New Research has been published revealing serious concerns and differing opinions about virtual child protection conferences.
The Nuffield Family Justice Observatory, who improves the lives of children and families by putting data and evidence at the heart of the family justice system, has published a report on the impact of virtual child protection conferences as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
More than 500 professionals and parents took part in the survey which was carried out by King’s College London. The collated results in the report show a disparity of opinion between professionals (eg social workers and teachers) and parents, with nearly 50% the former preferring the virtual form and all of the latter group stating a preference for in-person meetings instead.
Concerns were raised regarding the safety of the virtual version, eg the risk of domestic abuse if the wrong person overheard the conversation. In contrast, advantages to the virtual form included better engagement from older children and a less intimidating environment for parents.
Read the report in full here.
