Re: domestic violence and child abuse workshop

February 12, 2003

In your discussions about domestic violence and child abuse was the

prevention of this behaviour discussed.

As a GP and a newcomer to the Welsh Valleys I have discovered straight away

that there is a lot of bullying and violence going on in many of the towns

in which I have been working.Talking to some people informally in my

consulting room it is easy to get people of all ages talking about this

distressing aspect of community life. Bullying seems to goon not only in

schools but last week a young woman age 29 ,a manager in a food factory

with over 200 workers came to see me frightened for her life and talking of

suicide because of the bullying she had experianced at work. She had not

been in the job long and was wishing already that she had stayed in East

Anglia where bullying in factories of the managers was unheard of. Does

Wales have an active anti bullying strategy group that is considering

school and community interventions that might make a difference ?

I am thinking in particular of work with the cultural services agencies

,town planning ,schools councils, public art and drama ,poems on the buses

and so on.

MAlcolm

domestic violence and child abuse workshop

In Cardiff yesterday the workshop on interagency communication in

complex child protection cases (domestic violence and child abuse)

was lively. Since a number of SENATE members gave me food for thought

and I acknowledged this, 's and Hamilton's work in

my presentation, I offer a summary of the group work findings.

Major issue of concern

· Professional boundaries inhibiting one profession from

keeping/accessing child protection case information - questions of

ownership and custody, cultural changes needed.

· Intra system: closed shop attitude of some professions making to

information difficult and lengthy where their own information systems

are slow and complex.

Next steps

· Guidance from ACPCs on consent for a multi-agency record kept at

social services District level, where cases are known, a record for

families to be shared, with consent, by all agencies.

· The development of a universal brief assessment tool for such a

record.

· Include GPs and Education Department staff in any training

associated with government advice on modifying the Data Protection

act etc following the Laming Report.

Good practice

· Develop trust between agencies and accept the views of others as

valid, keeping the welfare of the child paramount in professional

relationships, which may be transitory in nature.

· Develop a designated role for complex child protection cases where

linking information between child and adult, adult mental health and

child, is the work of someone who becomes a trusted person to receive

this information, rather than individuals doing 'detective work'. The

same role could support individuals in key decisions and allow for

audit.

There was a great deal else covered. If anyone wants more do make

contact

Dr Coles RGN, RHV, BA, PhD

Research Fellow

University of Wales College of Medicine

Department of Child Health, Community Section

First Floor, Academic Centre

Llandough Hospital

Cardiff CF64 2XX

Telephone 029 2071 6933/5479

e-mail ColesEW@...

February 12, 2003

I would very much like to know more as I am PCT rep on the Domestic

Violence Partnership in our area and am struggling with the question of prof

boundaries. In our area Social Services WRITE to families after 3 police

responses for dom violence - a policy which I believe is positively

dangerous. Sadly neither Social Services nor the Police feel they can seek

permission to involve the family HV. Ruth

domestic violence and child abuse workshop

In Cardiff yesterday the workshop on interagency communication in

complex child protection cases (domestic violence and child abuse)

was lively. Since a number of SENATE members gave me food for thought

and I acknowledged this, 's and Hamilton's work in

my presentation, I offer a summary of the group work findings.

Major issue of concern

· Professional boundaries inhibiting one profession from

keeping/accessing child protection case information - questions of

ownership and custody, cultural changes needed.

· Intra system: closed shop attitude of some professions making to

information difficult and lengthy where their own information systems

are slow and complex.

Next steps

· Guidance from ACPCs on consent for a multi-agency record kept at

social services District level, where cases are known, a record for

families to be shared, with consent, by all agencies.

· The development of a universal brief assessment tool for such a

record.

· Include GPs and Education Department staff in any training

associated with government advice on modifying the Data Protection

act etc following the Laming Report.

Good practice

· Develop trust between agencies and accept the views of others as

valid, keeping the welfare of the child paramount in professional

relationships, which may be transitory in nature.

· Develop a designated role for complex child protection cases where

linking information between child and adult, adult mental health and

child, is the work of someone who becomes a trusted person to receive

this information, rather than individuals doing 'detective work'. The

same role could support individuals in key decisions and allow for

audit.

There was a great deal else covered. If anyone wants more do make

contact

Dr Coles RGN, RHV, BA, PhD

Research Fellow

University of Wales College of Medicine

Department of Child Health, Community Section

First Floor, Academic Centre

Llandough Hospital

Cardiff CF64 2XX

Telephone 029 2071 6933/5479

e-mail ColesEW@...

February 12, 2003

I would very much like to know more as I am PCT rep on the Domestic

Violence Partnership in our area and am struggling with the question of prof

boundaries. In our area Social Services WRITE to families after 3 police

responses for dom violence - a policy which I believe is positively

dangerous. Sadly neither Social Services nor the Police feel they can seek

permission to involve the family HV. Ruth

domestic violence and child abuse workshop

In Cardiff yesterday the workshop on interagency communication in

complex child protection cases (domestic violence and child abuse)

was lively. Since a number of SENATE members gave me food for thought

and I acknowledged this, 's and Hamilton's work in

my presentation, I offer a summary of the group work findings.

Major issue of concern

· Professional boundaries inhibiting one profession from

keeping/accessing child protection case information - questions of

ownership and custody, cultural changes needed.

· Intra system: closed shop attitude of some professions making to

information difficult and lengthy where their own information systems

are slow and complex.

Next steps

· Guidance from ACPCs on consent for a multi-agency record kept at

social services District level, where cases are known, a record for

families to be shared, with consent, by all agencies.

· The development of a universal brief assessment tool for such a

record.

· Include GPs and Education Department staff in any training

associated with government advice on modifying the Data Protection

act etc following the Laming Report.

Good practice

· Develop trust between agencies and accept the views of others as

valid, keeping the welfare of the child paramount in professional

relationships, which may be transitory in nature.

· Develop a designated role for complex child protection cases where

linking information between child and adult, adult mental health and

child, is the work of someone who becomes a trusted person to receive

this information, rather than individuals doing 'detective work'. The

same role could support individuals in key decisions and allow for

audit.

There was a great deal else covered. If anyone wants more do make

contact

Dr Coles RGN, RHV, BA, PhD

Research Fellow

University of Wales College of Medicine

Department of Child Health, Community Section

First Floor, Academic Centre

Llandough Hospital

Cardiff CF64 2XX

Telephone 029 2071 6933/5479

e-mail ColesEW@...

February 12, 2003

, your summary is very thoughtful and helpful, thank you. It

reminded me that UKPHA drew to their members attention this World Health

Organisation recognition of the public health importance and links

between violence and health. I had thought their new 'World report on

violence and health' would be only about war, but that seemed important

in its own right so I down loaded it from

http://www5.who.int/violence_injury_prevention/main.cfm?p=0000000682

It is an impressive resource, much broader than I expected, with

chapters on youth violence, child abuse (attached), violence by intimate

partners (attached), abuse of the elderly, self-directed violence and

collective violence. I attach the ones about child abuse and violence

by intimate partners. There is to be a motion to the World Health

Assembly in May seeking adoption of the recommendations of the report.

So far, the European Region appears to be rather poorly represented in

the list of associated activities.

best wishes

February 13, 2003

Hello, , I am really pleased that the day went well with lots of ideas

shared.

If there is anything specific to the information from me please let me know.

This is such an important area that we need to work on in both knowledge and

systems terms.

Well done, .

February 13, 2003

Hello, , I am really pleased that the day went well with lots of ideas

shared.

If there is anything specific to the information from me please let me know.

This is such an important area that we need to work on in both knowledge and

systems terms.

Well done, .

February 13, 2003

Ruth

I don't know how you can manipulate local resources to include hvs in

their network of information sharing but the Laming report has asked

government to assess the effectiveness of interagency co-operation in

child abuse within 6 months so if it is felt that there is a gap

where health visitors could link information for the welfare of the

child this may provide the opportunity to say so. Our group

recognised that there is a lot of challenging to do.

Unless there is some sort of audit or clinical governance framework

within which all parties are functioning I feel that some

professionals will not be included in information sharing. Do you

have a Domestic Violence Forum in your area with police, health

visitor and Women's Aid members?

The seminar day in Cardiff was shared with the NSPCC and chaired by a

high ranking police person. Women's Aid were in attandance and

speaking, as well as College of Medicne Child health staff. I wonder

if contacting voluntary organisations with your question might open

some doors? or consider a multi-disciplinary seminar/workshop day via

the ACPC training resource to air these issues?

I was most impressed at the intereventions provided by the NSPCC for

women as subjects of abuse, violent men and affected children and by

the level of knowledge and interventions provided by Women's Aid.

They have a 'fast track' through the legal system for cases (one day

a week is put aside in the courts) and they had assisted our local

Child Health lectures/Community paediatricians with a research health

visitor conduct a study into the information needs for assessing

children in refuges.

If there are profesionals who can influence a situation for the

better who has a right to exclude them from cases?

best wishes

On 12 Feb 2003 at 20:30, Ruth Grant wrote:

> I would very much like to know more as I am PCT rep on the Domestic

> Violence Partnership in our area and am struggling with the question of prof

> boundaries. In our area Social Services WRITE to families after 3

police

> responses for dom violence - a policy which I believe is positively

> dangerous. Sadly neither Social Services nor the Police feel they

can seek

> permission to involve the family HV. Ruth

> domestic violence and child abuse workshop

>

> In Cardiff yesterday the workshop on interagency communication in

> complex child protection cases (domestic violence and child abuse)

> was lively. Since a number of SENATE members gave me food for

thought

> and I acknowledged this, 's and Hamilton's work

in

> my presentation, I offer a summary of the group work findings.

>

> Major issue of concern

> · Professional boundaries inhibiting one profession from

> keeping/accessing child protection case information - questions of

> ownership and custody, cultural changes needed.

> · Intra system: closed shop attitude of some professions making to

> information difficult and lengthy where their own information

systems

> are slow and complex.

>

> Next steps

> · Guidance from ACPCs on consent for a multi-agency record kept at

> social services District level, where cases are known, a record for

> families to be shared, with consent, by all agencies.

> · The development of a universal brief assessment tool for such a

> record.

> · Include GPs and Education Department staff in any training

> associated with government advice on modifying the Data Protection

> act etc following the Laming Report.

>

> Good practice

> · Develop trust between agencies and accept the views of others as

> valid, keeping the welfare of the child paramount in professional

> relationships, which may be transitory in nature.

> · Develop a designated role for complex child protection cases

where

> linking information between child and adult, adult mental health

and

> child, is the work of someone who becomes a trusted person to

receive

> this information, rather than individuals doing 'detective work'.

The

> same role could support individuals in key decisions and allow for

> audit.

> There was a great deal else covered. If anyone wants more do make

> contact

>

> Dr Coles RGN, RHV, BA, PhD

> Research Fellow

> University of Wales College of Medicine

> Department of Child Health, Community Section

> First Floor, Academic Centre

> Llandough Hospital

> Cardiff CF64 2XX

>

> Telephone 029 2071 6933/5479

> e-mail ColesEW@...

>

February 13, 2003

Malcolm

short answer: I don't know and probably not. I am fascinated by

prevention and want to do a study about this in relation to shaking

babies - parenting practices and perceptions.

I will pass your ideas on to the NSPCC who have links with the

National Assembly. NSPCC are running a campaign on protecting babies

and toddlers from harm at the moment. There was a write up on the

domestic violence day in the Western Mail on Weds (icWales.com) and

there are 4 different study/conference events on in various locations

in Feb/March. One NHS Trust in the Valleys is rolling out a new

policy on domestic violence -not sure when this is but the event is

at the University of Glamorgan soon. So there are more avenues to

discuss the sort of issues you raise.

As a health visitor in the Valleys in the past I am well aware of

what you describe. At our seminar the effect of violence on the

unborn child was presented by a midwife and it sadly reflected this

culture, but it is not unique to Wales. Domestic violence often

begins in pregnancy with the news of what should be a happy event.

Secondary prevention was discussed by an NSPCC speaker who runs

courses for violent men and he spoke of the effectiveness of these

and that men can change. So there is hope. It has been a hidden

problem for so long and your link with bullying is useful. The WHO

World Report on Violence that refers to and has attached, CH 3

child abuse and violence, notes that there is no database on violence

as no countries routinely record details of violence. They call for

it to be a public health issue.

It is not an easy area of practice for any professional and no one

professional has all the answers or resposibility. One speaker called

for training in skillful confrontation and reminded us of the

dangerous homes where violence is found.

On 12 Feb 2003 at 19:36, M.Rigler wrote:

>

> In your discussions about domestic violence and child abuse was the

> prevention of this behaviour discussed.

> As a GP and a newcomer to the Welsh Valleys I have discovered

straight away

> that there is a lot of bullying and violence going on in many of

the towns

> in which I have been working.Talking to some people informally in

my

> consulting room it is easy to get people of all ages talking about

this

> distressing aspect of community life. Bullying seems to goon not

only in

> schools but last week a young woman age 29 ,a manager in a food

factory

> with over 200 workers came to see me frightened for her life and

talking of

> suicide because of the bullying she had experianced at work. She

had not

> been in the job long and was wishing already that she had stayed in

East

> Anglia where bullying in factories of the managers was unheard of.

Does

> Wales have an active anti bullying strategy group that is

considering

> school and community interventions that might make a difference ?

>

> I am thinking in particular of work with the cultural services

agencies

> ,town planning ,schools councils, public art and drama ,poems on

the buses

> and so on.

>

> MAlcolm

>

> domestic violence and child abuse workshop

>

> In Cardiff yesterday the workshop on interagency communication in

> complex child protection cases (domestic violence and child abuse)

> was lively. Since a number of SENATE members gave me food for

thought

> and I acknowledged this, 's and Hamilton's work

in

> my presentation, I offer a summary of the group work findings.

>

> Major issue of concern

> · Professional boundaries inhibiting one profession from

> keeping/accessing child protection case information - questions of

> ownership and custody, cultural changes needed.

> · Intra system: closed shop attitude of some professions making to

> information difficult and lengthy where their own information

systems

> are slow and complex.

>

> Next steps

> · Guidance from ACPCs on consent for a multi-agency record kept at

> social services District level, where cases are known, a record for

> families to be shared, with consent, by all agencies.

> · The development of a universal brief assessment tool for such a

> record.

> · Include GPs and Education Department staff in any training

> associated with government advice on modifying the Data Protection

> act etc following the Laming Report.

>

> Good practice

> · Develop trust between agencies and accept the views of others as

> valid, keeping the welfare of the child paramount in professional

> relationships, which may be transitory in nature.

> · Develop a designated role for complex child protection cases

where

> linking information between child and adult, adult mental health

and

> child, is the work of someone who becomes a trusted person to

receive

> this information, rather than individuals doing 'detective work'.

The

> same role could support individuals in key decisions and allow for

> audit.

> There was a great deal else covered. If anyone wants more do make

> contact

>

> Dr Coles RGN, RHV, BA, PhD

> Research Fellow

> University of Wales College of Medicine

> Department of Child Health, Community Section

> First Floor, Academic Centre

> Llandough Hospital

> Cardiff CF64 2XX

>

> Telephone 029 2071 6933/5479

> e-mail ColesEW@...

>

February 13, 2003

Dear Senate,

I am only aware of two published types of effective intervention to

prevent domestic violence, and both have to be undertaken very very

early in the cycle:

1) Canadian school nurses developed a programme aimed at adolescent

males around relationships and communication that overall reduced their

aggressive behaviour - but no long term follow up available (have the

reference somewhere but not to hand, alas);

2) Alcohol treatments aimed at couples (there have been a number of

effective studies including some quoted in Caan & de Belleroche " Drink,

Drugs and Dependence " , Routledge, 2002). In my personal experience

these can be surprisingly effective, IF a pattern of violence has not

yet become established and the marital bonds are still quite strong,

but there is no evidence of success where habitual violence is already

present or Morbid Jealously is present when both drunk and sober.

There may be anecdotes of success with males or females with Bipolar

Disorder (one of very few conditions where women are likely to attack

men) and the genetically linked condition of puerperal psychosis, but

alas I have never witnessed a success here.... anecdeotally such

couples have broken up eventually, if violence was prominent. A

particularly bad combination is alcoholism AND bipolar disorder.

Woody.

On Thu, 13 Feb 2003 18:00:11 GMT0BST W Coles

<colesew@...> wrote:

> Malcolm

> short answer: I don't know and probably not. I am fascinated by

> prevention and want to do a study about this in relation to shaking

> babies - parenting practices and perceptions.

> I will pass your ideas on to the NSPCC who have links with the

> National Assembly. NSPCC are running a campaign on protecting babies

> and toddlers from harm at the moment. There was a write up on the

> domestic violence day in the Western Mail on Weds (icWales.com) and

> there are 4 different study/conference events on in various locations

> in Feb/March. One NHS Trust in the Valleys is rolling out a new

> policy on domestic violence -not sure when this is but the event is

> at the University of Glamorgan soon. So there are more avenues to

> discuss the sort of issues you raise.

> As a health visitor in the Valleys in the past I am well aware of

> what you describe. At our seminar the effect of violence on the

> unborn child was presented by a midwife and it sadly reflected this

> culture, but it is not unique to Wales. Domestic violence often

> begins in pregnancy with the news of what should be a happy event.

>

> Secondary prevention was discussed by an NSPCC speaker who runs

> courses for violent men and he spoke of the effectiveness of these

> and that men can change. So there is hope. It has been a hidden

> problem for so long and your link with bullying is useful. The WHO

> World Report on Violence that refers to and has attached, CH 3

> child abuse and violence, notes that there is no database on violence

> as no countries routinely record details of violence. They call for

> it to be a public health issue.

> It is not an easy area of practice for any professional and no one

> professional has all the answers or resposibility. One speaker called

> for training in skillful confrontation and reminded us of the

> dangerous homes where violence is found.

>

> On 12 Feb 2003 at 19:36, M.Rigler wrote:

>

> >

>

> >

> > In your discussions about domestic violence and child abuse was the

> > prevention of this behaviour discussed.

> > As a GP and a newcomer to the Welsh Valleys I have discovered

> straight away

> > that there is a lot of bullying and violence going on in many of

> the towns

> > in which I have been working.Talking to some people informally in

> my

> > consulting room it is easy to get people of all ages talking about

> this

> > distressing aspect of community life. Bullying seems to goon not

> only in

> > schools but last week a young woman age 29 ,a manager in a food

> factory

> > with over 200 workers came to see me frightened for her life and

> talking of

> > suicide because of the bullying she had experianced at work. She

> had not

> > been in the job long and was wishing already that she had stayed in

> East

> > Anglia where bullying in factories of the managers was unheard of.

> Does

> > Wales have an active anti bullying strategy group that is

> considering

> > school and community interventions that might make a difference ?

> >

> > I am thinking in particular of work with the cultural services

> agencies

> > ,town planning ,schools councils, public art and drama ,poems on

> the buses

> > and so on.

> >

> > MAlcolm

> >

> > domestic violence and child abuse workshop

> >

> > In Cardiff yesterday the workshop on interagency communication in

> > complex child protection cases (domestic violence and child abuse)

> > was lively. Since a number of SENATE members gave me food for

> thought

> > and I acknowledged this, 's and Hamilton's work

> in

> > my presentation, I offer a summary of the group work findings.

> >

> > Major issue of concern

> > · Professional boundaries inhibiting one profession from

> > keeping/accessing child protection case information - questions of

> > ownership and custody, cultural changes needed.

> > · Intra system: closed shop attitude of some professions making to

> > information difficult and lengthy where their own information

> systems

> > are slow and complex.

> >

> > Next steps

> > · Guidance from ACPCs on consent for a multi-agency record kept at

> > social services District level, where cases are known, a record for

> > families to be shared, with consent, by all agencies.

> > · The development of a universal brief assessment tool for such a

> > record.

> > · Include GPs and Education Department staff in any training

> > associated with government advice on modifying the Data Protection

> > act etc following the Laming Report.

> >

> > Good practice

> > · Develop trust between agencies and accept the views of others as

> > valid, keeping the welfare of the child paramount in professional

> > relationships, which may be transitory in nature.

> > · Develop a designated role for complex child protection cases

> where

> > linking information between child and adult, adult mental health

> and

> > child, is the work of someone who becomes a trusted person to

> receive

> > this information, rather than individuals doing 'detective work'.

> The

> > same role could support individuals in key decisions and allow for

> > audit.

> > There was a great deal else covered. If anyone wants more do make

> > contact

> >

> > Dr Coles RGN, RHV, BA, PhD

> > Research Fellow

> > University of Wales College of Medicine

> > Department of Child Health, Community Section

> > First Floor, Academic Centre

> > Llandough Hospital

> > Cardiff CF64 2XX

> >

> > Telephone 029 2071 6933/5479

> > e-mail ColesEW@...

> >

February 13, 2003