Back to Search
Start Over
Making Threshold Decisions in Child Protection: A Conceptual Analysis.
- Source :
- British Journal of Social Work; Sep2014, Vol. 44 Issue 6, p1472-1490, 19p
- Publication Year :
- 2014
-
Abstract
- The threshold at which state social work services respond to children who may have been maltreated has been the subject of debate in the UK and elsewhere over a number of years. This paper presents a conceptual model that helps to explain how threshold decisions are made, based on a review of research in the UK and elsewhere. A range of factors were found to affect thresholds, including the nature of the welfare concerns for the child, the policy and organisational circumstances, the role of collaborative practice amongst a range of professionals, and the decision making of front line social workers, teams and managers. A central argument is that the technical–rational model of thresholds, which is commonplace in the UK, is insufficient and the concept of ‘thresholds’ too limiting. In their place, we adopt a naturalistic decision-making approach, arguing that ‘threshold decisions’ are mediated through various sense-making strategies at local level. These strategies may appear as shortcuts to thinking, arising from a pressurised working environment. We argue, however, that they are consequential features of the context within which children's social work services operate and that taking them into account allows for a more nuanced understanding of how thresholds are managed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 00453102
- Volume :
- 44
- Issue :
- 6
- Database :
- Complementary Index
- Journal :
- British Journal of Social Work
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 98547531
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1093/bjsw/bct007