What influences decision making variability in the Aotearoa New Zealand child welfare system? (Seminar with Emily Keddell)

Thursday 22nd June 2017 4 – 5pm

Venue: Room N614, Epsom Campus

Location: 74 Epsom Avenue, Auckland

Host: The School of Counselling, Human Services and Social Work

In many countries, the complex nature of decision-making in relation to children who have been neglected or abused leads to variable decisions regarding their care, even when case characteristics, family circumstances and levels of harm are similar. This leads to a justice problem, as both children’s right to protection, and parental rights to maintain the care of their children, should be enforced in a consistent manner by legal and regulatory systems.

Drawing on the decision-making ecology concept, this talk outlines the complex context that generates decision outcomes, and presents the first findings of a mixed methods, exploratory study that set out to answer the question: what contributes to decision making variability in the Aotearoa New Zealand child welfare system?

About Emily Keddell

Emily is a senior lecturer in the department of Sociology, Gender and Social Work, University of Otago. She has practiced in a variety of child and family social work positions in Aotearoa and the UK. Her research covers aspects of child and family social work policy and practice, including constructions of risk, decision-making, the use of big data, and the relationship between inequalities and contact with the child protection system. She is involved in translational activities as a member of the Reimagining Social Work collective and an associate member of Child Poverty Action NZ.
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Remember that this is a “no prisoners” no forgiveness event.
There will be a month long debrief afterwards, at the boozer, run by the late Chairman Fred.