Introduction

Abstract

Steven, an 11-year-old boy, was referred to the case conference meeting having been seen hanging out on the streets until late at night with a group of older males in their mid to late teens. Kate [police sergeant] began to read from the case referral form in front of her. She read to the rest of the practitioners around the table that Steven had been on the child protection register for several years and had already been referred to the police’s Prevent and Deter scheme which put in a package of support interventions to help steer him away from crime. Steven was receiving a lot of help at school but truanted regularly. He also had a social worker as part of his child protection referral. Kate said that regular domestic violence had been reported in the home, including Steven being alleged to have assaulted his mum and dad on numerous occasions. The referral to the case conference also included Steven’s mum displaying what Kate termed ‘very paranoid behaviour’, where she had been making a significant number of reports to the police about neighbours allegedly harassing her. According to each police investigation, these reports had turned out to be false. The mum’s character continued to be dissected by the group. She was reported to have been suffering from depression for several months, rarely leaving the home and appearing to be confused about basic details when the police came to talk to her. Her husband left her approximately eight months previously, leading to the practitioners around the table questioning whether this may have played a part in the concerns raised about Steven. The diagnosis of the mum’s behaviour continued.