Working with Children and Families and Social Work Within the Justice System
This Module is assessed by means of two written assignments - one for each of the distinct components of this Module. Both assignments are based on the same case study which is available on Campus Moodle in the Assessment section of the Module
PART 1: WORKING WITH CHILDREN AND FAMILIES COMPONENT
(50% of marks)
First Section
In the first section of this written assignment, you are asked to critically analyse the generic legislative, social policy and procedural framework(s) that govern social work with children and families in Scotland (35% weighting).
Second Section
In the second section of this written assignment, with reference to the case study, you should provide an assessment of how the child care system would respond to the current needs of the child / children. In this section you need to apply the relevant legislation, policy and procedure to the case study from a child care perspective (55% weighting)
You should divide the word count appropriately for each section relative to the weighting.
PART 2-SOCIAL WORK IN THE JUSTICE SYSTEM COMPONENT
(50% of marks)
First Section
You are required to critically analyse the legislative, procedural and policy frameworks related to criminal justice that would apply in this case demonstrating direct application to the individual before the Court in the case study (35% weighting).
Second Section
You should provide an assessment pertinent to the individual before the Court in the case study. Included in this assessment should be reference to theory which informs understanding of thinking and behaviour. A risk assessment should be undertaken which identifies relevant factors and comments on the potential for re-offending should appropriate measures not be implemented. An appropriate sentencing option should be identified and relating to thissentencing option an appropriate intervention strategy discussed making appropriate reference to evidence-based practice (55% weighting). You should divide the word count appropriately for each section relative to the weighting
References:
Referencing is expected to follow the RGU Harvard Guidelines. Further details of which can be found on the Ru Library website.
Each assignment should be 3000 words in length. Please note that course regulations stipulate that it is not acceptable to exceed the stated word length by more than 10%.
The assignment should be typed in Verdana, 11-Point, with 1½ spacing.
If the written assessment is more than 10% over the stated word limit it will normally be regarded as a Fail for grading purposes with the loss of an assessment opportunity.
Work submitted late without a pre-agreed extension will normally be regarded as a Non- submission with the loss of an assessment opportunity.
ASSESSMENT CRITERIA
To pass the module a D grade must be achieved in both components. Please note there are separate marking grids for each component of this assessment. These grids can be found in separate documents in the Assessment Section of the Module.
Learning Outcomes
Appraise the legislative, professional and procedural frameworks in which child care and protection. and justice social work operates
Evaluate the statutory duties and roles of social work within the user groups concerned.
Appraise conceptual knowledge, theory and understanding underpinning identified best practice for the user groups concerned.
Evidence critical awareness of the relevance of evidence-informed practice approaches, taking account of relevant comparative research.
WORKING WITH CHILDREN AND FAMILIES AND SOCIAL
Update===============
make sure that the legislations, policies etc are based on scottish govt.
Social Work - Working with Children and Families and Social Work Within the Justice System Module
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Social Work - Working with Children and Families and Social Work Within the Justice System Module
It is believed that the current approaches used in Scotland to promote social care will not be helpful in the long term. At the same time, according to a report by Audit Scotland (2016, P 3), about 17,400 children were looked after or on a protection register, roughly 36,000 adults were in care homes, and 61,500 Scottish people received home care. With the integration of social work and health care, it has become increasingly complex to have successful governance in social work in Scottland. Nevertheless, it is vital for the Scottish Government, responsible for promoting social work among children and families, for continuing reviewing existing social work policies and develop and implement new ones that will promote long-term sustainability. The paper is broken into two sections, with the first section analyzing the legislative, social policy, and procedural frameworks governing social work with children and families in Scotland and the second section dwelling on social work in the justice system. A case study provided in the outline and other external resources will be used in the analyses.
Section One: Working with Children and Families
Legislative, Social Policy, and Procedural Framework
Various legislative frameworks have been established to govern social work with children and families in Scotland. Children's protection policies in the country must often consider diversity and issues (Center for Excellence for Children's Care and Protection, 2022). It is also essential that these legislative frameworks be fair, consistent, reliable, and focused on achieving individual outcomes.
Social work (Scotland) Act 1968 is one of the primary legislative frameworks for social work protection for children and infants in Scotland. Under the Act, it aims at promoting social welfare through the creation of duty (Legislation n.d). The Act outlines that every assistance must be made based on an assessment of the need (Care Information Scotland, 2017). The various services offered in the community must be made available to everyone without discrimination. Thus, the Social work Act of 1968 is one of the legislative frameworks for child protection in Scotland.
Under the children protection framework, the Children Act 1995 stipulates those local authorities have the mandate of protecting all the children's needs in the area (Scottish Government, 2013). It ensures that children get the best of their lives and grow into responsible young people. The Scottish Government believes that a child's support network lies around the parents, the family, and the caregivers. At the same time, however, children and young people are likely to develop and progress differently based on the kind of circumstances that they are in; thus, their well-being is crucial (Scottish Government, 2013). As such, a framework assesses the national risk for child protection, which helps the various practitioners identify child protection concerns across Scotland (Scottish Government, 2013). These frameworks aim to ensure children and young people's safety, health, wellbeing, responsibility, and nurture (Scottish Government, 2013).
Early education and childcare are other frameworks that the Scottish Government has laid down to govern social work. The Government has remained committed to ensuring that it offers care and support to families that ensure children get the best start in life through good schooling. Children are provided with baby boxes and the parents with the necessary parenting resources (Scottish Government, n.d). There are also parent club websites where parents can access information on how best to care for their children and deal with specific issues. Thus, they can be able to improve the welfare of the children.
The family law under the Scottish system covers several areas, including the couple's responsibilities, parental rights, inheritance, and divorce matters (Scottish Government, n.d). The development of the family law was to ensure that the family justice system was strengthened, protect any victims of domestic abuse, and govern the children's rights (Scottish Government, n.d). It also guided how family disputes can be resolved (Scottish Government, n.d). Thus, family law is another legislative framework governing social work in Scotland.
Responding to the Current needs of Children
The case study highlights what a failed social society would make children do. In the case study, Heather Smith faces many issues growing up. Initially, the supervision by the social worker is seen as the cause of the strained relationship with her mother. She does not feel at ease with her mother's friend, Robert, and her mother stated that Heather's behavior was argumentative and disruptive. She could not even be kept in a Foster Care Placement. Ever since, she has had an on-and-off relationship with several guys, showing that her failed family bond translated to her woes when finding love. Her grandmother, Susan, calmed her down and made her attend classes, and she began to improve, leading to the withdrawal of social work support. However, with her grandmother's dementia, and the consequent end of her relationship with her child's father, Heather was introduced to heroin abuse by Mark as a way of coping. She also gets pregnant with Mark's child. Mark has had an estranged relationship with his family members and recalled that most of the time, he was with friends who abused drugs.
The case study highlights some flaws that need to be addressed by the social worker. All these issues stem from some failed family ties that push Heather and Mark to do things they would have otherwise not done under a better family setup. According to the Children (Scotland) Act 1995, a child is someone who has not attained 18 years and above (Scottish Government, 2014). Thus, since Heather was a kid, then Linda, her mother, had the parental rights to care for Heather's welfare, guidance, and constant contact. Linda also has the right to decide how Heather was brought up before she turned 18.
A failed relationship between a child and her mother is possibly the hardest to contemplate. It may make it even harder for Heather to develop a relationship with her mom's friends if she does not have a good relationship with her mother. Still, since there is no indication of neglect or abuse from Linda, who even suggests that Heather moves in with him, the child care system would guide how to handle Heather, who was a teenager. Such a strained relationship would require a sensitive approach, and guidance for both parties would help build a better relationship.
At the same time, the child care system may provide counseling to Heather on her behavior. She appears erratic, a behavior common among other teenagers her age, but it needs to be kept in check by improving how she relates to her mother. She even engages in drugs, and counseling and rehabilitation may help her quit the drugs and concentrate on her kids. The counseling session may involve a psychologist or someone versed in family relations. In the end, Heather would improve her relationship with people close to her, especially her mother. She would also take better of her children, who are at risk of growing up in a family setting without stability.
Heather was living with her grandmother as kin. Her grandmother would be treated as a kinship carer. It would be essential to consider preventative and protective work (Scottish Government, 2014). It would help support her grandmother, primarily due to her old age and dementia. In the case of Heather having children, the childcare system should first assess her ability to care for the child. Once they have done the assessment, they can provide Heather with the necessary child support for her kid.
Mark is another person that requires special attention from the childcare system. First, he is always on the wrong side of the law, with constant arrests either because of theft or possessing drugs. Secondly, Mark is an addict to drugs such as Heroin, which will require counseling and rehabilitation. Lastly, he also has a strained relationship with his family members, and the relationship needs to be developed again. It would be essential to make Mark understand the need to live a better life, saving him from the trouble of being arrested. Through counseling and rehabilitation, Mark will realize these drugs' effects on his body, and he may eventually stop using them. Once Mark has changed these behaviors, the childcare system can help him with some funds to start something that could bring income to him, improve where he lives, and he gets to take care of his family with Heather.
Part 2: Social Work in the Justice System Component.
Section One: Legislative, Procedural, and Policy Frameworks Relating to Criminal Justice
Mark has been charged with possessing drugs to supply them and pled guilty upon appearing at the summary procedure at Aberdeen Sheriff Court. The circumstances surrounding his arrest were his possession of more than the standard quantity consistent with personal possession. At the same time, Mark has had previous convictions, which makes this case a little more interesting based on his poor history. There are various legislative, procedural, and policy frameworks relating to criminal justice that would be applied in the case of Mark. Criminal justice depends on whether the individual is an adult (21 years and over), a young offender (aged between 16 and 21 years), or a juvenile who is between 16 and 18 years (Scottish Government, 2012). Mark was 20 years old at the time of his arrest, placing him in the category of a young offender.
The criminal justice (Scotland) Act 2016 outlines the ways a person possessing and intent to supply drugs can be convicted (Scottish Government, 2017). Mark is caught in possession of drugs, an amount that is more than the personal possession required by law. In Scot...