Session Information
05 ONLINE 40 A, Risk, Wellbeing and Mental Health
Paper Session
MeetingID: 869 9747 3170 Code: 74UCWb
Contribution
Child protection can only succeed as a cooperative task (cf. Bathke, 2020). The literature review underlines that the practise of a culture of cooperation in the field of child protection is complex (f.e. Fischer, 2021; Bauer, 2018; Speck & Jensen, 2014; Speck, Olk & Stimpel, 2011; Halbheer & Kunz, 2011). There is a need to establish well-structured network structures within the interagency system of child protection in order to guarantee children's rights to the best interests of the child at the legal, political and practical level (f.e. Bathke, 2020; Speck & Wittrock, 2018; Herz, 2013; Ziegenhain et al., 2010). In particular, the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UN-CRC,1989) is transnational the fundamental standard for safeguarding the best interests of a child that forms the basis for one's federal legal framework in child protection and for children's rights – like the right to safety.
The United Kingdom respective Scotland has ratified the UN-CRC in 1991, followed by Germany in 1992. However, the fact that a country has ratified the UN-CRC does not guarantee that the standards for child protection are respected, protected and fulfilled. Several laws on multi-professional cooperation in child protection have been implemented in Scotland (Children (Scotland) Act, 1995/2014) as well as in Germany (Federal Child Protection Act (BKiSchG), 2012).
The German BKiSchG is nationwide a milestone in cross-institutional cooperation and networking, involving schools as significantly responsible partner in child protection (cf. §3 KKG). Due to the general compulsory education in Germany, schools represent a low-threshold contact point for children and youth at risk. Notwithstanding, the evaluation study on the BKiSchG outlines that schools are hardly represented in child protection networks (cf. Zimmermann, 2019). Teachers often have no qualification in child protection duties and cannot fulfil their protection mandate without multiprofessional exchange with other responsible partners (cf. Andresen et al., 2015; Bathke, 2020; Leitner, 2021). The gap between the rhetoric and reality of interagency collaboration in child protection networks becomes clearer under the conditions of the pandemic. A huge challenge for the exercise of the state guardianship in child protection become visible.
Scotland has a longer tradition in child protection, which is supported by the national policy. In Scotland, cooperation and collaboration in child protection is provided by government work guide lines and their implementation is documented and evaluated (cf. Scottish Government 2014, 2018a,b).
The Scottish-German cooperation in the research project “Child-Wellbeing: International Cooperation“ between the „Centre for Child Wellbeing and Protection“ at the University of Stirling (Prof. Dr. Callaghan) and the Department for “Social, Emotional and Behavioural Difficulties” (SEBD) at the Leibniz University of Hanover (Prof. Dr. Herz) is focused on a comparison between the institutional and personal framework for multiprofessional and cross-case cooperation in both countries.
In order to the complexity of child protection, the research project covers two phases. The focus of the first sub-project is an exploratory study to analyse conducive or hindering factors that affect the multiprofessional collaboration in child protection – in the field of schools and extracurricular partners, concerning the following questions:
In which way the network structures due to the legal situation (BKiSchG and/or Children (Scotland) Act) are positive or negative factors to promote child protection?
What kind of facilitating mechanisms in interagency collaboration in child protection in the school system exists in Lower Saxony and Scotland?
In the second phase we are planning a quantitative follow-up study with parents concerning their perspectives on child protection in schools. The research project is financed by the Lower Saxony Ministry for Science and Culture.
Method
The presenting study is conceived as a qualitative research approach based on focus group interviews with professionals in schools and in extracurricular areas. The paper presentation is characterised by a comparison between transnational perspectives, including a Scottish and German point of view. We examined the current international theoretical and practical state of research in the field of interagency collaboration in child protection between schools and extracurricular partners with a criteria-based literature and document analysis. In a digital transfer of knowledge we verified the German findings and standards in relation to the Scottish ones. In a first survey phase, focus group interviews allow a workable (qualitative) research database, concerning different perspectives of professionals on facilitating and hindering mechanisms for a successful interagency collaboration in child protection between schools and youth welfare systems. This qualitative research was directed to principals of youth welfare systems (N=15). Due to the pandemic situation we solved the data gathering in a creative way by using digital communication technologies (cf. Flick, 2014). The first findings provide a basis for interviews with principals of special education needs schools and primary schools to enlarge the research database in a second survey phase. The evaluation of the second data gathering in schools takes place in spring 2022. We analyse both research databases with the qualitative content analysis according to Mayring (cf. Mayring, 2015). The result of the research serves the scientific exchange and practice-oriented evaluation at both universities.
Expected Outcomes
The expected outcomes are important for the discussion about the future of the welfare state. The data obtained is used to describe the child protection systems in Lower Saxony and Scotland with regard to their rhetoric and reality of interagency collaboration in schools. In particular, the presenting paper is about the position of states in balancing the interagency collaboration in order to promote an integrated child protection system that meets standards of the UN-CRC (even in uncertain times like the Corona Pandemic). The evaluation of focus group interviews with professionals in youth welfare systems verify the lack of time, resources, personal acquaintance, different self-images and images of other professional groups, knowledge of organisational structures in other systems as determining factors for multiprofessional and cross-case cooperation between school and extracurricular partners in child protection in Lower Saxony. The findings affirm other studies, which show that cooperation relationships between schools and youth welfare systems mainly take place in crisis situations, but not cross-case (e.g. Zimmermann, 2019). In Scotland, multiprofessional Child Protection Committees (CPC) are relevant structures of the child protection system, which are anchored in the municipalities and responsible for interagency collaboration, design and structuring of local politics. Based on our findings, we exchange possibilities of alternative framework structures that promote to shift the collaboration point of focus from challenges between the different professional groups to children and youth at risk and their needs within the complex relationship between reduction of costs for child protection quality development, prejudices of other professional groups, and delegation of responsibility as coping strategy in a culture of insecure and recrimination.
References
Andresen, S., Gade, J. D. & Grünewalt, K. (2015). Prävention in der Grundschule. Wirkung, Wahrnehmung und Sichtweisen von Kindern und Erwachsenen. Weinheim & Basel: Beltz Juventa. Bathke, S. A. (2020). Schulen und Gesundheitswesen für Kooperationen im Kinderschutz ansprechen und einbeziehen. Expertise im Projekt „Qualitätssicherung im Kinderschutz in Baden-Württenberg“.https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwjBmpro86z1AhWFhf0HHaJIADIQFnoECAQQAQ&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.stuttgart.de%2Fmedien%2Fibs%2Fprof-dr-sigrid-bathke-expertise-im-projekt-qualitaetssicherungkinderschutz.pdf&usg=AOvVaw1crRVeF-GfMpVsWeUA2PJ3 [12.01.2022]. Bauer, P. (2018). Multiprofessionalität. In G. Grasshoff, A. Renker & W. Schröer (Hrsg.), Soziale Arbeit. Eine elementare Einführung (727-739). Wiesbaden: Springer. Fischer, C. (2021). Kinderschutzbezogene Zusammenarbeit. Praktiken der Differenzierung und Entdifferenzierung. Wiesbaden: Springer. Flick, U. (2014). Qualitative Sozialforschung. Eine Einführung. 6. Aufl. Reinbek bei Hamburg: Rowohlt Taschenbuch Verlag. Gesetz zur Kooperation und Information im Kinderschutz (KKG). https://www.gesetzeiminternet.de/kkg/index.html#BJNR297510011BJNE000100000 [04.01.2022]. Halbheer, U. & Kunz, A. (2011). Kooperation von Lehrpersonen an Gymnasien. Wiesbaden: Springer. Herz, B. (2013). Kooperation zwischen der Kinder- und Jugendhilfe und der Schule. In B. Herz (Hrsg.), Schulische und außerschulische Erziehungshilfe (217-219). Bad Heilbrunn: Klinkhardt. Mayring, P. (2015). Qualitative Inhaltsanalyse. Grundlagen und Techniken. 12. Aufl. Weinheim & Basel: Beltz Juventa. Leitner, S. (2021). Netzwerk im Kinderschutz. Visionen für die Kooperation bei Gefährdung des Wohls von sonderpädagogisch markierten Kindern. In S. Gingelmaier, W. Bleher, B. Herz, J. Langer, L. Dietrich & R. Markowetz (Hrsg.), ESE. Heft 3, (154-162). Bad Heilbrunn: Klinkhardt. Scottish Government (2014). National Guidance for Child Protection in Scotland. 2014. APS Group Scotland. https://www.gov.scot/publications/national-guidance-childprotectionscotland/ [02.01.2022]. Scottish Government (2018). Protecting Scotland’s Children and Young People – National-Policy. https://www.gov.scot/publications/protecting-scotlands-childrennational-policy-anddraft-child-abuse-prevention-activity/ [02.01.2022]. Speck, K., Olk, T. & Stimpel, T. (2011). Auf dem Weg zu multiprofessionellen Organisationen? Die Kooperation von Sozialpädagogen und Lehrkräften im schulischen Ganztag. Empirische Befunde aus der Ganztagsforschung und dem Forschungsprojekt „Professionelle Kooperation von unterschiedlichen Berufskulturen an Ganztagsschulen“ (ProKoop). In Zeitschrift für Pädagogik, 57(57): 184-201. Speck, K. & Jensen, S. (2014). Kooperation von Jugendhilfe und Schule im Bildungswesen. Ein vergleichender Blick mit Fokus auf die Schulsozialarbeit in Deutschland, den USA und Schweden. In Die deutsche Schule, 106(1): 9-29. Speck, K. & Wittrock, M. (2018). Multiprofessionelle Kooperation von Jugendhilfe und Schule. In H. Ricking & K. Speck (Hrsg.), Schulabsentismus und Eltern (229-244). Wiesbaden: Springer. Ziegenhain, U., Schöllhorn, A., Künster, A. K., Hofer, A., König, C. & Fegert, J. M. (2010). Modellprojekt Guter Start ins Kinderleben. Chancen und Stolpersteine interdisziplinärer Kooperation und Vernetzung im Bereich Früher Hilfen und im Kinderschutz. Werkbuch Vernetzung. NZFH. Zimmermann, J. (2019). Kinderschutz an Schulen. Ergebnisse einer bundesweiten Befragung zu den Erfahrungen mit dem Bundeskinderschutzgesetz. München: DJI.
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