Gary Clapton

Moral panics and social work: Towards a sceptical view of UK child protection

In this paper we apply the lens of moral panic to analyse child protection social work in the UK. We suggest that many of the anxieties that beset social work are best understood as moral panics and discuss processes in which ‘claims-makers’ have introduced and amplified concerns into panics. We discuss two examples of anxieties over child endangerment: the first is concerned with the foundation of the NSPCC and its campaign for the Children’s Charter of 1889. The second is the contemporary 21st century anxiety over children and young people’s use of the Internet, exemplified in the activities of the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre (CEOP) and their ‘Children and Young Persons’ Global Online Charter’.

‘Grasping the Nettle: Integrating Learning and Practice revisited and re-imagined’

This paper reports on findings from a practice audit and literature review into Integration of Learning for Practice, conducted in Scotland between November 2003 and February 2004. Findings from the practice audit suggest that although the integration of learning is one of the key aspirations of social work education, and there are many different approaches currently in use which attempt to enhance learning integration, students, practitioners, service users and social work lecturers all agree that more needs to be done in this area. The review of literature indicates some ways in which this might be taken forward. The paper concludes that for integration of learning for practice to succeed, we need a re‐imagining of the traditional boundaries between field and classroom, and practice teacher and social work academic.

How and Why Social Work Fails Fathers: Redressing an Imbalance, Social Work's Role and Responsibility

This paper presents a study of the ways in which fathers have been, and are, depicted in social work literature from theory to training materials and across a range of policy and practice documents. It argues that there is a pervasive and influential negative attitude towards fathers, particularly in the children and families field. The paper identifies and discusses the reasons for this and concludes with practice pointers for the greater involvement of fathers.

Thinking ‘Outside the Box’: A New Approach to Integration of Learning for Practice

The integration of learning is a central goal for all professions. The question of how to bridge the gap between theory and practice, and between the classroom and the field, is one which has preoccupied social work education since its very beginnings in universities in the United Kingdom and the United States in the early twentieth century. Between 2003 and 2005, the Scottish Institute for Excellence in Social Work Education funded a project which piloted a new approach to the integration of learning for practice. This paper reports on the findings of that project, and suggests ways of taking its findings forward in the future.

Birth Fathers, the Adoption Process and Fatherhood

A great deal of research has been carried out on birth mothers and the intense grief and sense of loss they feel on giving up their children for adoption. Much less is known about the experiences of birth fathers. In turning his attention to this neglected group, Gary Clapton begins by surveying existing research, mainly in the USA and Australia. Based on this and his own ongoing work, charting and interpereting the experiences of some 25 men, he goes on to ask some key questions about the nature of fatherhood and how certain answers to these might have implications for current policies and practice.

Birth Fathers' Lives after Adoption

While considerable research has been carried out on the experiences of birth mothers in adoption, birth fathers remain a relatively neglected group. As part of an ongoing project to redress the balance, Gary Clapton explores the life course of a group of 30 birth fathers ranging in age from 35 to late 60s. Beginning with the immediate post-adoption period, he traces the mens early feelings of grief and loss, and in a minority of cases, alleged indifference, through to a spectrum of emotions spanning curiosity, concern, regret and ‘connectedness’. Clapton points to similarities with the reported experiences of birth mothers, including a continuing sense of parenthood, and highlights the need to rethink notions of fatherhood. He calls for a greater focus on birth fathers in adoption, not only for their sakes but in the direct interests of the adopted person seeking knowledge of their birth family history.

Minding the Gap: Assisting the Transition from the Academy to the Profession

This contribution to Ideas in Action draws attention to the potential gap for social work graduates that exists between the end of teaching and employment in their chosen field. It discusses the possibilities of a role for faculty in increasing readiness to be employed, thus enabling an easier transition into the profession. An initiative to do just this is discussed together with some of the lessons learnt.

‘The Experiences and Needs of Birth Fathers in Adoption: What We Know Now and Some Practice Implications’

Information and insights in respect of the experiences of birth mothers in adoption are now widely available to practitioners. This is not the case with the other biological parent in adoption — the birth father. In the last few years, the position has changed and developed — there is now an emerging body of discrete knowledge regarding birth fathers, their experiences and their perspectives. This paper reviews and summarises the findings from research on and with birth fathers and concludes with some pointers for good practice.

The birth certificate, ‘father unknown’ and adoption:

This article explores the neglected subject of birth certificates, their meaning and value. The author makes a case for enhanced attention to the birth certificate in general but especially in cases where information about the father has not been entered. It is argued that rather than ‘father unknown’ being recorded, ‘father unregistered’ would be invariably more accurate. The conclusion addresses policy and practice implications for the various professions involved during the birth and registration process and also for children and family and adoption practitioners.

Communicating concern or making claims? The 2012 press releases of UK child welfare and protection agencies:

Child welfare and protection agencies play an important role in bringing concerns about children and young people to public attention. The press release is a key tool within this. This article reports on findings from an analysis of press releases from selected UK child welfare and protection agencies in 2012. It demonstrates that the information contained in press releases is neither neutral nor dispassionate. Instead, press releases are found to be political artefacts, whose purpose is to galvanise and shape opinion and garner support for a particular standpoint, campaign or the agency itself. In this respect, they must be understood as ‘claims-making’ activities. Because of this, they should, it will be argued, be subject to the same critical scrutiny that we would expect to bring to the presentation of all ‘evidence’.