Critical Reflection and Analysis
Co-working a case through conducting direct work with an eight-year old girl, I used professional curiosity to explore an alarming self-disclosure made to me about her sleeping with a fifteen-year old boy, who was a non-relative. By keeping an open mind, avoiding making assumptions, analysing what was said and observing the child’s body language, I determined that whilst this incident was really inappropriate, there was nothing untoward happening. However, to safeguard and minimise risk for the child, I relayed this information to the relevant social worker so the concern could be properly addressed and resolved.
With the C. family I had to consistently question and evaluate the reliability and validity of information received from numerous referrals as the parents painted a conflicting picture by arguing these allegations were false and made by malicious neighbours. Although there was dispute between the family and their neighbours, my professional judgement leaned towards the referrals as being accurate since they came from several credible sources at different times. However, despite two referrals being made from professional agencies, the lack of evidence to substantiate the theory meant the case did not hit the ‘significant harm’ threshold. Therefore, I was forced into a position where nothing could be done, other than monitor the situation and wait to see how the case progressed.
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This included liaising with parents, children, and relevant professionals from health, education, and specialist services, like those involved in parental substance misuse and mental health issues. Critically analysing wider knowledge obtained enabled me to make evidence-based recommendations for improvement, as well as detailing essential safety plans to protect children’s