Variation in Operation of English Child Protection Registers

Abstract

SUMMARY English child protection register statistics reveal wide and persistent variations between authorities, but over time their rank order remains moderately stable. Socio demographic characteristics of areas combined with differing policies and practices in keeping the register have been found to explain much of the variability. While statistics of children on registers are not valid measures of the incidence of child maltreatment, registers themselves appear to play a useful part in local child protection systems. FUNCTION OF CHILD PROTECTION REGISTERS Child protection registers in England came into being as one of three main means of improving inter-agency communication in the handling of 'non-accidental injury' to children. In 1974, following the Inquiry into the death of Maria Colwell, the Department of Health and Social Security (DHSS) advised local and health authorities to form Area Review Committees (now Area Child Protection Committees) to over see local policy and training arrangements; to ensure that case confer ences were held following every suspected case; and to set up a 'central record of information' (the register) which was 'essential to good com munication between the many disciplines involved' (DHSS, 1974). In contrast to the system of mandatory reporting established in the USA, no legal duty to report cases was established in the UK, but the government laid down procedures for agencies to follow (DHSS, 1976; 1980). At this stage registers were still seen mainly as tools to aid inter agency communication, especially in the early identification of cases, and as sources of data for management and research purposes. Their usefulness was disputed: it was reported that they were not much used by local professionals in many areas—which obviously