Peter Dale

A model of intervention in child-abusing families: a wider systems view.

This paper describes the application of some principles, taken from the modern psychotherapies by a therapeutic team, to the assessment and treatment of serious child abuse. Factors and dilemmas identified from the assessment and decision-making process are outlined, with particular reference to the roles of the various statutory and community agencies involved with such families. The paper demonstrates the ways in which the range of community and professional agencies may play a pathological role, unintentionally contributing to and maintaining child-abusing dynamics in families. The significance of dangerous unintended consequences of well-meaning agency interventions and of covert interagency activities are stressed.

Independent child protection assessments: incorporating a therapeutic focus from an integrated service context

Assessment following serious child abuse is a significant activity for the social work, psychology and psychiatric professions. Notwithstanding the profound significance of the consequences for abused children and their families from recommendations made by such assessments, there is little research which examines the process and outcome of child protection assessments. This paper describes the professional practice principles of an independent assessment team and presents preliminary findings from a retrospective examination of 160 major independent assessments undertaken over a period of 11 years. The review suggests that nearly 60% of the families gained some therapeutic benefit from the assessment process and outlines the areas in which such benefits occurred. It is argued that structuring assessments in a way which maximizes the possibility of parents/carers effecting changes in problem areas is the essence of a constructive partnership relation with families. Copyright