Safeguarding Babies and Children Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Safeguarding Babies and Children - Essay Example Despite the provisions by Children Protection Act, many abuses, many of which lead to death keep occurring since those with the responsibility of protecting the children as stipulated in the act are not aware that such abuses occur of are ignorant. Some child-abuse cases go unnoticed due to poor policies that guide children department. Investigative reports indicate that many children suffer abuse in their families, some child abuse cases are not recorded in social workers dairies (Corby, 2011:73). The confidence to intervene whenever a child is at risk has reduced over the past decades because there is no clear understanding on the statutory role in child protection (Kay, 2003: 42). Generally, child protection is an aspect attracting many stakeholders in the social field as well as professionals in the medicine field. For instance, children with complications attract the interest of medical practitioners who prefer the right treatment to their complexities. This report investigates the existing child protection policies and their failure to provide protection to child abuse. This paper investigates the death of Baby P, the impact of child abuse to the society, and gives recommendations on how to handle issues related to children in the society. Baby P suffered under close care of his mother and social workers (Channel 4 News). In a period of about 17 months, the child had registered about 50 injuries. The baby visited the relevant authorities about sixty times, yet the authorities did not in the slightest change the condition and ultimately Baby P died. This information is quite fascinating since it raises many questions about the existing policies that aim at protecting children. In addition, it also raises questions on the role played by the authority concerned with issues related to children. At his death, it was evident that some negligence or poor policy structures took place. The public has drawn criticism to the social department, which failed to protec t the boy. A social worker who reported the first case of abuse noted that Baby P had bruises and injuries that might have occurred due to abuse by the parents. From the Daily chronicle of Baby P's pain revealed, the first report came on 13 October 2006 when the baby was only seven months old. Information given by the parent argued that the injuries that baby P registered occurred due to accidental fall on stairs. Dr Jerome Ikwueke of GP examined him. The second case in which Baby P registered harm was in 11 December 2006 when specialists from Whittington Hospital found bruises on Baby P forehead, sternum, and right shoulder, and on his nose (Metro). Child abuse investigation team took up the case and Baby P remained hospitalized until December 15, 2006 before his discharge. A family friend Angela Godfrey took care of the Baby. The intention of Angela was to provide protection to the baby following the accusation of the baby’s mother together with the grandmother. The police investigated the case of the baby and arrested the mother of the baby on 19 December 2006. Her conviction at Old Bailey was allowing death or causing death of the baby. In a bid to find adequate information regarding the abuse, the police interviewed the grandmother of the boy at Hornsey Police Station. Baby P made three visits to hospital from 21 December 2006 to January 17, 2007. The intention of these visits was to X ray his leg. During these visits, Agnes White who is a social