NCJ Number
214283
Journal
Child Abuse Review Volume: 15 Issue: 2 Dated: March-April 2006 Pages: 127-137
Date Published
March 2006
Length
11 pages
Annotation
This article describes the experience of having a “children’s liaison and discharge coordinator” on a hospital-based Child Protection Team in the United Kingdom and presents results from an 1-year evaluation of the functioning of the coordinators.
Abstract
Results indicated that the coordinators successfully raised child welfare awareness throughout the hospital, resulting in more child welfare reports. In 2003, coordinators received 490 reports of child welfare concerns, up from 153 reports in 2002. Coordinators were also credited with improving documentation and followup of child welfare concerns. Coordinators worked with community health professionals and other agencies to assess child welfare concerns and ensure follow-up care. Out of the 490 reports, 230 children were referred to social services. Of these referrals, 62 children were already part of the child protection system and another 42 children proceeded on to an initial child protection conference. Short-term outcome data for these children was difficult to locate and coordinators are currently trying to improve feedback from outside agencies to secure this data for future analysis. In addition to providing evaluation data concerning the effectiveness of the children’s liaison and discharge coordinators, the authors also describe the implementation of the children’s liaison and discharge coordinators’ position within the hospital’s Child Protection Team and their key responsibilities, which include making referrals to social services and police when necessary, providing child and family counseling and support, and organizing child protection training for staff throughout the hospital. References, appendix