Effective Partnership

Effective Partnership

Effective Partnership

Introduction

In this assignment I am going to look at child protection and explore how welfare provision to safeguard children has evolved. The origins of welfare provision in Britain can be traced back to the Elizabethan Poor Laws. The notion around these laws was to provide for the 'deserving poor', people who could not work through illness or circumstances beyond their control. The 'undeserving poor' were seen as able bodied individuals making no effort to find employment and regarded as 'wastrels' (Walsh et al, 2000).

Discussion

Child protection has gradually developed since the 19th century. The Poor Law Amendment Act was passed in 1834. The Act provided some form of state welfare for those in need, the deserving poor. The Government recognised inequality in provisions and intended to address this by providing some form of welfare for children and their families. The philosophy behind these Poor Laws were very moralistic, with the belief that being poor was the persons fault and work, regardless of how poorly paid should be enough to provide support (Hill, 2003). Following the death of Dennis O'Neill who aged 12 was killed by his foster father, the Curtis Committee was set up in 1946 to examine the conditions of children deprived of a normal family life which resulted in the Children Act 1948 (Hill, 2003). The main principles of the Act included establishing Local Authority Children's departments staffed by childcare officers, promoting foster rather than residential care and where possible rehabilitating children back to their families (Hendrick, 2003).

Since that time, key legislation for children and families is The Children Act 1989. The Act was implemented following numerous inquiries into child deaths and child sexual abuse carried out in the 1970's and 1980's together with the need for clearer guidance in laws and bringing together both public and private laws relating to children. The fundamental principles of The Act addressed the balance between child protection and family support services introducing the concept of a 'child in need' and emphasised parental responsibility rather than focusing on parental rights. The Act addressed a wide range of issues including provision for children in a variety of care settings, although more importantly addressed the need for children's wishes to be taken into consideration (Jowitt & O'Loughlin, 2006).

Victoria Climbié aged 8 years old, died from no less than 128 injuries she had received at the hands of her ...