Eileen Munro | London School of Economics and Political Science (original) (raw)
Papers by Eileen Munro
Final report on implementing Signs of Safety as the organisational practice framework in ten Engl... more Final report on implementing Signs of Safety as the organisational practice framework in ten English Children's Social Care Departments
Child welfare
The way in which a child protection agency responds to a child fatality always has a strong influ... more The way in which a child protection agency responds to a child fatality always has a strong influence on subsequent practice. Very often, organizational responses and child death reviews are punitive and escalate an already anxious and defensive organizational culture. This paper outlines an alternative approach that not only helps staff to manage their emotional responses but also encourages and prioritizes a learning culture within the organization throughout the crisis and in the longer-term.
Child welfare, 2013
The way in which a child protection agency responds to a child fatality always has a strong influ... more The way in which a child protection agency responds to a child fatality always has a strong influence on subsequent practice. Very often, organizational responses and child death reviews are punitive and escalate an already anxious and defensive organizational culture. This paper outlines an alternative approach that not only helps staff to manage their emotional responses but also encourages and prioritizes a learning culture within the organization throughout the crisis and in the longer-term.
Munro, Eileen (2009) Managing societal and institutional risk in child protection. Risk Analysis,... more Munro, Eileen (2009) Managing societal and institutional risk in child protection. Risk Analysis, 29 (7).
Risk management has become the dominant activity in child welfare services in Britain. It has th... more Risk management has become the dominant activity in child welfare services in Britain. It has the praiseworthy aim of identifying vulnerable children and protecting them from harm. However, it is becoming clear that efforts to achieve the desirable goal are producing unexpected and wholly undesirable side effects so that it is arguable that the child protection system is, on balance, doing more harm than good. This article analyses what has been happening in terms of the logic of risk assessment. It examines the way the concept of risk has moved to centre stage and details the unintended repercussions. Professional practice has been strongly reactive to public pressures. Society, however, has unrealistic hopes of the feasibility of developing accurate risk assessments and little appreciation of the pain caused to families by assessment procedures. It is argued that radical changes are needed in society’s perception of child welfare and their expectations of professionals before we can create a child welfare system that places welfare at the heart of the agenda.
Review of the literature on improving safety in high risk industries such as engineering, aviatio... more Review of the literature on improving safety in high risk industries such as engineering, aviation and health
This article argues for a systems approach to learning how to improve performance, con-ceptualisi... more This article argues for a systems approach to learning how to improve performance, con-ceptualising child protection services as complex, adaptive systems. This requires an acceptance of the complexity of the work, the essential role of professional judgement and the need for feedback loops in the system where lower-level workers are not afraid to communicate honestly about their experiences, both good and bad, and senior managers treat their feedback as a valuable source of learning. It is argued that current strategies to manage risk in child protection are, paradoxically, making it harder for professionals to learn how to protect children better. Three factors are identified as combining in such a way that they promote a culture in which professional practice is being excessively controlled and proceduralised: the person-centred approach to investigating child deaths, the blame culture and the performance management system. The way they reduce the opportunities for learning are explored.
Public sector services in all developed economies have had to meet new demands for accountability... more Public sector services in all developed economies have had to meet new demands for accountability and transparency, leading to the creation of complex audit systems. This article examines the way that this has been done in relation to social work practice in the UK. Auditing is a dynamic process and the aim of the Audit Commission is to be a driving force in improving services. However, it is argued that social work presents particular challenges because of the nature of its knowledge base. Improvement in services to users cannot be achieved just by managerial changes but requires rigorous research to increase our understanding of what works. The process of making social work 'auditable' is in danger of being destructive, creating a simplistic description of practice and focusing on achieving service outputs with little attention to user outcomes. Alternatively, however, if it is linked to research methods, it could be highly constructive, producing reliable evidence not only on efficiency but on effectiveness.
Eileen Munro is a Professor of Social Policy at the London School of Economics. Her research inte... more Eileen Munro is a Professor of Social Policy at the London School of Economics. Her research interests are in how best to combine intuitive and analytic reasoning in risk assessment and decision making in child protection. She is also studying the role of the wider organisational system in promoting or hindering good critical thinking. Alison Hubbard (BSc, MSc Eng) is a Senior Human Factors Consultant. She has a background of developing and applying advances in human factors to practical settings within high-risk industries such as oil and gas, rail and recently public sectors such as health and social care.
This paper argues for treating the task of improving the child protection services as a systems p... more This paper argues for treating the task of improving the child protection services as a systems problem and for adopting the system-focused approach to investigating errors that has been developed in areas of medicine and engineering where safety is a high priority. It outlines how this approach differs from the traditional way of examining errors and how it leads to different types of solutions. Traditional inquiries tend to stop once human error has been found, whereas a systems approach treats human error as the starting point and examines the whole context in which the operator was working to see how this impacted on their ability to perform well. The article outlines some factors that seem particularly problematic and worthy of closer analysis in current child protection services. A better understanding of the factors that are adversely effecting practitioners' level of performance offers the potential for identifying more effective solutions. These typically take the form of modifying the tasks so that they make more realistic and feasible demands on human cognitive and emotional abilities.
A systems approach to investigating child abuse deaths Originally published in British journal of... more A systems approach to investigating child abuse deaths Originally published in British journal of social work, 35 (4). Pp. 531-546
Child protection work is being transformed by the introduction of information and communication t... more Child protection work is being transformed by the introduction of information and communication technology (ICT) and other tools to improve frontline work. This article argues that current innovations are being developed without sufficient attention to understanding the needs of frontline workers. Taking the identification of child abuse as an example, the article shows how beginning with the question 'What tools do we need?' produces radically different answers from the current proposed tools such as the Information Sharing and Assessment database (ISA). The approach advocated here involves examining what aspects of the task frontline workers find difficult and identifying where they would most appreciate help. In relation to the problem of sharing information between professionals to ensure accurate assessment of risk, it is argued that the key problems do not lie in the technical process of sharing data but in professionals' ability to collect the necessary information, to interpret it accurately and to communicate it clearly.
The Review was commissioned by the Secretary of State for Education and this first report sets ou... more The Review was commissioned by the Secretary of State for Education and this first report sets out the analysis of the problems in the current system
Reports on the progress made in implementing Signs of Safety as the organisational approach to ch... more Reports on the progress made in implementing Signs of Safety as the organisational approach to child welfare and protection in ten English local authorities
A new systemic approach to investigating child abuse deaths is proposed, drawing on the lessons l... more A new systemic approach to investigating child abuse deaths is proposed, drawing on the lessons learned in engineering. Investigations have traditionally taken the approach of concluding once faults in professional practice are identified. Solutions take the form of trying to control erratic practitioners: psychological pressure to achieve higher standards, increasing formalisation and guidelines to reduce the scope for individual fallibility, and stricter management surveillance. The inquiry into the death of Victoria Climbie fits this model. However, thirty years of such inquiries has not led to the expected improvement in professional practice. Indeed, the Climbie report describes several agencies operating at a very low level, and failing to implement the most basic elements of good practice. A similar history of failure in engineering has led to the development of a systems approach. Human error is taken as the starting point not the conclusion and the investigation tries to understand why the mistake was made, by studying interacting factors in the practitioners, the resources available, and the organisational context. The way this approach could be adopted in child protection work is outlined.
Children and Youth Services Review, 2013
Final report on implementing Signs of Safety as the organisational practice framework in ten Engl... more Final report on implementing Signs of Safety as the organisational practice framework in ten English Children's Social Care Departments
Child welfare
The way in which a child protection agency responds to a child fatality always has a strong influ... more The way in which a child protection agency responds to a child fatality always has a strong influence on subsequent practice. Very often, organizational responses and child death reviews are punitive and escalate an already anxious and defensive organizational culture. This paper outlines an alternative approach that not only helps staff to manage their emotional responses but also encourages and prioritizes a learning culture within the organization throughout the crisis and in the longer-term.
Child welfare, 2013
The way in which a child protection agency responds to a child fatality always has a strong influ... more The way in which a child protection agency responds to a child fatality always has a strong influence on subsequent practice. Very often, organizational responses and child death reviews are punitive and escalate an already anxious and defensive organizational culture. This paper outlines an alternative approach that not only helps staff to manage their emotional responses but also encourages and prioritizes a learning culture within the organization throughout the crisis and in the longer-term.
Munro, Eileen (2009) Managing societal and institutional risk in child protection. Risk Analysis,... more Munro, Eileen (2009) Managing societal and institutional risk in child protection. Risk Analysis, 29 (7).
Risk management has become the dominant activity in child welfare services in Britain. It has th... more Risk management has become the dominant activity in child welfare services in Britain. It has the praiseworthy aim of identifying vulnerable children and protecting them from harm. However, it is becoming clear that efforts to achieve the desirable goal are producing unexpected and wholly undesirable side effects so that it is arguable that the child protection system is, on balance, doing more harm than good. This article analyses what has been happening in terms of the logic of risk assessment. It examines the way the concept of risk has moved to centre stage and details the unintended repercussions. Professional practice has been strongly reactive to public pressures. Society, however, has unrealistic hopes of the feasibility of developing accurate risk assessments and little appreciation of the pain caused to families by assessment procedures. It is argued that radical changes are needed in society’s perception of child welfare and their expectations of professionals before we can create a child welfare system that places welfare at the heart of the agenda.
Review of the literature on improving safety in high risk industries such as engineering, aviatio... more Review of the literature on improving safety in high risk industries such as engineering, aviation and health
This article argues for a systems approach to learning how to improve performance, con-ceptualisi... more This article argues for a systems approach to learning how to improve performance, con-ceptualising child protection services as complex, adaptive systems. This requires an acceptance of the complexity of the work, the essential role of professional judgement and the need for feedback loops in the system where lower-level workers are not afraid to communicate honestly about their experiences, both good and bad, and senior managers treat their feedback as a valuable source of learning. It is argued that current strategies to manage risk in child protection are, paradoxically, making it harder for professionals to learn how to protect children better. Three factors are identified as combining in such a way that they promote a culture in which professional practice is being excessively controlled and proceduralised: the person-centred approach to investigating child deaths, the blame culture and the performance management system. The way they reduce the opportunities for learning are explored.
Public sector services in all developed economies have had to meet new demands for accountability... more Public sector services in all developed economies have had to meet new demands for accountability and transparency, leading to the creation of complex audit systems. This article examines the way that this has been done in relation to social work practice in the UK. Auditing is a dynamic process and the aim of the Audit Commission is to be a driving force in improving services. However, it is argued that social work presents particular challenges because of the nature of its knowledge base. Improvement in services to users cannot be achieved just by managerial changes but requires rigorous research to increase our understanding of what works. The process of making social work 'auditable' is in danger of being destructive, creating a simplistic description of practice and focusing on achieving service outputs with little attention to user outcomes. Alternatively, however, if it is linked to research methods, it could be highly constructive, producing reliable evidence not only on efficiency but on effectiveness.
Eileen Munro is a Professor of Social Policy at the London School of Economics. Her research inte... more Eileen Munro is a Professor of Social Policy at the London School of Economics. Her research interests are in how best to combine intuitive and analytic reasoning in risk assessment and decision making in child protection. She is also studying the role of the wider organisational system in promoting or hindering good critical thinking. Alison Hubbard (BSc, MSc Eng) is a Senior Human Factors Consultant. She has a background of developing and applying advances in human factors to practical settings within high-risk industries such as oil and gas, rail and recently public sectors such as health and social care.
This paper argues for treating the task of improving the child protection services as a systems p... more This paper argues for treating the task of improving the child protection services as a systems problem and for adopting the system-focused approach to investigating errors that has been developed in areas of medicine and engineering where safety is a high priority. It outlines how this approach differs from the traditional way of examining errors and how it leads to different types of solutions. Traditional inquiries tend to stop once human error has been found, whereas a systems approach treats human error as the starting point and examines the whole context in which the operator was working to see how this impacted on their ability to perform well. The article outlines some factors that seem particularly problematic and worthy of closer analysis in current child protection services. A better understanding of the factors that are adversely effecting practitioners' level of performance offers the potential for identifying more effective solutions. These typically take the form of modifying the tasks so that they make more realistic and feasible demands on human cognitive and emotional abilities.
A systems approach to investigating child abuse deaths Originally published in British journal of... more A systems approach to investigating child abuse deaths Originally published in British journal of social work, 35 (4). Pp. 531-546
Child protection work is being transformed by the introduction of information and communication t... more Child protection work is being transformed by the introduction of information and communication technology (ICT) and other tools to improve frontline work. This article argues that current innovations are being developed without sufficient attention to understanding the needs of frontline workers. Taking the identification of child abuse as an example, the article shows how beginning with the question 'What tools do we need?' produces radically different answers from the current proposed tools such as the Information Sharing and Assessment database (ISA). The approach advocated here involves examining what aspects of the task frontline workers find difficult and identifying where they would most appreciate help. In relation to the problem of sharing information between professionals to ensure accurate assessment of risk, it is argued that the key problems do not lie in the technical process of sharing data but in professionals' ability to collect the necessary information, to interpret it accurately and to communicate it clearly.
The Review was commissioned by the Secretary of State for Education and this first report sets ou... more The Review was commissioned by the Secretary of State for Education and this first report sets out the analysis of the problems in the current system
Reports on the progress made in implementing Signs of Safety as the organisational approach to ch... more Reports on the progress made in implementing Signs of Safety as the organisational approach to child welfare and protection in ten English local authorities
A new systemic approach to investigating child abuse deaths is proposed, drawing on the lessons l... more A new systemic approach to investigating child abuse deaths is proposed, drawing on the lessons learned in engineering. Investigations have traditionally taken the approach of concluding once faults in professional practice are identified. Solutions take the form of trying to control erratic practitioners: psychological pressure to achieve higher standards, increasing formalisation and guidelines to reduce the scope for individual fallibility, and stricter management surveillance. The inquiry into the death of Victoria Climbie fits this model. However, thirty years of such inquiries has not led to the expected improvement in professional practice. Indeed, the Climbie report describes several agencies operating at a very low level, and failing to implement the most basic elements of good practice. A similar history of failure in engineering has led to the development of a systems approach. Human error is taken as the starting point not the conclusion and the investigation tries to understand why the mistake was made, by studying interacting factors in the practitioners, the resources available, and the organisational context. The way this approach could be adopted in child protection work is outlined.
Children and Youth Services Review, 2013