Can I assess who is a child still?
Its an interesting time working with children. I have recently put myself forward for a research project and as it has to be relevant to my work place and my employers. I have decided to look at the thorny subject of age assessments.
Probably a bad idea when so much research has already been done around this firstly by Heaven Crawly in 2007 with ‘when is a child not a child?‘ and now more recently by the Children Society with ‘I don’t feel human’, Yet even with this mistakes are still being made about age assessments and vulnerable young people not receiving the right support or help.
The answer is sadly not easy and with no matter how much good will is made with the assessments that age determination on its own is going to be hard. Furthermore, there is the objective of the agents bringing the young people into the country. Especially when considering child sexual exploitation and the advantage of having young girls or boys act older to get past the assessments in order for them to disappear. There is also the dilemma around the benefits that are provided to young people if they are under the age of 18, meaning the credibility of a few impact on the outcomes for so many, when older young people who may still be vulnerable in themselves have argued to be under 18.
Despite this, looking further still into the assessment process I have had to look at definitions of childhood. One argument that has been consistent in all research is that young people from poorer economic climates may present as being older looking. And their demeanour presenting as older because what advantages are there in being a child.
This amuses me because actually the research is right, when completing an assessment of age it is essential to understand what that young person defines as childhood? what have they had to do to grow up and survive? And what are our comparisons in the UK? I guess the bit that makes me chuckle was observing an independent advocate pulling a toy train out for a 17 year old young man to play with. It is clear that we can not make comparisons so should we force all aspects of what we think is childhood onto someone who has already had to grow up?
But then I wondered is this right, in the UK right now there are more and more young people experiencing poverty, abuse and neglect. Growing up in poor conditions and failing to engage with education and employment due to their basic need of survival. And also is the young people making it to the UK the most vulnerable or the ones who have had the money to make the journey originally. We are now hearing of stories of tragic losses of young people in Afghanistan freezing to death in make shift illegal camps.
But again it is not easy, what is right and wrong? are our perceptions of childhood changing and are we able to understand what childhood is? Which, means spending more time researching these subjects but also more time working on for us in social work that have to undertake these complex tasks is our understanding of assessments.
Alone this is a massive subject with many different theories and data which could provide the wrong cue to through the person or people out who are completing the assessment. Experience is essential, however can be less helpful in this situation of completing age assessments. The reason for this is the time allowed to complete the assessment and fully analyse the information given. One reason for this is the information shared by the young person you are assessing. When understanding the experiences that a separated child may have experienced in travelling to the UK it is important to understand the difficulties that they may experience and then why they may not trust us as professionals.
For me this subject remains immensely interesting and important at so many levels, firstly to safeguard separated children but also in improving the understanding of social worker with all children that are vulnerable and continuing to improve the assessment process.
Post Qualifying Learning
As a qualified social worker its easy to get caught up in the work, easy to become bogged down in assessments, crisis and supporting families and other workers. But sometimes what it is not so easy to do is to look at your own training needs. Thankfully as a Children’s social worker there is plenty of training available and funding for the in training and safeguarding conferences.
However, as I attended University this week I learn that the specialist training award is being stopped. I have to admit that this was not really a surprise. As the Social Work Reform Board have made clear recommendations in order to improve the outcomes for children, families and also to ensure the profession is able to practise safely and confidently.
Confidently is the key word, Courts are wanting deadlines and delay to be slashed and in order to do this social workers must be allowed to complete accurate and in depth assessments, which will stand up to challenge in court and demonstrate experience and knowledge in the subject.
As a social worker it seems that where ever I go the people I meet want to tell me their story. This is a good skill when it at work, but when at home it makes me cringe when I hear of stories of poor social work practise. And in most cases it usually involved a lack of cultural understanding at all levels and a lack of probing into what really is going on. Of course, when hearing these stories my own little alarm bell goes as I only hear one side of the story further reinforcing the obvious danger of relying on limited information.
So hearing the training was going to stop I was excited that there would be some exciting new training that would further develop my learning and understanding. Instead I was greeted with a wall of confusion and uncertainty. There maybe in house training provided or there maybe a masters in practise teaching or even other modules being designed and offered by the University.
Leaving me wondering what this new post qualifying training will look like, and if it is in house will it be provided by social workers who no longer want to practise and hold negative views about the system they have been working in for so long.
hownottodosocialwork 