The Attitudes of Social Workers, Health Visitors and School Nurses to Parental Involvement in Child Protection Case Conferences

Correspondence to Mr Neil Cooper, School of Health Sciences, University of Sunderland, Pasteur Building, Sunderland, Tyne and Wear. Summary This report presents an analysis of a questionnaire investigatingattitudes towards parental involvement in child protection caseconferences administered to field and area management socialworkers, health visitors, and school nurses in the area of oneChild Protection Committee, during the early stages of a transitionto parental involvement in conferences. Analysis was undertakento investigate if experience of parental presence in conferences.length of professional experience, and occupational differencesaffected views towards parental involvement. Differences inattitude were found between the two professional groups of socialworkers and nurses, and these are discussed with respect tothree areas: resistance to parental involvement; the effectsof parents upon conference dynamics; and the management of parentalinvolvement.