Multiple deprivation and risk management

This talk is presented by a guest speaker, Gordon Main. Gordon is a Consultant with the Improving Care Experiences Team with CELCIS, the Centre for Excellence for Children’s Care and Protection.

Here Gordon reflects upon the relationship between poverty and the care of children and their families who experience risk and vulnerability. He comments upon the impact of structural inequality on child welfare and the importance of an integrated model of child protection recognising factors such as economics, environment and social factors. He highlights how high profile child protection cases such as Victoria Climbié have arguably pushed services away from community based social work and into more formalised procedures, and questions the degree to which society is prepared to tolerate and accept ‘interference’ from services designed to protect children experiencing vulnerability and risk. He cites figures and research which underline the strong connection between structural barriers, poverty and risk and finishes by outlining some of the more recent developments in Scotland which attempt to address issues of risk management, including the Scottish Government policy of GIRFEC, Getting it right for every child. In the video Gordon also makes reference to a ‘named person’ for all children. This refers to a policy initiative in Scotland associated with GIRFEC where it was proposed that a Named Person be made available to every child from birth until their 18th birthday. It was due to be introduced in 2016 but was delayed following a Supreme Court ruling and was scrapped in September 2019.