Abstract

MARTIN, EDUARDO  and  ACIEGO DE MENDOZA, RAMÓN. Evaluation of a protocol to assess situations where a child is in need of protection from the child protection workers' point of view. Univ. Psychol. [online]. 2011, vol.10, n.3, pp.693-704. ISSN 1657-9267.

The aim of this study is to find out council child protection officers' assessment of a protocol that unifies the different evaluation procedures in district councils on the island of Tenerife in cases where a child is in need of protection. 126 child protection officers answered an ad hoc questionnaire in which their opinions on three aspects were requested: the content of the protocol, the effects of its application and the resources to facilitate its implementation. Results indicate that professionals value positively the content and effects of the protocol, above all in regard to the conditions in which they carry out their work, the unification of criteria and horizontal co-ordination. The resources most valued in the implementation of the protocol are: being accompanied by specialists during the implementation processes; the existence of opportunities for meetings and a good teamwork dynamic. There were some differences in the assessment of the professional's profile. In conclusion, the creation of this type of instrument through participative processes and its implementation when influenced by some variables not directly connected to the instrument is considered appropriate.

Keywords : Assessment protocol; multidisciplinary teams; Psychological test; descriptive design; quantitative research.

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