RISK AND COMPLEXITY

Risk and Complexity in Social Work



Risk and Complexity in Social Work

Case

The case is about K who is a 10 year old Caucasian of British Ethnicity being 'looked after' by the local authority. K was removed to care as a result of domestic abuse and neglect. K's parents are both alcoholics and are known to social services. K is on the child protection list for neglect, physical and emotional abuse. Looked after children are those who are accommodated by the local authority away from their family, in a residential or foster place, placed for adoption and all children who are the subject of a care order, even if they are living with their parents. Under section 22(3) of the CA1989, it shall be the duty of the local authority looking after any child to safeguard and promote their welfare. K has learning difficulties but his social skills are very well developed. K attends mainstream school and finds reading, writing and memorising things very difficult. K is constantly being teased at school as a result which angers him. K 'lashes out' by kicking, throwing and smashing things and also engaging in fights. K is sometimes sent out of the classroom, other times, he is suspended from school. In a recent review meeting held by the “Team around the Child” (TAC), concerns were raised about K's behaviour and it was decided that K would benefit from therapeutic counselling to address his emotional and behavioural problems in view of the above. Hence the LA made a referral to my agency in line with achieving the outcomes of ECM (2004).

Clinical and Actuarial Methods

Although there are various methods for the prediction of dangerousness, they may fall into two broad categories: clinical and Actuarial. Instruments trials that are available today include interviews, observation of behaviour and the use of inventories and scales designed for this purpose (Structured clinical assessment), which are used in a controlled environment for the assessment of the subject in question. Although, some assessments can be done without any contact between the subject and the assessor, the expert can review all available information on the subject's personality and behaviour. Practitioners should be familiar with the extensive empirical research carried out when assessing those risk factors that have most relevant result in the prediction of outcomes (Cooke 2002, Pp. 435-44). These include mental disorders, attitudes and specific behaviours, personal history, social skills, etc. Such individual features, in its entirety, present a global picture of the subject in which, professionals base their final decision regarding the severity of it.

As for the actuarial method (statistical prediction), there are numerous instruments such as the VRAG, SORAG, and the RRASOR, which are being used extensively, especially in the United Kingdom, U.S., and Canada. The current scientific mainstream, when it comes to violent behaviour, reflects relatively static demographic characteristics patterns of stable behaviour and a specific probability of repeating certain mental states in the long term. In some cases, these features increase the overall probability of behavioural ...