SOW 3138 Family and Child Welfare

Child Protection and Case Management

Outline of the Chapter
1. Child development
2. Child Protection issues and dynamics
3. Children in need of care and protection
4. Understanding the child protection system
5. The Case Management process and
standard operating procedures
6. Ethics of case management
7. Key skills for working with children
8. Reporting in Case Management (CPIMS)
Specific objectives of the Chapter
• Explain the situation of children in the
country/community.
 Define terms in child protection.
 Describe the national response to child
protection.
 Explain the child protection system in Malawi.
 Identify children in need of protection
 Define child protection case management
Specific objectives of the
Chapter
 Define case management framework
 Explain the goal, objectives and outcomes of case
management
 Outline the values and principles of case
management
 Describe how case management is coordinated
 Explain the two components of case management
 Explain the case management implementation and
reporting structure.
Specific objectives of the Chapter
Identify key stakeholders in the
implementation of case management.
• Outline and explain the strategies for case
management implementation.
• Describe the case management process.
• Complete the various tools in case
management
The situation of children in the
country
 Malawi is one of the least developed country
 85% of the population rely on subsistence
farming
 Malawi is ranked 153 out of 169 country in the
Human Development Index
 HIV prevalence among adults is 10.6%
 41% of women experience sexual violence
 2.4 million children are growing up in violent
homes
 65% of girls experience some form of child abuse
The situation of children in the
country
 35% of boys experience some form of child
abuse
 1 out 4 girls (23%) aged 15-19 years are married
 1 in 4 children are in child labour
 Less than 1% of children aged o-2 years have
birth certificate
 13% are single or double orphans
 26% live in households with a sick parent or
other sick adults
The situation of children in the
country
 1 million orphaned children live in poor communities
 Property dispossession is rampant
 90,000 are living with HIV
 1 in 6 children are growing up with reduced parental care
 12, 000 children live child headed households
 6, 000 children live in institutional care
 11% of children do not live with their parents
 68% of girls and 62% of boys either do not enroll in school or
exit the education system before the age of 12
 Only 5% of children with disability receive support from welfare
services
 24% of children with disability do not attend school and
comprise one in six children in alternative care institutions
Children in need of protection
 Those under the age of 18 years made vulnerable
 Vulnerable child include:
 Child affected by AIDS
 At risk of physical, psychological, emotional injury, sexual abuse,
by parent , guardian, member of the family, or any other person
 Parent or guardian of the child is unfit or has neglected or is un
able to exercise proper supervision and control over the child
 The parent or guardian of the child has neglected or un willing to
provide for the child’s adequate care, food, clothing, shelter,
education and health
 The child has no parent or guardian, or has been abandoned by
the parents or guardians
Children in need of protection
(continued)
 The parent or guardian neglects or refuses to have the child examined,
investigated or treated
 The child behaves in a manner that is , or likely to be harmful to the
child
 There are conflicts with the home
 The child is in custody of a person who has been convicted of
committing an offence in connection with the child
 The child frequents company of immoral or otherwise undesirable
person or persons
 The child is allowed to be on the street, premises or any place for the
purposes of begging or receiving alms
 Child can not be controlled by his or her parents/ guardians or the
person in custody of the child
 If assessed by the social worker is the child in need of care and
protection.
DEFINITIONS
ADVOCACY A set of targeted strategies and
actions aimed at decision makers in support of
specific policy or programme to address an
identified need.
CHILD PROTECTION CASE
MANAGEMENT A coordinated service delivery
approach at the individual and household levels
involving the identification of vulnerable children,
assessment and planning, referral to services and
follow up, in collaboration with the extended
family, community and other service providers.
DEFINITIONS
CHILD
1. Convention on the Rights of a Child :Article I of Part I
The Convention defines a 'child' as a person below the age of
18,
unless the laws of a particular country set the legal age for
adulthood younger
2. African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of Child, Article
“For purposes of this charter, a child means every human
being below the age of 18 years”
3. Malawi Constitution, amended February 2017
A child is anyone under the age of 18
DEFINITIONS
 Child Welfare
 Kirst-Ashman 2011
 Child welfare is the traditional term for the network of
policies and programs designed to empower families,
promote a healthy environment, protect children, and meet
children’s needs.
 Vulnerable Child
• a child whose basic needs of survival, safety, and
development are jeopardized or threatened due to poverty,
illness, violence, abuse, exploitation or neglect.
DEFINITIONS
 CASE MANAGER A person responsible for
overall coordination of identification, assessment
and management of individual cases of children in
need of care and protection using the Child
Protection Case Management approach.
 CASE WORK The process of helping individuals,
families and communities to solve their problems.
Case work deals with the problems of an individual
on a one to one basis; it may also involve
intervention with family members and linking with
the community around them.
DEFINITIONS
CHILD ABUSE Any act that endangers a child’s
physical or emotional health and development,
including non-accidental physical violence or
injury to the child, sexual violation of the child,
and verbal/psychological abuse that humiliates,
shames, or frightens the child.
CHILD DEVELOPMENT The process of change
in which a child comes to master more and more
complex levels of moving, thinking, feeling and
interacting with people and situations in the
environment.
DEFINITIONS
CHILD LABOUR Work that is physically,
morally, socially and mentally harmful to the
child, or work that robs the child of his or
her rights to education, health, play and
association. However, light work that does
not affect the child’s development and is
meant for socialization and preparing the
child for adult responsibility does not
constitute child labour
DEFINITIONS
CHILD PROTECTION Preventing and responding
to specific situations where children are at risk of or
subject to abuse, neglect, violence, exploitation,
discrimination, or deprivation of parental or other
family care, with a view to upholding and protecting
their rights.
CHILD PROTECTION WORKER One who works
with families, children and communities to ensure
that support is offered to minimize the risk of harm to
children. This label can be broadly applied to all those
who are employed or volunteer to provide child
protection services.
DEFINITIONS
CHILD TRAFFICKING The recruitment, transfer,
harbouring or receipt of persons by means of threat or
use of force or other forms of coercion, of abduction,
of fraud, of deception, of the abuse of power or of a
position of vulnerability or of the giving or receiving
of payments or benefits to achieve the consent of a
person having control over another person for the
purpose of exploitation i.e. sexual, labour, services or
removal of organs among others.
COMPETENCIES The values and ethics,
knowledge base, and skills needed to implement case
management services.
DEFINITIONS
• ECOSYSTEM The entire system that surrounds
an individual, starting with family, extended
family, community, and larger society containing
the resources and challenges that impact the
wellbeing of the individual.
• NEGLECT Failure by parents / guardians /
caregivers or other adults to provide adequate
physical, emotional or educational care for a child
to develop into a healthy person physically,
intellectually, emotionally and psychologically.
DEFINITIONS
 NETWORKING A process by which two or more
organizations / individuals collaborate to achieve a
common goal. In child protection, networking is used
to exchange information, strengthen partnerships at
all levels and building coalition among stakeholders
to improve policies, programming and services.
 PSYCHOSOCIAL SUPPORT The ongoing process
of helping to meet the social, emotional, physical,
spiritual and mental needs of children. It goes beyond
meeting a child’s physical needs and places more
emphasis on the child’s psychological / emotional
needs and their need for social interaction.
DEFINITIONS
 SEXUAL ABUSE This is actual or threatened physical intrusion
of a sexual nature with a child by adults or peers. It includes
fondling a child’s genitals, making the child touch the offender’s
genitals with any part of the child’s body, sexual intercourse,
incest, rape, sodomy, exhibitionism, and sexual exploitation.
 SEXUAL EXPLOITATION Any abuse of a position of
vulnerability, differential power or trust for sexual purposes.
This includes profiting monetarily, socially or politically from
the sexual exploitation of another person including from
pornographic acts and prostitution.
 VULNERABLE Condition in which an individual’s basic needs
of survival, safety, and development are jeopardized or
threatened due to poverty, illness, violence, abuse, exploitation
or neglect.
Child Development
 The foundation for a child’s ability to survive and thrive
lies in opportunities for the child to grow socially,
emotionally, physically, mentally, morally and spiritually.
 When a child is nurtured and cared for, receiving proper
nutrition and health care, stimulated and loved from the
onset of birth, the child begins to flourish and develop to
its fullest potential.
 Scientific evidence has shown that the early years of a
child’s life are of critical importance. It is during the early
years when the child’s roots are firmly planted for later
healthy development and success in the child’s abilities to
learn and achieve throughout life.
Child Development
 Babies are learning and growing rapidly from the
moment of birth!
 To ensure the survival, growth and development of
children we must recognise that the development of a
child in the early years very much depends on the
health and well being of the child’s mother both prior
and during birth.
 A mother that is not receiving adequate and nutritious
food, appropriate health care and emotional support
from the family, is at higher risk of complications at
birth for both the mother and the child.
Child Development
There is a huge body of knowledge regarding
child development, but for the purpose of
child protection we only learn just four which
are most relevant to child protection issues.
These include
1) physical,
2) Emotional/psychological,
3) Social
4) Educational developmental needs.
Child Development
 Most parents are able to meet these developmental needs
for their children.
 But if they are not able or willing to, we have to step in, to
ensure that these basic developmental needs are met (the
safety net concept).
 Under international and domestic law, it is the
responsibility of the national social welfare system to
provide the safety net protection to the children.
 Parents who are willing but unable to care for their
children are entitled to receive services as well.
 In the long run we want to empower parents to care for
their children but until then we have to help.
Physical development
It requires nutritious food, safe drinking
water, medical care, immunizations,
protection from diseases (e.g. mosquito nets),
sanitation (garbage disposal and toilet or
latrine), etc.
They also need protection from physical and
sexual abuse).
What are the major challenges you see in
your local area in this aspect of
development?
Emotional/Psychological
development
 It requires the child to grow up in a family setting where they can
feel love, happiness and understanding (according to the CRC,
paragraph 7).
 The key is individual attention by a caring adult.)
 Children are denied this when their parents pass away, go away for
work, or put them in institutions due to poverty (there are over
10,000 children in institutions in Malawi and they receive very little
attention. Only 9% have a Case Plan).
 Some children are abandoned, or even sold for child labour.
 They experience trauma and loss of self-esteem.
 Even children who live at home can be emotionally damaged when
their parents engage in domestic violence, substance abuse, child
abuse, etc.
 Children who feel discriminated against, those who suffer stigma.
Social development
Has to do with the child connecting with the
larger world outside the family.
The peer group in the neighborhood and
community, friends at school, and feeling
valued in the community are all part of this.
Educational development
isnow considered as a basic right of
children, and as important as food and
shelter due to its long term impact on the
wellbeing of the child and his/her later life as
an adult.
Girls are often discriminated against in this
aspect, even by their own families.
Section 25. Sub section 1. All persons are
entitled to education.
Rights of Children Section 23 of
Malawi Constitution.
 1. All children, regardless of the circumstances of their birth, are
entitled to equal treatment before the law.
 2. All children shall have the right to a given name and a family
name and the right to a nationality.
 3. Children have the right to know, and to be raised by, their
parents.
 4. Children are entitled to be protected from economic exploitation
or any treatment, work or punishment that is, or is likely to –
 a. be hazardous;
 b. interfere with their education; or
 c. be harmful to their health or to their physical, mental or
spiritual or social development.
 5. For purposes of this section, children shall be persons under
sixteen years of age
VALUES AND ETHICS FOR THE CHILD
PROTECTION CASE MANAGER
Case Management ethics are derived from guiding
principles and values regarding the nature of human
beings, the forces that impact their wellbeing, and
society’s responsibility to care for them.
These shape and provide parameters for case
management practice.
Therefore, the case manager’s own values and world
views must be compatible with those that have been
identified with effective case management work.
A strong commitment to these values and principles will
be a guide and provide the moral fuel for the often
difficult work that case managers must do.
VALUES AND ETHICS FOR THE CHILD
PROTECTION CASE MANAGER
Dignity and Worth of a Person:
Each human being has inherent worth, and
deserves to be treated with respect and dignity.
This is true of everyone, including (especially)
those who are not considered important by
society, or even those who have made mistakes
or have acted on bad decisions.
Each person is unique and adds to the diversity
of society.
VALUES AND ETHICS FOR THE CHILD
PROTECTION CASE MANAGER
Basic Human Needs and Motivation:
Each human being has basic needs such as
survival needs, safety and security needs,
love and belonging, and self-improvement.
These needs motivate their behaviour,
sometimes in unhealthy ways, especially
when they lack access to healthier ways to
meet their needs
VALUES AND ETHICS FOR THE CHILD
PROTECTION CASE MANAGER
Client-Centered Service:
The client is the consumer of case
management services.
A case manager puts the client first above self-
interest.
In handling cases, the most vulnerable of the
client group should be the priority focus.
In child protection work, this means that the
best interest of the child should be of
paramount consideration.
VALUES AND ETHICS FOR THE CHILD
PROTECTION CASE MANAGER
Ecosystem Perspective:
Case management is founded on a holistic
framework, recognizing that each person lives in
an ecosystem where they interact with multiple
systems such as family, community and society,
and further interact with dimensions of culture,
economy, politics, religion, etc.
These present both resources and challenges that
can be identified and applied in case work.
VALUES AND ETHICS FOR THE CHILD
PROTECTION CASE MANAGER
Competence and Humility:
A child protection case manager must have
the knowledge and skills to do the work
well, and to adhere to the accountability
procedures.
Equally important is the attitude of humility,
recognizing that they must constantly
improve their knowledge and skills to
perform their responsibilities.
ECO-SYSTEM MODEL OF A
CHILD'S PROTECTION SYSTEM
ECO-SYSTEM MODEL OF A
CHILD'S PROTECTION SYSTEM
 From the figure above, the child's first line of defense is
the family-
 So the family is responsible for the child's wellbeing
 As the child grows, he/she will continue to increase their
interaction with the larger world; First with their extended
family members or within their immediate environment.
 The family may have an extended family network which
is connected to the community, the district and the
national level of systems
 Describe one expected contribution of each of the levels
of the eco-system towards a child's social development.
 of 148
52

CASE MANAGEMENT
PROCESS
 1. Identification of child in need of protection is done through
child/family coming to the office, referral, and outreach.
 2. Case in take REFERRAL STAGE : The process whereby any
service provider comes into contact with a child or family.
 Information is gathered to determine whether a child is at risk of .

Who will Refer Child Protection Cases?

In this first stage, the Child Protection case manager can receive referrals
from various actors, including:
1. A social welfare officer, police officer, courts, probation officer, One
Stop Center, or Victim Support Unit or other government actors
working with children and youth,
2. Village level leaders: chief, Village Development Committee, or
ordinary members of the community,
3. Civil society actors
4. Children and youth for themselves or their peers.
What is the Primary Goal of
the Intake Process?
• The primary purpose of the intake process is to identify the
name, age, location, and circumstance of the child in need of
protection as well as the primary adults or peers perpetrating
the abuse/neglect or exploitation.
• It is also advisable to note the name and contact information
of the person making the referral for possible follow-up
questions or coordination (e.g. an NGO referring).
• However, the source of the referral should not be shared with
the alleged perpetrator (that is the person who is suspected
of mistreating the child) or the child(ren) who are the
subjects of the referrals to maintain the privacy of the
referral source and to encourage others to make referrals.
Recording data in the Intake
Stage
• A standard form (called the Initial Assessment Form,
see page 1 of the case management booklet), can be
used to note the identifying information, to be used in
conducting the assessments.
• For data purposes a copy of this form should be sent
to the District Social Welfare Office, while another
copy should be kept in the case management folder.
• NOTE: Even when the case is being handled by Child
Protection workers from the private sector, (N.G.O.s),
data still has to be sent to the District Social Welfare
office so that this data is well captured in the CPIMS
STAGE 2: INITIAL ASSESSMENT
 Initial assessment is the process through which the case
manager makes a quick evaluation of the situation based
on the information obtained through intake.
 If all of the information was not provided at intake, the
case manager may need to make further inquiries before
determining whether there is a protection risk or not.
REMEMBER:our interest is on child protection risks
(ABUSE, EXPLOITATION, VIOLENCE, NEGLECT!)
If there is no protection risk in the case that you receive,
the initial assessment leads to the dismissal of a case.
Examples of cases that may
be dismissed
1. If two siblings get into a fight over doing house chores
and one of them contacts the case manager, and it is
determined that there are no protection risks, the case
manager can quickly provide some advice and dismiss
the case.
2. If a teenager calls about a romantic relationship and
protection issues are not detected, the case should be
dismissed.
NOTE: In both of these instances, the case manager
should simply document the date, child’s names, the nature
of their complaints and the contact information on a list of
dismissed cases, but does not need to start a case folder.
NOTE ON CASE DISMISSAL
• However, the case manager should not be too quick to dismiss a
case, since careful probing may lead to the discovery of actual
protection issues.
• For example, the fighting children in example 1 may be very young
and left unattended for long periods without food (CHILD
NEGLECT)
• or the teenager in example 2 might be experiencing sexual violence
or bullying. Therefore skillful interviewing skills are necessary to
probe enough to determine the actual reason behind each referral,
whether self-referred or through a third party.

REMINDER: THE CHILD CARE PROTECTION AND JUSTICE

ACT (in section 23, pages 16 and 17) lists various child protection
issues. In addition, the case manager is authorized to make a
determination of risk in other cases not mentioned in the law.
STAGE 3: FULL ASSESSMENT
 Case assessment: Gathering of information about the
child which should consider all the aspects of a child’s
situation for you to develop a comprehensive picture of a
child.
 Cases which were not dismissed should be scheduled for
a full assessment.
 The full assessment process is slightly different for
children living in households and those living in
institutions or on the streets.
 FOR THE NEXT SECTIONS, YOU WILL NEED
FORM 1, FORM 2 AND FORM 3 IN THE CHILD
PROTECTION CASE MANAGEMENT BOOKLET
Assessing Children Living in
Households
The following steps must be followed as you assess children living in
households:

1. First, the entire household is registered using Form 1 (Household

Registration Form).
2. Next, the household is evaluated using Form 2 (Household Assessment
and Progress Chart).
3. At this point the case manager may go on to goal setting with the family if
they feel they have enough information.
4. Third, all of the children in the household are assessed using Form 3
(Initial Child Assessment Chart).
5. At this point the case manager needs to determine whether the case is a
‘simple’ one or a ‘complex’ one.
6. This determination is somewhat subjective, but a ‘complex’ one involves
serious cases of physical or sexual abuse or issues that are beyond the
knowledge and skill levels of the case manager.
Assessing Children Living in
Institutions
1. If the child will be living at an institution or in the streets for at least
three months, the household forms (1&2) should not be filled out.
2. If, however, the child is going to be reintegrated back to his or her home
or to another household within three months, the household forms should
also be filled out with the family.
3. If the child and family live in different areas, Child Protection workers
should coordinate to have the assessments completed and exchange the
information.
4. At this point, the case manager should have a good idea of the problems
at the household and children’s levels. and hence be ready to move to the
next stage.
IMPORTANT: If children are in Child Care Institutions or reformatories
or otherwise living in a non-family setting; and they already have a
case manager, case management needs to be harmonized between the
you the child protection worker and the institutional case manager
so that you are working towards the same goals.
Case conference, case planning and making referrals.

In this lesson, we will focus on the

remaining 6 stages namely:
4. Case Conference
5. Case planning.
6. Making Referrals
7. Follow up with service providers and clients
8. Case Review
9. Case Closure
STAGE 4: Case Conference

 Aftera FULL ASSESSMENT (Stage 3), the next step is to do a case

conference.

 A case conference is a meeting of some or all individuals who can

contribute directly to a case, to review information, discuss desired
outcomes, and assign tasks to achieve those outcomes.
 It is a helpful tool for case managers who would like input from more
sources than just the client, especially if the case is complex and others
have been involved in the case.
 Sometimes the case manager simply wants to know if he or she is on the
right track by meeting with his or her peers or supervisor. In short, case
conferences are helpful collaborative tools for the case manager.
 Case conferences can be held anytime during the term of a case, but
typically they are the most helpful before case planning and again before
case closure.
Stage 5: Case Planning
 The outcome of a case will be largely dependent on the
quality of case planning, so planning is an important step in
case management.
 Case Planning is the process of evaluating the problems
that have been identified through intake and assessment,
and setting goals to achieve the necessary changes.
 The goals should be individualized for the unique situation of
the client, directly relevant to that client’s problems,
measurable by an objective standard, and realistically
achievable by that client within the time frame of the case.
 As such, planning is probably the stage of case management
that requires the most knowledge and skill on the part of the
case manager, and can be time consuming
Setting Goals During Case
Planning
1. Goals should be individualised:
Each client has unique characteristics and likes/dislikes, needs,
strengths, abilities and skills, and ways of perceiving their
environment and adapting to it.
• This is true of both adults and children. For example, Child A
might enjoy playing with other children and being very active,
while Child B would rather stay close to his parents and play
quietly.
• Recognizing these characteristics will guide the case manager in
respecting and relating to the child and help set appropriate goals.
• Adults, too, have developed into unique individuals.
• It is important to recognize and respect this uniqueness of each
client when making a case plan with them.
Setting Goals Continued
2. Goals should be Client-driven:
• It is important for the client to feel the ‘ownership’ of the plan.
• The client should participate in making their own plan as much as
possible, depending on their age and developmental level.
• The case manager’s role is to provide information and to facilitate
the client’s problem solving.
• To a large degree, the case manager needs to trust the client to
know what will work for them unless it is clearly obvious that the
client does not have good judgment.
• When the client’s and the case manager’s views conflict, the case
manager should explain the positives and negatives of various
different options in a way the client can understand, and suggest
several good options and let the client choose from among them so
that in the end the client feels ownership.
Setting Goals Continued
3. Goals should be Measurable:
• Each problem should be addressed by setting a measurable goal.
• A measurable goal is something that is observable or is
quantifiable. In other words, the results can be seen or counted.
• For example, if Mrs Phiri, our service user is too sick to care for
her children,

 We wouldn’t say…‘ At the end of this, Mrs Phiri will improve

her health’. This is not a measurable goal.
 But we would say … ‘Mrs Phiri will get medical treatment at
the community clinic by _____ (date)’. This is a measurable
goal.
Setting Goals Continued
4. Goals should be Realistic:
• The set of goals should not only be measurable, it should be realistic
for that client and considering the resources.
• The case manager should be careful to see that the client/ service
user is set up for success, not for failure.
• This is true even when clients want to set very high goals, and the
case manager may need to diplomatically bring down their
expectations.
• Or, at times the client has no faith in him- or herself and is afraid to
set goals, or the resources are not available for reaching those goals.
• In both of these situations, the case manager needs to guide the
client based on the client’s ability to achieve realistic and beneficial
goals in the case management time frame, typically 90 days.
Setting Goals Continued
5. Goals can be Incremental “pang’onopangono….
Simple to difficult”
• Some clients do better by setting small goals and
reaching them quickly, then setting another easily
achievable goal.
• A series of successful experiences like these can
encourage and motivate the client better than a difficult
goal that takes a long time to reach.
• Those who are in an acute crisis, lack self-confidence
or are easily discouraged, or those with short attention
spans are good candidates for incremental goal setting.
Stage 6: Making Referrals to
Service Providers
After planning and setting goals, the next
step is to connect service users with the
necessary services..
Remember a case manager does not
necessarily provide direct services such as
school fees in a case where a person is
lacking fees.
They will need to make a referral to a
service provider.
Referral Checklist

Attention should be paid to the following checklist when making referrals:

1. Having a full and thorough knowledge of the resources available,
including eligibility requirements, the types of services provided, etc.
2. Ensuring that the referrals specifically address the problem identified
3. Manageable distance or means of transportation for the client
4. Checking on the affordability of the service—if there is a fee, how it
will be paid
5. Calling ahead to sensitize the service organization to the forthcoming
referral
6. Providing a means of confirming whether the service organization
will accept the client for services, when services will start, and how
long the service period will be.
7. Systematic way of checking on the client’s progress with the service
organization
Time for Making Referrals
 Making referrals is not limited to the planning stage.
 Referrals can be made at any time in the case
management process.
 Although referrals are made as a part of the case planning
process, preliminary referrals may be made before a full
assessment can take place, and as late as just before
closing the case.
 Referrals made before closing the case may be related to
the expiration of case management time frame before the
goals are reached, or because the case goals have been
met but the client wishes to improve his or her situation
even more beyond the case management goals.
Stage 7: Regular Follow-ups with Client and Service Providers

 Once referrals have been sent by the case manager and

accepted by the service provider, they are now under an
agreement that the service provider will provide the
services and exchange information regarding the
client’s progress with the case manager.
 Experience shows that most service providers will not
generally provide this feedback unless they are
specifically contacted, as their main job is to focus on
service provision.
 Therefore, the case manager’s regular inquiries will
improve the communication and the services provided
to the client.
Stage 8:Case Review

Case review is usually done to see if the case

can be closed.
When a Case Review should be Held:
The Case Review is held near the end of the
case management period to determine whether
the case should be closed, reassessed, or new
referrals made
Case Reviews should be done
when…..
 The Client has reached most, if not all, of the goals on the
Case Plan and the case manager anticipates closing the case.
 the client may have moved away in which case the case
should be transferred to the new location, and the case in the
old location closed.
 the adult Client is not motivated and refuses to work on the
Case Plan. After trying to use creative methods and
encouraging the Client, the case manager may wish to
terminate the case and focus limited resources on more
productive cases. But even in these cases the case manager
must ensure that no children will suffer due to the closure of
the case. Even if the household client’s case is closed, the
child’s Case Plan should continue when necessary.
Case Reviews should be done
when…..
 an agency may have a case management term of a certain time
frame. . For example in Malawi the Ministry of Gender has
determined that the case management time frame will be a minimum
of 3 months and a maximum of 6 months for most cases.
 This is recognition of the resource constraints as well as the evidence
shown in other countries that longer periods can be demotivating and
create dependency rather than empowering the clients.
 Of course, if a child’s safety or wellbeing will be directly impacted,
the child’s case should remain open.
 In addition, in some institutions where children reside (such as in
reformatories or residential care centres), a child could receive case
management services for longer period with reunification or
reintegration as their primary goals.
 With a case review, a manager decides if the case needs to be closed,
reassessed or make new referrals …
Stage 9: Case Closure
A case should be closed if any of the following occurs:
 The client has reached all or most of the goals; or the goals still need
to be reached are well underway and the case manager determines
that the client will be able to complete the goals without further
monitoring
 The client has moved away and the case has been transferred to
another district;
 The client refuses to work on his or her goals despite many attempts
by the case manager to assist, and the time frame for service (3
months minimum, 6 months maximum unless a child is at risk) has
expired.
 Typically this will be an adult client. If the children in the household
are not at risk, the adult’s case can be closed but the children’s cases
could remain open; or
 The client has moved out of Malawi or passed away
Case Closure continued….
 Once the case is determined ready to be closed, the case manager
should meet with the client and explain why the case will be
closing.
 The case manager should recognize that the clients may feel that
they are not ready to be left on their own and ask to continue.
 Many will usually have grown fond of the case manager, and
termination will be difficult for some of them.
 This might be especially true of children; however, if the case was
handled correctly the child should be under the care of caring
adults.
 The case manager should take the time to reassure these clients that
they will be fine, and that it has been a pleasure to work with them.
 The reason for closure should be marked on the correct form and
signed by both the case manager and the supervisor.
What is Child Protection in
Emergencies
 Child protection in emergencies is about preventing and
responding to violence, abuse, exploitation and neglect of
children during times of emergency caused by natural and
man-made disasters, conflict or other crises.
 Emergency situations can carry on long after the initial
crisis has passed.
 They require effective and sustainable solutions to provide
both short and long-term protection to children living in the
wake of disaster and conflict.
 The delivery of child protection in emergencies occurs in a
wide variety of locations from the immediate locality of the
crisis to internally displaced people and refugee facilities
The most common risks
Dangers and injuries
Unintentional injuries account for over 30% of
deaths among 10- to 14 year olds and almost
50% among 15-19 year olds.
In emergency and conflict settings children are at
greater risk of injury and disability caused by
natural disasters or by explosive remnants of war.
If injuries to children are not treated quickly and
appropriately for their age, there is a greater
chance of long-term or permanent injury.
The most common risks
 Physical violence and other harmful practices
 During conflicts, children may suffer extreme
violence, such as killing, maiming, torture, and
abduction.
 Patterns of violence are heightened in humanitarian
settings.
 Families and other sources of protection are often put
under immense strain and the weakened protective
social structures around the child may result in family
or community members abusing children, putting those
children more at risk of domestic violence, physical
and sexual abuse, and corporal punishment.
The most common risks
Sexual violence
In the chaos that can follow an emergency, children are
especially at risk of sexual violence and exploitation.
The consequences of sexual violence on girls and boys
are social, physical, emotional, spiritual and
psychosocial, and require a multi-sectoral response.
Sexual violence is present in all emergencies, but it is
often hidden.
Harmful practices such as early marriage or female
genital mutilation can become more prevalent in the
aftermath of a crisis.
The most common risks
Unaccompanied and separated children
In a conflict or a natural disaster situation,
children can accidently become separated,
abandoned, abducted, or orphaned during
flight to safety or through the death of
parents or guardians.
Unaccompanied and separated children can
be extremely vulnerable to exploitation and
trafficking
The most common risks
Psychosocial distress and mental disorders.
The stressful situations experienced in times
of emergency can lead to short and long-term
psychosocial distress and mental disorders
such as sleeping problems, nightmares,
withdrawal, problems concentrating, guilt,
confusion, insecurity, and post traumatic
stress hindering the successful future
development of the child.
The most common risks
 Children associated with armed forces or armed groups
 Despite growing international attention to the recruitment
and use of children in conflict and wide condemnation of
this practice, children continue to be forced in to service
with armed forces or armed groups across the world.
 Boys and girls are used as combatants as well as in active
support roles such as spies, porters or informants, or for
sexual purposes.
 Children associated with armed forces or armed groups are
exposed to tremendous violence – often forced both to
witness and commit violence, while being abused, forced
to use drugs, exploited, injured or even killed as a result.
The most common risks
 Child labour
 Many child labourers are victims of the worst forms of child
labour, such as forced or bonded labour, using children in
armed conflict, trafficking for exploitation, sexual
exploitation, illicit work or other work which is likely to harm
their health, safety or morals.
 In emergency contexts children become particularly
vulnerable to child labour.
 An emergency may increase the overall incidence of the worst
forms of child labour, trigger new types of hazardous work,
result in working children taking on more dangerous work or
result in unsafe movement of children to search for work,
putting them at greater risk of exploitative work situations.
Children and the Justice System
 Emergency situations often increase the possibility of children
coming into contact with the justice system as alleged offenders,
victims or witnesses, or in a combination of these roles.
 Risks and needs arising from emergencies through which children
may come into contact with the justice system include: arbitrary
arrest and deprivation of liberty, torture and other forms of ill
treatment, trafficking or recruitment by armed forces, including
criminal groups.
 When law and order breaks down in emergency situations, cases of
arbitrary arrest and detention of children suspected of involvement in
crime or of having committed administrative offences often increase.
 In all situations, the principle is to resort to detention and formal trial
only as a last resort and, where possible, to use diversion and
alternative measures.