CDA Designs Protocol for Children's Homes

The Child Development Agency (CDA) is taking steps to address the problems of abuses meted out to children who are wards of the state. Critical incidents and serious cases of physical abuse in private and public children's homes will soon be dealt with under a protocol, which will set out the procedures for action.

Chief Executive Officer of the Agency, Allison Anderson, in outlining the protocol, told JIS News that it was part of the agency's efforts to achieve good outcome for children.

"We have developed what is called a guidance or protocol on the management of serious cases of critical incidents in child care facilities," she said.

Giving details, she said the protocol incorporates procedures to safeguard children. "In creating this protocol we are guided by best practices developed elsewhere by human services organization and we are also guided by certain ethical principles such as the obvious need of making sure that the child's best needs are protected," she said.

The CEO said that the procedure defines what are serious cases and sets out different categories of serious cases in a hierarchical fashion. These, she said include, "possible physical abuse, verbal abuse, emotional abuse and sexual abuse," adding that it also included any "accidental injury to a child. and where that injury led to the need for immediate attention and hospitalization".

Miss Anderson said that it basically sets out a "flow chart, so that everybody knows what to do from the point of concern right through the report made to the manager, right through to the assessment".

Stressing the importance of the protocol, Miss Anderson said: "We need to write things down, we need to establish the system and procedure so that no one can say that they either did not know what to do, and then secondly, we can go back and evaluate whether the correct procedures were followed and in each review, this will enable us to improve upon the process."

Along with this protocol, she said a Serious Case Committee would be set up and would be chaired by a medical doctor.

"The Chair will then make an assessment as to whether to start or initiate a serious case review panel, which that person will chair and will also include CDA persons. That panel will now assess how the matter has been handled," she said.

As it relates to cases of abuse, Miss Anderson said that the protocol proposed that the incident be logged and recorded. The manager is then expected to report the matter to the regional director of the CDA within 48 hours.

"Within 48 hours he/she should follow up in writing with a report that indicates what is the allegation and what they have done. If it is an allegation of sexual abuse the matter is to be reported to the Centre for the Investigations for Sexual Offences and Child Abuse immediately," she said.

The regional director would then acknowledge receipt of referral and decide the next course of action, within one working day. Other steps would depend on the nature of the allegations, she said.

A core assessment would then follow, she added. "At this time other persons from the Ministry of Health would get involved and the standards and regulations branch are brought in. That is to be completed within 20 working days. The findings are then communicated to the Serious Case Review Panel Chair . within 10 working days a serious case panel is convened and a child protection plan is developed for ensuring the child's future safety and welfare," she said.

Miss Anderson stated that the child protection plan was designed specifically to address the child's needs, setting out milestones, what should be done and why.

She said this was to be followed up by a specialist assessment to carry out the plan. "Within three months of that review panel and the creation of the child protection plan there should be a review conference, which assesses the progress," she said.

"There are monitoring officers that are already on board and deployed in the four regions and their job is to make announced and unannounced visits to the homes and they are meant to have face to face discussions with children," she said.

While these steps are put in place to assess each allegation, Miss Anderson said the CDA intended to be just and fair in carrying out its work. "Equity is something that is very important so we don't automatically assume every time . of course you have to take allegations very very seriously and there is no question about that, but we need to be just and fair and equitable to all concerned".

Miss Anderson informed that although some aspects of the protocol have already been implemented, the entire document should be completed and in place in all government-run homes by April of this year.

She said that the children's homes have been very open to the protocol so far. "What we are saying is that this is not something that is meant to restrict you in the care of the children, but it is meant to empower you and protect you as well as the children, because you do not wish a continuation of the situation where all of you are tainted by the same brush, where it might be only one or two," she pointed out.

"They are very open to that idea. very enthusiastic I would say," she added.

Turning to the alleged cases of child abuse, she said investigations were ongoing. "There have been at least five instances where the Children Services Division has taken action against staff including dismissal because of inappropriate behaviour toward children," she said.

Miss Anderson noted that since April, last year, the CDA had received one complaint on a matter regarding an altercation between a member and child.

The CDA was established in April 2003. It is an amalgamation of three Departments within the Health Ministry, including the Adoption Board, the Children's Services Division and the Child Support Unit.