Case Study on Social Work Law: Child Abuse and Legal Framework

This case study examines the situation of George Baxter, a 12-year-old boy suffering from learning disabilities and suspected child abuse. It applies social work law principles, particularly the Children Act 2004, to analyze the responsibilities of a social worker in such a case. The report outlines key interventions such as creating safe spaces, providing counselling, and advocating within the community. It also discusses the importance of reporting child abuse and consulting with child abuse prevention services. Furthermore, the report addresses ethical considerations and the role of statutory law in protecting minors, emphasizing the need for comprehensive treatment and support to mitigate the long-term impacts of child maltreatment. Desklib offers a wealth of resources, including past papers and solved assignments, to support students in understanding complex legal and social work issues.

SUMMATIVE
ASSESSMENT CASE
STUDY

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
REPORT..........................................................................................................................................1
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................4
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................5

INTRODUCTION
Social work law is basically refers to the legal aspects with regard to social work
practices through which one can understand general relationship among the justice system and
social work along with having complete knowledge about the rules and regulations that affects
an individual area of social work (Mathews and Collin-Vézina, 2019). This report is based upon
the case study which will illustrate certain aspects of social work law with the help of IRAC rule
in order to describe the concepts in detailed manner.
REPORT
According to the given case study, it has been identified that George Baxter who belongs
to African Caribbean which is a 12-year-old kid is suffering from learning disabilities. From last
few couples of weeks, George has facing certain growing concerns as he is not talking to other
children and also unable to concentrate within the classroom. He is also not feeling well as he
complained of feeling cold, looks very thin, dirty, dry skinned and having fresh bruises on his
inner thighs and buttocks. Hence, as a social worker, it is the responsibility of the nurse to
support him to their core in George's difficult situations and ensure him from any harmful
situations. Thus, she acted as an advocate or care taker of George and represent him in the court
in order to set out next steps that needs to be taken.
As a social worker, it has been evaluated by the nurse that this is a case of child abuse.
As per the Children Act 2004, abuses take various forms and child victims may experience it in
different ways. It is for both whether they are victim of violence or witnesses, even audibly, the
effects can lasts for lifetime. Living in continuous fear of being harmed can cause generalized
and severe anxiety among the children. Children of abuse may suffer from low self-esteem, act
out in school or react in the form of nightmares irritable or even sometimes feel depression. In
order to help such children s, the social workers are greatly helpful (Wangamati and et.al.,
2021). In the current case, the George has been handled by the social care worker or nurse by
taking certain significant steps in order to handle the situation and make him back towards the
normal.
 Creating safe spaces: The priority of social workers is to get the children to safety and
hence, for George, the nurse should create a place which is highly safe in nature. With
the help of community education coordinator, the nurse can use her empathy and cultural
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sensitivity to help him understand that he is not alone and the abuse he is facing is not his
fault. The nurse should also act as positive adult role model for him by representing
caring relationship along with the stable adults in his life who help the George to relieve
the stress at home. The community centres also helpful in providing him safe spaces as
well as significant socialization along with support from peers. This can help to reduce
anxiety level for abuse that has been faced by the George especially at the time of
exacerbated feeling of isolation. The nurse should also pay him special attention in order
to make him comfortable in all respects. In order to help children who are facing security
issues or abuses, for them effective children's services i.e. section 17 children Act 1989
had been generated to support more complex needs. Action under section 47, if there are
any reasonable cause occurs to suspect that child is suffering or likely to suffer
significant harm. As per this section, the investigator must carry out certain investigation
in order to support the child who has been found as a suspect or suffering from any
harmful abuses. The major aim or purpose of these acts is to safeguard children from
dangerous practices.
 Providing counselling: The nurse should also provide counselling to the George in order
to make him back towards normal situation. It is greatly significant to emphasize that
these children are not alone and that the things that they have experienced is not at all
their fault. Often, the George is not under such condition that he will able to understand
the situations and can take the things positively which has been learned by the nurse
during counselling sessions but it relieves him in somehow manner will help him to
manage his stress level up to some extent (Ruth, Wachman and Marshall, 2019). Social
workers are the ones who bring cultural competence to complex situations, by
considering environmental factors while assessing family dysfunctions. The nurse also
should provide appropriate tools to understand abuse cope up with them and regain self-
esteem.
 Advocating in communities: raising awareness about the child abuse and domestic
violence is the critical and crucial role that has been played by the social workers. For the
people just like George, social workers are the ultimate voice to identify their issues and
address them in most efficient manner. They are the ones who make them aware about
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the legal actions that needs to be taken under specific situations. In the current scenario,
the nurse has the responsibility to bring the George closer to safety.
 Breaking the circle: It has been evaluated that most of the cases of child abuse go
unreported. The more facts and figures known to the nurse or the similar cases she had
handled, the more she can able to address the case of George, hence the nurse have to
raise her voice in context of George's case. In order to break the cycle of abuse with
George, they need to work with perpetrators. The nurse can also provide appropriate
therapies and group discussion that facilitates him some suggestion to handle the abuse.
In order to safeguard the children who are facing child abuse problems, the government
had made the certain guidelines and laws according to which the safety measures needs to be
taken place by the social care workers. There are few options or intervention planning that needs
to be undertaken by the social care worker in order to safeguard the George such as:
 Volunteer the time: Give proper time to George in order to get back him to the normal
condition and convince him to share his feelings in order to resolve the issue in rapid
manner.
 Examine the behaviour: Continuous examination of children s behaviour as abuse is not
always in context of physical state. Both words and actions can inflict deep inside and
creates long-lasting wounds (Humphreys and et.al., 2020). Hence, utilizing actions that
shows extreme care are greatly beneficial for the child just like George are highly
significant.
 Teach children their right: When children are taught that they are special and have
complete right to be safe, they are less likely to think abuse in their fault. Hence, a sense
of feeling generation among the George by the social; care worker is greatly important.
 Report child abuse: After identifying the abuses, the social care worker should report it
as soon as possible under the section 377 as it requires certain amount of attention on
urgent basis. It is the legal responsibility along with ethical as well to disclose suspected
child abuse in front of court. The entire content within the report are confidential. The
nurse do not even have to prove that abuse is occurring as the bruises are enough to
explain the condition of George in front of everyone or police.
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 Consult with additional child abuse preventives: In order to prevent George form any
other abuses, the nurse should consult with other preventive interventions as well as they
help them to overcome from such drastic situations.
In context of provide certain recommendations, it has been identified that child abuse and
neglect are a kind of serious issue that can have long-lasting harmful impacts over victims.
According to the Humans Right Act 1998, it has been stated that it is the basic right of any
person to get safe environment within the society. Hence, preventing child abuse and neglect
requires addressing risk and protecting factors at the individual, relative, gathering and social
group level (Petruccelli, Davis and Berman, 2019). There are certain strategies that needs to be
adopted by the social care worker for George in order to satisfy their issues which includes
significant interventions and treatments according to which the investigation of the child abuse
occurs and reported in most responsible manner. Afterwards the clinical treatment of physical
and psychological injuries, family counselling, self-help services, along with legal actions needs
to be taken place. Treatment should be in a way that appropriately include all the procedures
through which child maltreatments reports are assessed, investigated and substantiated.
Moreover, it is difficult to isolate factors specially that are associated with child abuse and
neglect of such kind of actions that often include families with multiple issues and the big reason
of child abuse.
Appropriate treatment sessions would be provided to the children just like George in
order to make them feel normal. And effective actions take place which reduces the chances of
future likelihood of maltreatment in the most severe cases of physical abuse. A panel has been
incorporated through developmental perspective into the review of treatment programs for
children who faces child abuse or are still facing on constant basis (Winter and et.al., 2017). As
appropriate treatment reduces the negative impacts of maltreatments at different developmental
stages and also improves the victim’s functioning during critical developmental milestones, peer
competency as well as their learning abilities along with physical health.
In context of ethical aspects, it is the moral responsibility of the mother of George to take
actions with regard to the abuses that had been done with the George after getting letter from the
care taker of the George. The issue is highly sensitive as he is just a 12-year-old kid who are
facing serious abuse issues even he is also facing some disability issues as well. hence, it is the
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moral responsibility of his mother to take care and pay proper attention towards the complains of
the nurse about bruises and George’s overall health condition. Although, there are various
challenges faced by the social workers in order to give shapes to the social work. It might
involve clinical issues that pertains to confidentiality exceptions as well as dual relationships.
The ethical issues required certain level of laws in order to address them properly. In this case
the questions and informations are related to the George, who is a minor and disabled as well.
Hence, it is the right of the child to have privacy of their informations, and consent to treatment.
Thus, the ethical aspects require ethical laws knowledge that comes in diversified forms. Indeed,
code of ethics are highly required by social workers to consult laws that are relevant to ethical
decisions of care taker of George. The case of George has been resolved as per the statutory law
as the treatment of minors right to mental health counselling, alcohol abuse treatment, protection
to school social workers confidential records, etc. are comes under consideration as per this law.
CONCLUSION
From the above report, it has been concluded that it is the primary responsibility of any
social care worker to speak put loud for any malpractices that highly affects ones mental as well
as physical status of children as well as adults. It is their basic accountability towards cases
regarding child abuses and neglect, removing children from home settings that are highly
dangerous for children.
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REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Humphreys, K.L., and et.al., 2020. Child maltreatment and depression: A meta-analysis of
studies using the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire. Child abuse & neglect. 102.
p.104361.
Mathews, B. and Collin-Vézina, D., 2019. Child sexual abuse: Toward a conceptual model and
definition. Trauma, Violence, & Abuse. 20(2). pp.131-148.
Petruccelli, K., Davis, J. and Berman, T., 2019. Adverse childhood experiences and associated
health outcomes: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Child abuse & neglect. 97.
p.104127.
Ruth, B., Wachman, M.K. and Marshall, J., 2019. Public health social work. Handbook of health
social work, pp.93-118.
Wangamati, C.K., and et.al., 2021. Challenges in supporting survivors of child sexual abuse in
Kenya: a qualitative study of government and non-governmental organizations. Journal
of interpersonal violence. 36(15-16). pp.NP8773-NP8799.
Winter, K., and et.al., 2017. Exploring communication between social workers, children and
young people. British Journal of Social Work. 47(5). pp.1427-1444.
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