abstract: 'This article addresses some potential limitations of key findings from

  recent research into inequalities in children''s social services by

  providing additional evidence from multilevel models that suggest the

  socioeconomic social gradient and `Inverse Intervention Law'' in

  children''s services interventions are statistically significant after

  controlling for possible confounding spatial and population effects.

  Multilevel negative binomial regression models are presented using

  English child welfare data to predict the following intervention rates

  at lower super output area-level: Child in Need (n = 2707, middle super

  output area {[}MSOA] n = 543, local authority {[}LA] n = 13); Child

  Protection Plan (n = 4115, MSOA n = 837, LA n = 18); and Children Looked

  After (n = 4115, MSOA n = 837, LA n = 18). We find strong evidence

  supporting the existence of a steep socioeconomic social gradient in

  child welfare interventions. Furthermore, we find certain local

  authority contexts exacerbate this social gradient. Contexts of low

  overall deprivation and high income inequality are associated with

  greater socioeconomic inequalities in neighbourhood intervention rates.

  The relationship between neighbourhood deprivation and children looked

  after rates is almost five times stronger in local authorities with

  these characteristics than it is in local authorities with high overall

  deprivation and low income inequality. We argue that social policy

  responses addressing structural determinants of child welfare

  inequalities are needed, and that strategies to reduce the numbers of

  children taken into care must address underlying poverty and income

  inequality at both a local and national level.'
affiliation: 'Webb, C (Corresponding Author), Univ Sheffield, Sheffield, S Yorkshire,
  England.

  Webb, Calum; Morris, Kate, Univ Sheffield, Sheffield, S Yorkshire, England.

  Bywaters, Paul, Huddersfield Univ, Huddersfield, W Yorkshire, England.

  Scourfield, Jonathan, Cardiff Univ, Cardiff, Wales.

  McCartan, Claire; Bunting, Lisa; Davidson, Gavin, Queens Univ Belfast, Belfast,
  Antrim, North Ireland.'
article-number: '104849'
author: Webb, Calum and Bywaters, Paul and Scourfield, Jonathan and McCartan, Claire
  and Bunting, Lisa and Davidson, Gavin and Morris, Kate
author-email: c.j.webb@sheffield.ac.uk
author_list:
- family: Webb
  given: Calum
- family: Bywaters
  given: Paul
- family: Scourfield
  given: Jonathan
- family: McCartan
  given: Claire
- family: Bunting
  given: Lisa
- family: Davidson
  given: Gavin
- family: Morris
  given: Kate
da: '2023-09-28'
doi: 10.1016/j.childyouth.2020.104849
eissn: 1873-7765
files: []
issn: 0190-7409
journal: CHILDREN AND YOUTH SERVICES REVIEW
keywords: 'Social work; Child protection; Deprivation; Income inequality;

  Children''s social care'
keywords-plus: 'INCOME INEQUALITY; TERRITORIAL STIGMATIZATION; PROTECTION; MALTREATMENT;

  INEQUITIES; POVERTY; NEGLECT; ABUSE'
language: English
month: APR
number-of-cited-references: '68'
orcid-numbers: 'Scourfield, Jonathan/0000-0001-6218-8158

  Davidson, Gavin/0000-0001-6003-0170

  Bunting, Lisa/0000-0002-1857-0074

  Bywaters, Paul/0000-0002-6375-6222

  Webb, Calum/0000-0001-7521-2110

  McCartan, Claire/0000-0002-2341-9715'
papis_id: b7f27b48ace62d16d21f7ec36763eae6
ref: Webb2020untanglingchild
researcherid-numbers: 'Scourfield, Jonathan B/A-3464-2012

  Webb, Calum/AAM-2424-2020

  '
times-cited: '23'
title: Untangling child welfare inequalities and the `Inverse Intervention Law' in
  England
type: Article
unique-id: WOS:000521515400040
usage-count-last-180-days: '1'
usage-count-since-2013: '9'
volume: '111'
web-of-science-categories: Family Studies; Social Work
year: '2020'