Rollnick 2008).
Conclusion
In conclusion, child abuse is a real problem in the whole world. There are a lot of cases
where their families abuse children. Abuse comes in many forms, not just physical abuse. The
children who are subjected to abuse will suffer the longterm effect of this. Therefore, policies
such as the child protection and safeguarding policy of 2010 should be implemented. According
to the conversation I had with my fellow academic, there is a lot to be considered when coming
up with policies especially when they concern children. There are principles which should be

EARLY CHILDHOOD STUDIES 11
considered while developing policies. Also, it should be noted that these policies will have
various impacts on all parties in the policy. There are two theoretical perspectives relevant to
early childhood that have been put into consideration while developing such a policy. The first
perspective is the interactionist’s view of child development. It is where the policy is made in
such a way that it involves the children in the solution. It considers children and their
environment and acknowledges that those around them affect them. Thus as a way of protecting
them, their environment should be vetted. They are also given skills so that they can defend
themselves (Hart 2013). Another view is the behaviourist view of child development. In the
policy, it accepts that those who are around they shape children. Hence why vetting those who
interact with them. Also, it shows why it is necessary to take children from a dangerous
environment and place them in good homes. It will influence their development positively if
those around them behave well (Shapiro and Stefkovich 2010).

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References
Barry, C., 2003. Effective Child Protection. Child & Family Social Work, 8(2).
Darlington, Y., Healy, K. and Feeney, J.A., 2010. Challenges in implementing
participatory practice in child protection: A contingency approach. Children and Youth
Services Review, 32(7).
Doyle Jr, J.J., 2008. Child protection and adult crime: Using investigator assignment to
estimate causal effects of foster care. Journal of political Economy, 116(4).
DuMont, K., Mitchell-Herzfeld, S., Greene, R., Lee, E., Lowenfels, A., Rodriguez, M.
and Dorabawila, V., 2008. Healthy Families New York (HFNY) randomized trial: Effects
on early child abuse and neglect. Child abuse & neglect, 32(3).
Fattore, T., Mason, J. and Watson, E., 2009. When children are asked about their well-
being: Towards a framework for guiding policy. Child Indicators Research, 2(1).
Ferguson, H. and Norton, J., 2011. Child protection practice. Palgrave Macmillan.
Forrester, D. and Harwin, J., 2011. Parents who misuse drugs and alcohol: Effective
interventions in social work and child protection (Vol. 30). John Wiley & Sons.
Forrester, D., McCambridge, J., Waissbein, C. and Rollnick, S., 2008. How do child and
family social workers talk to parents about child welfare concerns?. Child Abuse
Review, 17(1).
Garbarino, J., 2017. Children and Families in the Social Environment: Modern
Applications of Social Work. Routledge.

EARLY CHILDHOOD STUDIES 13
Gilbert, N., Parton, N. and Skivenes, M. eds., 2011. Child protection systems:
International trends and orientations. OUP USA.
Guterman, N.B., Lee, S.J., Taylor, C.A. and Rathouz, P.J., 2009. Parental perceptions of
neighborhood processes, stress, personal control, and risk for physical child abuse and
neglect. Child abuse & neglect, 33(12).
Hart, R.A., 2013. Children's participation: The theory and practice of involving young
citizens in community development and environmental care. Routledge.
Healy, K. and Darlington, Y., 2009. Service user participation in diverse child protection
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Lewig, K., Arney, F. and Salveron, M., 2010. Challenges to parenting in a new culture:
Implications for child and family welfare. Evaluation and program planning, 33(3).
Livingstone, S., Haddon, L., Görzig, A. and Ólafsson, K., 2011. Risks and safety on the
internet: the perspective of European children: full findings and policy implications from
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Munro, E., 2010. Learning to reduce risk in child protection. British Journal of Social
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Munro, E., 2011. The Munro review of child protection: Final report, a child-centred
system (Vol. 8062). The Stationery Office.

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Parton, N., 2010. Child protection and safeguarding in England: Changing and competing
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Roberts, H., 2017. Listening to children: And hearing them. In Research with children.
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Sedlak, A.J., Mettenburg, J., Basena, M., Peta, I., McPherson, K. and Greene, A., 2010.
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Department of Health and Human Services. Retrieved on July, 9, 2010.
Shapiro, J.P. and Stefkovich, J.A., 2010. Ethical leadership and decision making in
education: Applying theoretical perspectives to complex dilemmas. Routledge.
Warmington, P., Edwards, A., Gallagher, T., Leadbetter, J. and Daniels, H.,
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