From policies to reality: External factors influencing delegated child protection workers’ child removal decisions

Child protection workers are responsible for making complex decisions to protect children from abuse and neglect. Child protection workers receive specialized training on how to make unbiased decisions based on evidence. Yet, external factors can influence the decision-making process. Method: A qualitative study using interpretative description was deployed and eight former child protection workers in northern British Columbia were interviewed. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with an emphasis on the external factors that may influence child protection workers’ decision to remove a child from a legal guardian. Results: Three main themes with 10 subthemes emerged from the data. The first overarching theme was pressure (workload, appearance, politics, and policies). The second overarching theme was hierarchy (management, team leader, team members, and experience). The final overarching theme was resources (support services and placements). The former child protection workers established and clarified external factors that may influence their decision-making process. Conclusions: Several external factors that influenced decision making in relation to the removal of a child from a legal guardian were identified. These findings may help inform professional training for future child protection workers.