Abstract
Every year, thousands of children at risk are referred to social services in Denmark. The referrals contain a
variety of information concerning child well-being and municipalities handle the referrals in various ways.
According to Danish law, the assessment of all referrals must take place within 24 hours, and immediate action
must be taken if the child is in immediate danger and at risk of maltreatment or abuse. More than 95 % of
referrals are assessed and categorized as non-acute. Subsequently, most referrals are not acute and it is up to
the discretion of the individual caseworker or team of social workers to assess when and how to react to the
referral.
A qualitative study of how four municipalities in Denmark handle referrals is the foundation of this presentation.
The study shows that despite acting under the same legislation, these four municipalities handle and asses
referrals very differently and this influences the assessment of referrals.
The presentation will focus on the following main differences between the municipalities handling of referrals:
1. Categorization of referrals and the meaning of particular categories
The four municipalities in this study have four different systems of categorization using numbers or
letters to indicate the severity of the referral, which indicate the timeframe for action.
2. The use of information from existing cases
In cases where a child has been the center of previous referrals, some municipalities look into former
referrals or existing case material about the child, while other municipalities only look at the referral at
hand.
3. Dilemmas when categorizing a non-acute referral
One dilemma concerns the timeframe in cases where it is difficult to assess the severity. Another dilemma
concerns the wish for collaboration with the family.
This presentation explores the consequences of the variation in practice in child protection services concerning
categorization and assessment of referrals. How do the differences in categorization affect the handling of the
child and the case? Do variations in categorization make a different as to when and what kind of assistance a
child at risk receives? The data in this study show that the categorization makes a difference to the services provided
and that it is important to include considerations the implications of how categorizations and municipal
organization affects the services provided to children at risk.
variety of information concerning child well-being and municipalities handle the referrals in various ways.
According to Danish law, the assessment of all referrals must take place within 24 hours, and immediate action
must be taken if the child is in immediate danger and at risk of maltreatment or abuse. More than 95 % of
referrals are assessed and categorized as non-acute. Subsequently, most referrals are not acute and it is up to
the discretion of the individual caseworker or team of social workers to assess when and how to react to the
referral.
A qualitative study of how four municipalities in Denmark handle referrals is the foundation of this presentation.
The study shows that despite acting under the same legislation, these four municipalities handle and asses
referrals very differently and this influences the assessment of referrals.
The presentation will focus on the following main differences between the municipalities handling of referrals:
1. Categorization of referrals and the meaning of particular categories
The four municipalities in this study have four different systems of categorization using numbers or
letters to indicate the severity of the referral, which indicate the timeframe for action.
2. The use of information from existing cases
In cases where a child has been the center of previous referrals, some municipalities look into former
referrals or existing case material about the child, while other municipalities only look at the referral at
hand.
3. Dilemmas when categorizing a non-acute referral
One dilemma concerns the timeframe in cases where it is difficult to assess the severity. Another dilemma
concerns the wish for collaboration with the family.
This presentation explores the consequences of the variation in practice in child protection services concerning
categorization and assessment of referrals. How do the differences in categorization affect the handling of the
child and the case? Do variations in categorization make a different as to when and what kind of assistance a
child at risk receives? The data in this study show that the categorization makes a difference to the services provided
and that it is important to include considerations the implications of how categorizations and municipal
organization affects the services provided to children at risk.
| Bidragets oversatte titel | Kategorisering og vurdering af underretninger |
|---|---|
| Originalsprog | Engelsk |
| Publikationsdato | 2018 |
| Status | Udgivet - 2018 |
| Begivenhed | EUSARF 2018: All Children, All Families - Promoting Excellence in Child Welfare Research, Policy and Practice - Porto, Portugal Varighed: 2 okt. 2018 → 5 okt. 2018 |
Konference
| Konference | EUSARF 2018: All Children, All Families - Promoting Excellence in Child Welfare Research, Policy and Practice |
|---|---|
| Land/Område | Portugal |
| By | Porto |
| Periode | 02/10/18 → 05/10/18 |
Emneord
- Socialt arbejde og sociale forhold
- Beslutningsprocesser
- Socialt arbejde med udsatte familier
- Underretninger