Ethical Social Work Practice Report: Analyzing Jenny's Case Scenario

This report analyzes a case study involving a 15-year-old girl named Jenny who has been in the child protection system since the age of two. The report, written from the perspective of a Child Safety Officer, examines the ethical considerations and challenges in providing care to Jenny, who has experienced instability in residential care and struggles with emotional issues, drug use, and behavioral problems. It explores questions of cost, eligibility for residential care, and individual treatment plans. The report outlines the process of investigation, including inquiries into Jenny's background, family dynamics, and the roles of various professionals involved in her care. It emphasizes the importance of ethical practice, assessing Jenny's needs, and considering her desires for future support, advocating for a therapeutic model of care and exploring career opportunities. The report highlights the need for child safety officers to handle cases with responsibility and a focus on the well-being of the young people under their care.

Running head: ETHICAL SOCIAL WORK PRACTICE
ETHICAL SOCIAL WORK PRACTICE
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

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Scenario Report
The sceneraio is associated with 10 to 17 year old young people who are on
protective orders. Following to it, a case of 15 year old woman Jenny, is acknowledged by
me. The woman has been in care since when she was in the age of 2 years old. It is to
mention that her mother moved to a town located in central NSW leaving Jenny behind. The
aspects of the scenario reveals the lack of interaction with her mother as well as her siblings.
The report further reflects the unstable and uncertain situation of Jenny’s time in residential
care. It is evidently reported that Jenny has been involved in cases that includes the breaching
rules and drug use. The report further highlights her anger issues that were directed to the
workers. However, it is revealed that the Residential Care facility did struggle in providing
support to Jenny provided with the fact that she often involved herself into convoluted fights
and conflicts with the other residents. Scenario reflects that Jenny having being growing up
without mother’s love and care, it was now impossible for her to behave gentle with others as
she never knew how to handle circumstances. Furthermore, it is observed that Jenny as per
her age, it is quite difficult for her to handle circumstances very gently and maturely.
Therefore, it appears to be obvious that she would remain messed up with every happenings
in her life. As per the case study, it shows that Jenny at certain point of time was doing good
in her academics, especially in grade 9. Remarkably, it is observed that Jenny happens to
attend school regularly. Like any other aspirants, she also had a wish to complete her high
school. It is to mention that she has good communication skills provided with the fact that she
retained a good relationship with her Female English Teacher. In addition, she is inclined
towards writing fictional stories. The problem statement is Jenny, being under care by the
Residential care staffs, she happens to expose herself towards anxieties issues. And further
makes her involved in issues related to drugs, fights and many other convoluted issues. In
fact, due to such acts she has been to taken to emergency department of local hospitals.

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Following it, she also happen to remain involved in multiple police cases. However, apart
from her case histories, when she was asked what changes would want to have. She replied
she would like to see her mother by herself but would not want to be pampered as little kid
rather than as a teenager. Therefore, she further says to would rather want one of her
residential workers. It is to mention that the scenario report reflects that Jenny has been called
emotionally disturbed and the fact that she been taken care under Residential treatment for
being an emotionally disturbed adolescents.
Questions that concern the case study
The case study emerges out to be one of the controversial subjects as it involves the
confrontation of psychologists, legislators, social workers and general public. There are many
questions that concerns the case study, such as How must does it cost? Which adolescents are
properly eligible candidates to receive residential care? Do residential treatment plans
involves the plans of individual treatments? Is the residential care potential enough to handle
individuals like Jenny?
The study will address some of these question through the processof comprehensive
examination. The process will e assessed n the basis of the case study of a fifteen year old
woman who is taken care by the residential staff. The paper develops an emphasis on the
analysis on the cost of care and provides an in depth analysis of the development of Jenny’s
behavioural patterns since her childhood, when she was around 2 years old. It is to mention
that the mentioned questions are important because of number of children who are involved
in such a system. Thereby, the question is primarily directed to the social workers and the
issues related to the professional accountability.

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Identification of the problems
Residential treatment is identified through facilitation of the services of treatment to
the children who are removed by their own family members. The treatment differs from
person to person as it involves the child’s current experiences in the course of living.
However, while reading the records, it is understood that the scenraio requires an enquiry or
the assessment of a questionnaire round which is necessary. The process would would help
me get information regarding the child (Mathews, 2015). The information will involve basic
family background, chronology history of her placements, total cost of care and also the
responsibilities and the roles who are involved in the case. The entire system includes the
social service agency staff, legal counsel and court staff and also medical personnel.
As per my opinion, there are certain inherent issues that is witnessed in the residential
setting. In additions, through the behavioural pattern of Jenny, it is revealed that jenny suffers
in emotional deprivation. A disturbed individual has all the modified conflicts of an
individual provided with the fact that she lacked scope to develop her social skills practices.
In most of the cases, these kind of individuals are offered to return to their parents in order to
recover from the problems that he or she is facing. It is believed that family attachment does
help as remedial purposes (Mathews, 2015). In most of the times, it is witnessed that parents
provide children with suitable or right environment so that they can grow healthy and
responsible in the course of their adulthood. However, as per the report it is observed that
though Jenny wants to see her mother, yet she is afraid that she might treat her like a child
(Mathews, 2015). As per the reports, it shows that Jenny, ultimately does not expects her
mother to be the way she would like her to be. Therefore, she further decides to want to see
one of her residential workers. (Mathews, 2015)

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The process of enquiring and investigation
The entire assessment includes the process of talking and seeing each individual
regarding the concerns of the Jenny’s issues and conflicts with the other resident workers.
The entire process of enquiring completed with the help of potential investigation.
Furthermore, at times further future departmental contact t is required.
The assessment of enquiry taken by the child protection system aims to protect at-risk
children from abuse and neglect. In case of Jenny, the issues majorly arises from the neglect
or lack of attention and care. The frame work of the Child Safety department in the context of
the assessment of the questionnaire round or enquiry system happens to be recognized in
demonstrating the most excellent casework skills (Mathews, 2015). The case study of fifteen
year old woman is further guided through group meeting in which the other residential
workers are involved. Through the discussion, further evaluations are made. With the help of
structured framework of the investigation session, the process of decision making is carried
forward. It is to mention that being a Child Safety Officer, it is our duty to perform with a
sense of responsibility along with prioritized goals and objectives that are associated with the
facilitation of protection to young people or children. With a thorough analysis of the
scenario report, I took the survey forward that would ensure the protection or the safety of the
child. Through the survey, certain decisions are made regarding the safety of the child. It is
witnessed that education plays an important role in understanding the values and virtues. It
further enhances the educational opportunities and help the students or the learners to
participate in the sphere of taking up suitable careers (Whittaker et al, 2016).
The Assessment of the Role of Child Safety Officer
The workforce strategy in the dynamics of providing support to the objectives of child
Safety Officers involves the children in making theme return to their homes. It is to mention

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that when children at a very young age are removed from their home to residential care, the
government takes care of the children by ensuring the responsibility of the social workers
who have access to mental health care services and also provides better life opportunities
(Whittaker et al, 2016). As per the case study of fifteen year old woman, Jenny, there will be
further assessment of the comprehensive health and development that requires to be checked
and attained with three moths of placement (Mathews, 2015). The process further extends to
the access to specialist services for young people within an arena of the system of child
protection. The facilitation of residential care are the major concern that the child Safety
officers has been facing to retain the sustainability of Queensland’s child protection system
and its services (Whittaker et al, 2016). And the fact that Queensland uses a wide range of
placements hubs or cells for young people who are removed from their families or are unable
to stay with their families. The placement cells are recognized by the centres such as
Residential care.
Evaluations
In case of Jenny, the fifteen year old woman, it is observed that she stays in one of the
most cost- effective placement that involves intensive care, or one may say family based care.
As per the research, it is to mention that the residential care in which Jenny is living, there
should be focus on certain goals that are associated with careers. Following, training rounds
and behavioural lessons as well as ethical values are to be encourages under the system
(Mathews, 2015). As per the concerns of the role of social workers in the residential care unit
team, it is to mention that the workers must strictly understand the psychology of the children
or the young people staying in and shape up them patiently by imparting educational lessons
and values (Whittaker et al, 2016). However, in the context of the case study, I would
introduce certain therapeutic model of care that would help Jenny, in improving her mental
health. The therapeutic model further improves the control anxiety issues (Whittaker et al,

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2016). With the records of her academic performance and also the love for writing fictional
stories, I suggest to encourage her towards the exploring of suitable career that would further
guide her into having a safe house (Mathews, 2015).
Ethical practice and responsiveness
As per the guidance and responsibility of a Child Safety Officer, it is to mention that
the ethical practice is essentially required in the course of assessment the enquiry system. The
ethical practices are identified though behavioural patterns. Being in the profession of Child
safety, it is understood that we are always engaged in the safety concerns of a child or young
people. The major responsibility of being a Child Safety officer is conducting surveys and
enquiries in accordance with the ethical behaviour (Whittaker et al, 2016). The profession is
associated with the safety concerns of a child. Thereby, the circumstances related to
individuals like Jenny are required to be handled gently. As per the reports of Jenny, it is
established that Jenny has been away from her mother since childhood. However, she is not
emotionally attached to her mother anymore. This is because she herself has engaged into so
many unwanted and unfavorable situation that it has become very difficult for her to return
with composed and sorted mind when she is immensely involved in drugs issues, accidents,
fight and injuries. In such situations, she needs to be taken care by the mental health social
workers (Mathews, 2015). The scenario report reflects psychological shift at the end of the
report that is the moment when she was asked what would she wan (Whittaker et al, 2016)t.
Her first reply was to see mother however, due to lack of interaction and attention from her
mother, she now feels alienated. And then she becomes disinterested. She further goes back
to the same place where she grew up with the accompaniment of the social workers.

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References:
Mathews, B. (2015). Report for Queensland Department of Communities, Child Safety and
Disability Services (Doctoral dissertation, University of Newcastle).
Tucker-Evans, M. COTA Queensland. policy, 7(3316), 2999.
Whittaker, J. K., Holmes, L., del Valle, J. F., Ainsworth, F., Andreassen, T., Anglin, J., ... &
Courtney, M. (2016). Therapeutic residential care for children and youth: A consensus
statement of the international work group on therapeutic residential care. Residential
Treatment for Children & Youth, 33(2), 89-106.