Cora's Domestic Violence: A Case Study of Social Care Inaction

Introduction

The case study that this paper focuses on is that of Cora, who is undergoing domestic violence from the behavior of the father to her son. She gets beaten up by Derek, especially when he drinks excessively but later telling her that he was not angry. However, the evidence of domestic violence is seen from the bruising on her arms as well as the neck, and the doctor notices that some of them appear fresh. However, there is a significant issue with social care because they have not reached out to Cora following the concerns presented by the health visitor. Dora and Derek undergo financial constraints that lead to Cora having to shoplift, but it is unfortunate because she gets caught by the police.

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Derek portrays behaviors that are potential offenses in the face of the law. Domestic violence is a crime in the context of common assault. The bruises on Cora's arms are enough evidence for Derek to face the law because the offense occasionally causes bodily harm. The case is deliberate wounding with the intention of causing grievous hurt. It is constant unreasonable criticism where Derek needs to be stopped.

A significant concern is the vulnerability of Cora. She is a helpless woman who has to depend on the father of her son for everything because she does not have a job (Blakwood, 2015). Also, she has not been in contact with her parents because they do not approve of their relationship. This way, it is easier for Derek to attack because Cora has no defense. The fact that he drinks make it even worse because, at that particular time, he cares less about the moral judgment of his actions, such as the consequences of his actions that can get him jailed again. Similarly, Cora not being able to get assistance from the social care department shows that she has no hope to get help.

The case appears to be a kind of forced marriage and teenage pregnancy, considering the age of Cora (19) and that of Derek (37). These two are quite far apart with an almost 18-year gap, which is not appropriate for them. The fact that Cora is still a teen makes it odd to be pregnant because that is the age where she should be in school. Derek impregnated a teenage girl, which is also a crime alongside his involvement in drugs and substances. Derek has been divorced and now being involved with a teen, which is against the law. Theirs is generally a troubled family faced with related issues of domestic violence but not getting any help as it is needed.

The social care department needs to look into the matter on behalf of Cora so that she gets assistance for herself and the son as well. Social care has the responsibility of ensuring the welfare of their clients and safeguarding the vulnerable from the hands of their oppressors. They need to provide a range of services for Cora that include health care, protecting the son, promoting general well-being, and cooperating to improve the well-fare. They should also increase the safety of Cora and enable her to reintegrate.

Professional Role of a Social Worker

As a social worker, one has the responsibility of providing the necessary services for the victim. The social care department has the duty of taking active part in a victim's life by ensuring that they do not go through the same humiliating experience once more. The moment that one realizes that they are vulnerable to harm, they should seek social care services for protection and personal independence. The reason why the services are essential is because the condition could get worse leading to other more serious conditions.

It is my duty to ensure that the Cora access immediate needs that she requires such as protection because of her vulnerability. As the social care provider, I will need to consider the factors in the system that impact the client and work towards providing a healthy and supportive background. Cora has the right to acquire needs such as good advice, a safe neighborhood, be active, healthy and not socially isolated.

Multi-Agency Meeting

A multi-agency team requires proper understanding of leadership and member roles. There is a range of multi-level skills that the leaders require to tackle complex environments (Moran et al., 2007). A multi-agency team comprises complexity of the different cultures, multi-professional, diverse partnerships, consultancy and professional supervision among others. An individual needs to handle the range of leadership qualities that they find in the multi-agency team.

A multi-agency team is to enhance cooperation, coordination and collaboration among the agencies. They identify the needs for the victim of the case and develop strategies for awareness creation concerning the gains and achievements in the fight to end domestic violence (Moran et al., 2007). The multi-agency team also engages other relevant agencies so as to enhance the effectiveness of the strategies.

Service User Contribution in Decision Making

Service users are reliable for their opinions on how they would like to see the work going. It is a way of respecting and promoting their rights. The involvement in decision making is through consultation, collaboration, and control. They are to give their views about the decision that would be better for them even though there is no requirement that they will act upon them. They are needed to collaborate to achieve control over the research. Service users are also necessary for a contribution where they reflect on existing practices (Jensenius & Htun, 2020). They are actively involved in the process but have no power to make decisions.

In our case study, the service user will be Cora, who needs social care. She will need to take part in the process of research and making decisions on the appropriate punishment for Derek that would satisfy her. Cora will make it easier for the social care services to take care of her while creating a personalized relationship. Cora will contribute to the decision making as well as be consulted on other possibilities.

Theories and Models of Social Care

Social care helps to consider the affected individuals and the environment around them. Systems theory is a particular one that tends to look at human behavior as well as problems from the individual's perspective when there are complex and interrelated systems. The theory considers the needs, practices, and experiences of those interacting in the system. The social care provider will need to consider the factors in the system that impact the client and work towards providing a healthy and supportive background (Factsheet 2014). The psychosocial development theory could also be part of the case which describes the stages of development reflecting the psychosocial crisis an individual encounters at points of their growth.

These theories are applicable to Cora and her life with Derek. The systems theory applies in that Derek has a weird behavior that he unleashes when he is drunk. The impact of social values such as the parents not being in support of them together showing the result towards Cora now that she has no one by her side (Factsheet 2014). The psychosocial development theory is also applicable where there has been growing between Cora and Derek that includes hope for Cora, love, and care that Derek does not reciprocate.

Action Care Plan

The plan will involve detailing safety measures in the case of dangerous situations of a change in Cora and Derek's relationship, such as a break-up. We will start by making the assumption that an abuser is dangerous and try to help Cora identify the different circumstances that Derek could become violent and his reaction (Atkinson, 2002). We need to identify safe places and safe friends for Cora to be around and get help. Most importantly, therapy sessions are necessary for Cora to help her have positive perspectives about the environment.

The plan will also include identifying the essential items that Cora needs to leave Derek's bedsitter. Cora needs to stay somewhere else where she can have some peace of mind without having to think that she is in danger. She will need items for the baby and herself. The social care department will take care of Cora for the days before she gets a stable job to pay.

The Rationale for Social Care Tools

The social care tools help to put the entire assessment chronologically while reviewing every phase of the process with multidimensional information from the service users. The devices are efficient in helping to look at the different aspects of the case, such as the mental health of a client, education, occupation, and also strengths and finances. This way, they can make rational decisions on the intervention measures that are best applicable.

The tools are crucial in helping to connect the actions of an individual to their behavior and needs. A researcher can thus have a more straightforward evaluation of the progress of their story and derive an action plan to help the client live independently as well as provide advice and guidance to develop skills (Anning et al., 2006). The action plan will be fair and flexible enough for the service user to survive the change of circumstances.

Reflective response

What I learnt about myself using a reflective model;

Using the Gibbs reflective cycle, I learnt that one gains understanding from an experience. In the first phase of describing the experience, it is then that one knows how they ended up in the situation and their helpless nature during that time. The second phase is the feelings and thoughts about the experience such that the victim talks about how they feel about the situation and what they think other people feel about it.

I have been in similar situations like those of Cora and an abusive relationship hence the same could apply for me. The third phase is evaluation where one has a chance to evaluate what worked and did not work in the situation. In the event of domestic violence, I can determine the good and the bad about the experience and the people that contributed actively to it. The analysis phase helps to extract meaning from the experience. One wants to get the various aspects that did not go well and answer the questions of why. Analyzing a situation is critical to making sense of what happened. A victim will keep blaming themselves for a situation even when they did not have an option.

The conclusion phase is where the individual summarizes their learning as well as highlight the changes to their actions that would ensure improvements in the future. It comes as a natural response where one answers the question of the things they learnt, how the situation could be made more positive and what other skills they need to handle the same situation in the future. The last element of the Gibbs cycle is to design an action plan for the things that should be done differently in related situations.

Knowledge Gained on Legislation, Policy and Practice Guidance

I have learnt that one has the mandate to exercise their human rights against violence. One has to report incidences of domestic violence or any other actions that do not feel right for them to the relevant authorities and they will access the freedom they require. It is crucial to report any instances of forced activities or the thought that one is at risk.

I also learnt that the social care department needs to take active part in a victim's life by ensuring that they do not go through the same humiliating experience once more (Factsheet 2014). The moment that one realizes that they are vulnerable to harm, they should seek social care services for protection and personal independence. The reason why the services are essential is because the condition could get worse leading to other more serious conditions.

There are also a range of programs that people can report their domestic abuse issues....