Assessment of parental capacity for child protection : methodological, cultural an ethical considerations in respect of indigenous peoples

Parenting capacity assessments (PCA) have been used in the child intervention system in Canada since at least the 1970s. They are used in other Western jurisdictions including the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand and the United States. There is a relatively large literature that considers the ways in which these assessments might be conducted. This thesis, drawing upon the prior work of the candidate, seeks to show that, despite widespread use, the PCA is a colonial methodology that should not be used with Indigenous peoples of Canada. The PCA draws upon Eurocentric understandings of parenting, definitions of minimal or good enough parenting, definitions of family and community as well as the use of methods that have neither been developed nor normed with Indigenous peoples. Using critical theory, particularly “Red Pedagogy” which is rooted in an Indigenous lens, the PCA is deconstructed to examine applicability to Indigenous populations of Canada, and potentially other populations that do not fit a Eurocentric understanding of family and parenting. Implications for clinical practice with Indigenous peoples are drawn which may have relevance for other populations

Organisational justice and emotion among social workers: an exploration of the lived experience of child and family social workers

There is still much to learn about what it means to be a child and family social worker. Child and family social workers have a job that often entails making difficult decisions regarding vulnerable children and families in collaboration with other professionals, under stressful conditions in an increasing cost-restrictive climate and with diminishing resources. The lived experience of these social workers has been rarely researched and is poorly understood. Using primarily a deductive qualitative approach, seventeen Scottish social workers were interviewed by employing the framework of ‘organisational justice’. The organisational justice framework is mostly used quantitatively and was converted to a qualitative interview schedule in order to gain further insight as to the experience of the social workers. The advantages of using the organisational justice framework in a qualitative way is that it allows for a deeper analysis of people’s experience within their agency. With regards to the social work profession, analysis of the field data allowed for insight into the organisational elements that are primary influences on a social worker’s working life. Utilising a secondary, more inductive approach, emotions experienced by the respondents also emerged. The results suggest that social workers experience a range of emotions that have been under-explored. The results also offer a deeper understanding of where these emotions stem from because not only are they due to personal experiences, they are also the product of working in a profession that is regarded with ambivalence by the public, unlike other ‘people’ professions that are generally the subject of admiration such as nursing. The research has shown that an organisational justice framework can be used to access qualitative perspectives as well as quantitative ones. Above all, this research concludes that there are aspects of the lived experience of child and family social work practitioners that have hitherto been under-examined and need to be fully understood in order to ensure best practice. Areas of impact for education, practice and policy are discussed at the end

Investigating the Impact of Work Integrated Learning on Science Students’ Professional Identity

Australian science graduates have among the lowest full-time professional employment of all undergraduate courses (GOS-L 2018). It is hypothesised that professionally open-ended science degrees do not currently create significant opportunities to develop professional identity, leading to poor professional employment outcomes. Work Integrated Learning (WIL) has been proposed as a means to develop professional identity among business students (Jackson 2016), however little evidence demonstrates the impact of WIL on science students’ professional identity. We investigated the impact of WIL on Nutrition Science and Biomedical Science students' professional identity. Employing a mixed-methods approach, students were surveyed pre- (N=52) and post- (N=22) placement, and in a focus group (N=6). Thematic analysis was conducted to identify convergent themes. We find evidence to suggest that WIL may help science students develop professional identity, although barriers remain. Students responded that WIL helped to develop their professional identity, and identified more strongly as ‘general professionals’ after placement. Exposure to professional environments, interaction with placement supervisors and work-related tasks were the top enablers to building professional identity. These findings help to inform science educators about the role of WIL in developing graduate employability by better understanding complex notions of science students’ professional identity

Sustaining Cultural Genocide—A Look at Indigenous Children in Non-Indigenous Placement and the Place of Judicial Decision Making—A Canadian Example

The Truth and Reconciliation Commission has called upon Canada to engage in a process of reconciliation with the Indigenous peoples of Canada. Child Welfare is a specific focus of their Calls to Action. In this article, we look at the methods in which discontinuing colonization means challenging legal precedents as well as the types of evidence presented. A prime example is the ongoing deference to the Supreme Court of Canada decision in Racine v Woods which imposes Euro-centric understandings of attachment theory, which is further entrenched through the neurobiological view of raising children. There are competing forces observed in the Ontario decision on the Sixties Scoop, Brown v Canada, which has detailed the harm inflicted when colonial focused assimilation is at the heart of child welfare practice. The carillon of change is also heard in a series of decisions from the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal in response to complaints from the First Nations Child and Family Caring Society of Canada and the Assembly of First Nations regarding systemic bias in child welfare services for First Nations children living on reserves. Canadian federal legislation Bill C-92, “An Act respecting First Nations, Inuit and Métis children, youth and families”, brings in other possible avenues of change. We offer thoughts on manners decolonization might be approached while emphasizing that there is no pan-Indigenous solution. This article has implications for other former colonial countries and their child protection systems

Adolescent Alcoholism and Drug Addiction: The Experience of Parents

Alcoholism and drug addiction have marked impacts on the ability of families to function. Much of the literature has been focused on adult members of a family who present with substance dependency. There is limited research into the effects of adolescent substance dependence on parenting and family functioning; little attention has been paid to the parents’ experience. This qualitative study looks at the parental perspective as they attempted to adapt and cope with substance dependency in their teenage children. The research looks into family life and adds to family functioning knowledge when the identified client is a youth as opposed to an adult family member. Thirty-one adult caregivers of 21 teenagers were interviewed, resulting in eight significant themes: (1) finding out about the substance dependence problem; (2) experiences as the problems escalated; (3) looking for explanations other than substance dependence; (4) connecting to the parent’s own history; (5) trying to cope; (6) challenges of getting help; (7) impact on siblings; and (8) choosing long-term rehabilitation. Implications of this research for clinical practice are discussed

Parents with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders in the child protection systems: Issues for parenting capacity assessments

Parents who have or are thought to have Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) are often involved in the child protection systems, although there is little data to establish actual frequency. First Nations parents are over represented. There is often a presumptive bias that individuals with disabilities, including FASD, are not capable of raising their children. Such a bias is unwarranted. Assessing FASD parents requires a view of functional capacity along with consideration of how the parent could accomplish the role and if needed, with what supports. Both a context and process for Parenting Capacity Assessments (PCAs) in these cases is recommended. There is a need for the assessments to exist within a cultural context, including the use of the Medicine Wheel. The individualistic perspective of most Canadian child welfare systems may not match the collectivistic approach to parenting in an Aboriginal family system although it is from the former position that most PCAs are conducted

Parents with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders in the child protection systems: Issues for parenting capacity assessments

Parents who have or are thought to have Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) are often involved in the child protection systems, although there is little data to establish actual frequency. First Nations parents are over represented. There is often a presumptive bias that individuals with disabilities, including FASD, are not capable of raising their children. Such a bias is unwarranted. Assessing FASD parents requires a view of functional capacity along with consideration of how the parent could accomplish the role and if needed, with what supports. Both a context and process for Parenting Capacity Assessments (PCAs) in these cases is recommended. There is a need for the assessments to exist within a cultural context, including the use of the Medicine Wheel. The individualistic perspective of most Canadian child welfare systems may not match the collectivistic approach to parenting in an Aboriginal family system although it is from the former position that most PCAs are conducted. Key words: Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder, Parenting Capacity Assessments, Aboriginal parenting, parenting and child protection, FASD parents