The balance of prevention, investigation, and treatment in the management of child protection services.
The planning, development, and review of child protection services and policies (management) is vitally important and yet to date has received very little consideration. This paper explores the balance between three components of child protection policy: prevention, investigation, and treatment. As part of a review of the management of child protection services in Wales, the authors examined the effectiveness of Area Child Protection Committees (ACPCs), which are multidisciplinary forums responsible for the local provision of child protection services. Thirty-eight (of 171) representatives were interviewed. The balance of the three components (prevention, investigation, and treatment) in policy making was explored. Overall, there was a substantial emphasis on investigation procedures, with very little consideration of prevention strategies, and treatment services virtually ignored. Treatment was described as a "gap" in the service consideration of ACPCs. The authors consider ways to shift the balance so that treatment and prevention services can be given more priority within a comprehensive child protection service.
Department of Social Policy and Applied Social Studies, University of Wales Swansea, UK.
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Sanders
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Jackson
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Thomas
D002648:Child; D002649:Child Abuse / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000628:therapy; D002669:Child Welfare / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D006285:Health Planning; D006801:Humans; D016495:Police; D011050:Policy Making; D015397:Program Evaluation; D012494:Sampling Studies; D014852:Wales