A long shot I know but is anyone old enough to have been around in the 1950's working under the 1948 Children's Act? Maybe someone who was in the welfare department or the police.
What I need is some information on how Child Abuse was dealt with during that period. I suppose I am not asking about the law but rather Practice and Procedures. I assume there was little 'Working Together' in those days. Perhaps you might be able to point me in the right direction on some case reading material possibly out of copyright.
I was thinking of posting elsewhere but this section seems most appropriate.
Perhaps you could email me?
Thanks in anticipation
Still learning and willing to learn
Spartacus
Your question about investigating child abuse in the 50s, how was it handled by the welfare and childrens officers you got me refecting and thinking mulling over this how this would have been dealt with. Sorry do not know any thing about the 1948 Childrens Act, though probably I was admitted into the care system as a baby in 1957 under that legislation / guide lines.? My residential care and field files have never been located lost found probably destroyed status after 5 searches from the period 1989- 2005. Nothing retained about my entire childhood care history by my former local care authority.
I found the term you use child abuse interesting because it was not used at all in my time in care 1957 -73 it came about from my memory post my care days in the late 1970s.
Whilst I was in care 50s 60s early 70s, references where made reasons children in care battered baby child cruelity neglect/ lack of basic care nutrition hygiene reasons why some children placed in care. I recall 2 primary children with scars from burns on their body. I never once heard any staff member use the language child abuse during my time in care.
Also on the other side once in care under the guardian ship of an local auothority was child abuse properly investigated. You got me further thinking how was child abuse handled by the children services in the 50s if this happened whislt in care under the duty of care of your primary care givers ?
I think very little was understood by senior members of the local care authority back then, about those abusive experiences that may have been endured by some children. The staff given the benefit of doubt nothing thoroughly investigated as usually it was the same departmental staff doing the looking into serious matters /compliants. Little accountability to protect some children seemed apparent in my eyes.Sometimes police where not notified to independantly assess the situation. Where would professionals found the evidence of past mistakes or short comings the historic child abuse cases. It is my opinion this would have been grossly under reported or even documented .
In relation to practice and procedures policy I think they would not be ineffective or non exsistent in those days for children in the care system for those decades.I know when social workers came into my life post 1970 it definately improved my outcomes nothing was done with my case family history before that , did not know a thing any family history about my parents place of orgin, even aware of some of my siblings.
The multi professional teams working for child protection and child safetydeparetment have a much more transparent open approach todaythis gives me confidence that the best interest of the child is now paramount and the rights of the child views to be taken seriously.
Are you doing an assignment? I wish you well . Aus
Thanks for your reply Aus.
To answer the last question first, I am, at last, getting into writing the story within me. Not an assignment as such, more a labour of love. I suspect, as you intimate, that children even as late as 1950's were still considered as chattels and little considered as to their emotional well-being. "Why would they need a history of their past?" Just do as they are told. "Elders know best." etc.
To give you some idea of what I want, the story starts in 1950 and the abused child is seven years old. A person enters his life as a 'Guardian Angel' as it were (not in the spiritual sense), but the child is not aware of this person. Dont want to go into the story too much at this stage but I want to get the accuracy of possible actions right. Whilst I appreciate that the term Child Abuse was possibly not used at the time I use it to allow the reader to understand what I am referring to. It would be helpful if anybody could suggest what terminolgy was used during that period. Though I was not in the care system and not abused in the literal sense I nonetheless think that we might have been known by "The Welfare." Nowadays, probably Section 17 of 1989 Children Act. So I will be using some memories of the time in my story I presume.
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A parliamentary committee was set up in 1945, "to enquire into existing methods of providing for children who from loss of parents or from any cause whatsoever are deprived of a normal home life with their ownparents or relatives"
The 1948 Children Act was the result of the Curtis Report of 1946. This Act set up local authority Welfare departments.
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It is heartening that you refer positively about social workers entering your life in the early 70's.
Try looking on Amazon I got a book dated 1931 by Margaretta Williamson called The Social Worker in Child care and Protection but is about the USA
It's hard I know ...but you have to try.....go on
HI,
Having tried to find what children#s act was in use in 1950's as part of my own research your request came up. I was in care in 1950s and certainly faced emotional abuse within a council run care home in the 1950s. I know someone reported on these incidences but when I have tried to get information on my own history I am told they only hold my sister's history.
I am a qualified social worker but have since relinquished my social worker registration as I have now retired. My own career was in Learning Disabilities.
I am thinking of researching aspects of the law and practice and long term consequences to 1950s children's act and care in the 50s. If I am able to help
please contact. All the best with your research, DIlly