Peer review on evidence-based practice in child protection

The European Social Network (ESN) spoke in a peer review focused on evidence-based practice in the field of child protection in Venice, on 10-11 December. The aim of the peer review was to present the Programme of Intervention for the Prevention of Institutionalisation (PIPPI), which has been developed in Italy to work with families who may be at risk of having their children taken into care, and compare it with other programmes across Europe.

ESN was represented by Alexis Jay, Former Chief Social Work Advisor to the Scottish Government and author of a number of child abuse reports in the UK, and ESN’s Policy Director Alfonso Lara Montero, who presented a commentary paper produced ahead of the meeting.

Supporting families in complex situations is one of the core duties of public services at regional and local levels. PIPPI is based on a linear approach to assessment, planning and intervention in the cases of children identified with possible signs of neglect. The programme has a series of interesting elements that in many ways are in line with current developments in child protection services across Europe.

The coordination between different sectors and the need to involve the child, the family and the wider network in assessment and planning are becoming widespread in local public social services across a number of European countries. To illustrate this, ESN presented innovative practices from its members. For example, in Hungary, the municipalities have the responsibility to maintain a signalling system to identify children at risk and coordinate the response from the appropriate services.

In the Swedish municipality of Botkyrka, social services and education have mobilised joint resources to identify children who may be at risk – a steering group meets regularly to discuss issues concerning children and to make decisions about how to use mutual resources to best effect. In Catalonia, a framework for cooperation across a number of agencies at regional and local level ensures that all professionals from education, health and social services can identify the situations of risk and take the required actions.

The quasi-experimental approach adopted by the PIPPI model and the promising results which have been obtained so far highlight the relevance of evidence-based practice for the design and implementation of effective child protection services.

Find more about these local practices in ESN’s comments paper