There are several challenges social workers encounter eliciting information from practitioners, as part of s47 enquiries. The way the information is requested has a significant influence on the information received. This, in turn, can detract from a child-centred approach.
The following types of questions will elicit limited information.
Can you tell me what you know about Gareth and the bruise?
The focus may be one child and incident. This can lead to very specific responses about the child and the incident that marginalise other concerns and other children who may also be at risk of significant harm.
A person giving information may also be selective as to what they share because they may, for example, fear the response of a parent or over-identify with them. In other words, information is shared selectively.
What do you know about Gareth Jones and his family?
Such a generalised request for information means the practitioner providing the information is left to decide what is relevant or not and may not appreciate information held but not shared may be relevant.
‘I just thought I better check this out with you but I’m sure there is nothing to warrant looking at this further’
If the practitioner eliciting information believes that there is no real issue but are following the procedures, they may take a dismissive - nothing to worry - approach which elicits a similar optimistic response from the person supplying the information. This is known as the rule of optimism.
‘Can you tell us about Gareth Jones? We know the family of old and I’m not surprised we’ve had yet another report about physical abuse by mum’.
The practitioner who has taken the report may already have formed an initial view about the concerns and the perpetrator. Their tone of voice or the information requested may unintentionally elicit information from others that confirms their opinion in other words fixed ideas or overriding beliefs about the situation are formed.