Recently in early intervention Category

by Dr Lucy Rai, senior social work lecturer at the Open University

The final episode of the BBC series Protecting Our Children, I want my baby back, showed three families facing the possibility of separation from their children for very different reasons.

A race against time

In the first case, we saw mum Louise trying to overcome a drug addiction so she could resume care of her baby, Mercedes.

Underlying the work with Louise was the ticking clock of her baby's developmental needs, set against her own timetable of addiction recovery. The priority was to provide Mercedes with a permanent, stable parent figure before she reached an age where changes in carers could forever harm her ability to form secure attachments.

Sadly this left Louise with very little time to achieve some momentous tasks: beating her drug addiction, withdrawing from methadone and completing a residential detox programme. Like Tiffany, the mother in episode one, Louise demonstrated real love for her baby by recognising that she was unable to meet her baby's needs in the time available.

More harsh decisions?

In the second case, we followed a mother who was failing to protect her baby from a known paedophile who shared the care of the child.

Despite clear evidence of the risk to the baby, there was a total lack of cooperation from the mother. Although there was no medical evidence of sexual abuse, the child showed worrying behaviour - such as obvious distress when having his nappy changed and being overly familiar with strangers - which indicated sexual abuse.

We saw the baby being removed by a social worker, with support from the police. This may have seemed dreadfully harsh but it is very unusual, as the team manager explained. Sexual abuse is a difficult area to respond to, and with less clear evidence of immediate risk it is normal to proceed slowly.

Multi-agency support at a time of crisis

The third case followed a mother who needed support to provide a safe, sanitary home so she and her seven-year-old daughter could be reunited.

We saw the intensive resources that can be arranged to help a parent in crisis. We saw social services, housing and environmental health workers working collaboratively to empower the mother to regain control of her home and realise her parenting capabilities.

The level of risk was very different in this case, because the child was older and the mother had been a good parent but was struggling during a personal crisis.

Child development

All three cases showed that social workers need to have a sophisticated understanding of child development. Mercedes needed quick decisions to meet her need for a secure home before she was a year old. The daughter in the 'dirty house' had both physical and emotional needs for a safe and clean home. The risk to the baby boy was heightened by observations about his behaviour - concerning behaviour in such a young child suggested his attachments were not secure and there may have been multiple, inconsistent carers in his life.

Child development plays a significant part in the education of social workers, and this programme exemplified well why this continues to be so important.

• The Open University has put together a range of resources to accompany Protecting our Children: www.open.edu/openlearn/startyourday

The NSPCC alerts police and social services about babies in danger around six times a day, according to research published today as part of the charity's campaign, All Babies Count.

Around half of those referrals concern parental drug and alcohol problems, the charity found. Its research has also revealed that almost 80,000 babies under one in England live with a parent who is a problem drinker.

Psychologist and NSPCC Helpline ambassador Dr Linda Papadopoulos (pictured), said: "A baby's first year provides the essential foundations for all future learning, behaviour and health. Harm at this age can have lifelong consequences.

"And while not all children living with parents who face addiction problems are harmed or neglected we are concerned that there is a strong correlation."

John Cameron, head of the NSPCC Helpline, said: "To help families keep babies safe it is vital that problems are picked up early. Official reviews into the death or serious injury of children aged under one have repeatedly found missed opportunities during pregnancy to identify and act on risks to babies' welfare."

He said more early intervention services "must be available before it reaches this point".

On the same day a report by Turning Point, Bottling it Up: The Next Generation revealed almost 3 million children in the UK are living with a parent who drinks at dangerous levels.

Picture credit: Rex Features

Nearly three quarters of families with disabled children have experienced anxiety, depression, isolation or family breakdown, according to the latest research by Contact a Family.

A survey of over 1,100 families, published today, found almost half had asked their GP for medication or counselling, while 65% said they felt isolated frequently or all of the time. One in five said feelings of isolation had even destroyed their family or marriage.

Over half (56%) said their feelings of isolation were due to a lack of support from social services and the education system, while 57% believed it was because they could not work as much as they wanted to and 54% blamed a lack of time and money.

Half of the families had experienced discrimination or stigma due to their child's disability.

Srabani Sen, chief executive of Contact a Family, said isolation is having a "devastating" impact on the well being of many families with disabled children. She urged councils to provide more early intervention services, including support groups and short breaks.