The problem for child protection workers is that they are ‘damned if they do and damned if they don’t ‘. Any case where a child is injured or even killed and where the agency could of stepped in but did not, inevitably draws howls of criticism from the media. When they take a more interventionist approach and step in to prevent a perceived threat to the child there are howls of criticism from the media. Its a lose lose situation.

Having spoken to child protection workers who have come here from the UK, they are surprised at the extent to which our agencies are prepared to step in early and take the legal route to remove children into care. Perhaps this is because a) we provide such little support to change these parents lives around b) they are being ultra defensive from the point of view of their professional reputation.