Child protection social workers’ (CPSW) experiences of the Bessborough Parent
and Baby Unit (BPBU): the interface between infant mental health and child protection

Veale, Kevin

Child protection social workers’ (CPSW) experiences of the Bessborough Parent and Baby Unit (BPBU): the interface between infant mental health and child protection

Files

2014_KevinVeale.pdf(1.19 MB)

Published Version

Date

2014-09

Authors

Veale, Kevin

Publisher

Community-Academic Research Links, University College Cork

Abstract

This research project examines the experiences of child protection social workers who have collaborated with the Bessborough Parent and Baby Unit and also the use of early intervention methods in child protection social work practice. It also serves the purpose of exploring the term infant mental health and how the child protection social worker understands this relatively new concept. The research was proposed by the Bessborough Parent and Baby Unit, through the CARL initative, with the purpose of exploring the experiences of child protection social workers who have collaborated with this service and to identify if this collaboration could be adapted in any form to aid the interagency work between the Bessborough Parent and Baby Unit and child protection agencies. This research is conducted by research methods in the form of a literature review and qualitative research in the form of interviews of child protection social workers. The findings of this research show that child protection social workers view the Bessborough Parent and Baby Unit as being a vital service in preventing family breakdown. However, the study recommends that early intervention services need to be established so that child protection social workers can provide adequate support in order to prevent children being placed into out of home care. While all participants’ reported that, in their opinion, the services provided by the Bessborough Parent and Baby Unit were of an excellent standard but that early intervention services on a broad scale were in need of resourcing and establishment. This lack of service provision was noted as being a consequence of a lack of guidelines and policy in the area of early intervention.

Keywords

Infant mental health , Child protection , Early intervention methods , Interagency work

Citation

Veale, K. (2014) Child protection social workers’ (CPSW) experiences of the Bessborough Parent and Baby Unit (BPBU): the interface between infant mental health and child protection. Cork: Community-Academic Research Links, University College Cork.