Child protection in England: an emerging inequalities perspective
| Date | 18 September 2017 |
| Published date | 18 September 2017 |
| Pages | 107-112 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/JCS-04-2017-0014 |
| Author | Paul Bywaters,Tim Sparks |
| Subject Matter | Health & social care,Vulnerable groups,Children's services,Sociology,Sociology of the family,Children/youth,Parents,Education,Early childhood education,Home culture,Social/physical development |
Viewpoint
Child protection in England: an emerging
inequalities perspective
Paul Bywaters and Tim Sparks
Abstract
Purpose –In the past 40 years, both health policy and educational policy in England have adopted
commitments to reducing socially created inequalities. However, an inequalities perspective has only begun
to emerge in relation to child protection, and child welfare services more widely. The purpose of this paper is
to chart evidence of these green shoots of a new policy direction which focuses on two aspects: equalising
service provision and outcomes for looked after children.
Design/methodology/approach –The paper provides an analysis of trends in policies as expressed in
official documents, research studies and policy statements.
Findings –The paper outlines the argument for a more comprehensive approach to addressing inequalities
in child protection and child welfare services, and concludes by suggesting some implications for policy
and practice.
Originality/value –The paper develops the concept of an inequalities perspective in child protection and
outlines key implications.
Keywords Ethnicity, Policy and practice, Child protection, Child welfare, Children’s services, Social inequalities
Paper type Viewpoint
Introduction
The Black et al.’s (1980) report on “Inequalities in health”is widelyperceived as the crucialfirst public
step towards the adoption of health inequalities as a key focus of attention for public health policy in
the UK. Havingbeen commissioned underthe Labour Government, the Conservative Government
of the day was resistant to its messages, releasing only a handful of copies on an August bank
holiday.However, the powerof the underlying ideasmeant that a generationlater, all politicalparties
sign up to, at least, the aim of reducing health inequalities. Tackling inequalities in health by
addressingthe social determinantsof health is at the heart of the World Health Organisation policy
(Commission on the Social Determinants of Health, 2008) and recognised internationally.
Similarly, reducing inequities in pupil attainment has become common ground in the politics of
education in the UK, with the argument now focussing on how, rather than whether, this should
be achieved (Pickett and Vanderbloemen, 2015). While some continue to argue that outcomes
should be left to the market or to parents, the case for state involvement is both economic and
moral (Centre for Social Justice, 2014). The economic arguments emphasise, on the one hand,
the value to society of maximising the abilities of all children to contribute as adults to the success
of the economy. A high-skilled workforce cannot afford to waste its assets. On the other hand,
the costs of pupils who leave school to become “Not in Education, Employment or Training”are
seen as a drain on the state, an outcome to be prevented. The moral argument is based on social
justice and human rights that the state has a role in ensuring that all children have a “fair go”, and
that it is wrong for a universal education system to favour some children over others.
Received 12 April 2017
Revised 15 May 2017
Accepted 5 June 2017
The Nuffield Foundation is an
endowed charitable trust that aims
to improve social well-being in the
widest sense. It funds research
and innovation in education and
social policy and also works to
build capacity in education,
science and social science
research. The Nuffield Foundation
has funded work which has
contributed to this review, but the
views expressed are those of the
authors and not necessarily those
of the Foundation. More
information is available at:
www.nuffieldfoundation.org
Paul Bywaters is a Professor of
Social Work and Tim Sparks is
a Professor of Environmental
Change, both at the Faculty
of Health and Life Sciences,
Coventry University,
Coventry, UK.
DOI 10.1108/JCS-04-2017-0014 VOL. 12 NO. 2/3 2017, pp. 107-112, © Emerald Publishing Limited, ISSN 1746-6660
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JOURNAL OF CHILDREN'S SERVICES
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