Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Acknowledgements
- one Introduction
- two Re-imagining child protection in the context of re-imagining welfare
- three We need to talk about ethics
- four Developing research mindedness in learning cultures
- five Towards a just culture: designing humane social work organisations
- six Getting on and getting by: living with poverty
- seven Thinking afresh about relationships: men, women, parents and services
- eight Tainted love: how dangerous families became troubled
- nine Conclusions
- References
- Index
five - Towards a just culture: designing humane social work organisations
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 01 February 2022
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Acknowledgements
- one Introduction
- two Re-imagining child protection in the context of re-imagining welfare
- three We need to talk about ethics
- four Developing research mindedness in learning cultures
- five Towards a just culture: designing humane social work organisations
- six Getting on and getting by: living with poverty
- seven Thinking afresh about relationships: men, women, parents and services
- eight Tainted love: how dangerous families became troubled
- nine Conclusions
- References
- Index
Summary
The overall effectiveness of local authority arrangements for the protection of children is inadequate. In February 2009, the Secretary of State issued an improvement notice to Birmingham City Council due to poor performance in safeguarding children and young people. A further improvement notice was issued in September 2010 and during 2011, a major restructure and overhaul of children's services was undertaken with the oversight of the Improvement Board. Since the first improvement notice, Ofsted has undertaken a Safeguarding and Looked After Children inspection and two unannounced inspections of the council's contact, referral and assessment arrangements for children and young people. Concerns with regards to the quality of practice in protecting children have been raised in all three inspection reports (Ofsted, 2012: 16)
Did you hear we became inadequate? We have been in a grief cycle since then. Ofsted has left us running round like headless chickens – we are now going to rush into a restructure. We have not heard much from Munro. I’m fearing that it is going to go into a black hole with Ofsted challenging all the way. I don't feel inadequate, but maybe I am? (personal correspondence with a Senior Manager, in a previously high performing authority, 2013)
That society demands accountability from public services is right and proper. That high standards of practice and service delivery should be expectable is uncontroversial. However, meeting these aspirations in social work services has proved a wicked issue. The quotations above are a stark reminder of the pervasiveness of a blaming culture in statutory children's services which spreads beyond English social work and which has resulted from failed attempts to ensure consistent high standards. The term (and indeed the sensation of being) ‘inadequate’ is strongly correlated with shame – the primary social emotion (Scheff, 1997). That the inspectorate Ofsted should use this particular term to describe struggling authorities is profoundly symbolic of its pernicious and circular effect. In the first quotation, taken from the inspection of the beleaguered Birmingham City Council is illustrative. Despite being under intense scrutiny (at least) since 2009, things are not fixed. If inspection worked, it would surely have worked by now and more inspections would be strongly correlated with rapid and real improvements.
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- Re-imagining Child ProtectionTowards Humane Social Work with Families, pp. 75 - 94Publisher: Bristol University PressPrint publication year: 2014