Sandra's Book Club: Blog Tour: CHILD PROTECTION BEHIND CLOSED DOORS by Jo Cooling

CHILD PROTECTION BEHIND CLOSED DOORS

Jo Cooling

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GENRE: NonFiction

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BLURB:

In the beginning, a tragic event started me on my journey to a destination and my love for helping children of all ages and their families.

However, what I was not prepared for was that the people who assisted me and paved the way for my advancement in my chosen career in Child Protection were the same people who tried to bring me down.

This book will give you insight into what it is like to work in Child Protection. It will show you the difficulties and sometimes dangers workers face on a daily basis. Furthermore, the novel will also highlight the satisfaction you get when you can assist a child and their family through a traumatic event.

My career at Child Protection spanned nearly a decade, and during that time, I was bullied by management. I observed management bully other workers; I was also aware of workers consuming drugs, both outside work hours and during work hours.

This novel is a behind-the-scenes look at what really happens at Child Protection when the public is not watching or listening.

Child Protection is not an easy career path, but it can be a good job if you like long hours, have a thick skin, keep your head down, keep your mouth shut, and abide by everything that management wants you to do, even when you know it is wrong or unfair.

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Because this book contains content that is 18+ with various trigger warnings, we do not feel excerpts will be applicable. It discusses Jo’s time as a child protection worker and features substance abuse, sexual assault and various other triggering topics.

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Why did you decide to write this book?

A: Initially, I was writing my story as a mental health exercise until I received a phone call from a retired Child Protection Supervisor. They informed me that after I left work, Management directed my colleagues to cease all contact with me. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. I had left work for medical reasons, having been diagnosed with epilepsy three years earlier. My condition involved full-body seizures where I stopped breathing, which posed a danger to others and the children I worked with as the seizures became more frequent.

When I left work, I was at my lowest point mentally. I had lost my job, my independence as I could no longer drive, and I became depressed. Discovering that Child Protection Management had further added to my suffering by taking away my lifeline was devastating. My experiences of bullying and other systemic issues within Child Protection—not only in Australia but worldwide—motivated me to write this book. These issues included a lack of support from Management, drug abuse, overworked staff, and poor decision-making by both management and workers.

My personal experiences and the harsh realities of the child protection system drove me to address my own mental health and expose the bullying and loss I faced. Writing this book allowed me to grow as a person and stand up against what has become acceptable behaviour in this field. My goal is to address these issues and bring about change in an industry that has long plagued our society, and hopefully prevent others from going through what I endured.

Child Protection Behind Closed Doors is a novel that provides readers with a bird’s eye view of the process of how the system does and does not work. I have tried to give insight into bullying, drug taking, and bad decision-making, which ultimately affects our most vulnerable. If you look at some of the issues on the internet today, they are still the same as they were back when I was a Child Protection Worker —lack of support by management, bad decision-making. You are sometimes talking about life and death decisions.

While the workload may never change, as it is an industry that requires long hours, work-life balance is something that should be prioritized in all jobs.

There have been many articles and many concerns raised about Child Protection. Furthermore, there have been many whistleblowers in the past, but for obvious reasons, they have kept their identities a secret. I wanted to write a book and own it, I wanted to set off a fireworks display, put a bomb under a system that needs to be blown up and rebuilt to ensure the safety of our most vulnerable.

I also wanted to write a book that was available for everyone to read; you would be surprised how many people have had experiences or know someone who works with Child Protection but do not really know what goes on behind closed doors because workers are forced to keep their mouths shut.

We need to support those families who are caring for our most vulnerable and support the workers who are supposed to manage the system. However, how can they do that when senior management is not supporting them?

What the public doesn’t see is that Child Protection impacts so many other important services, for example, Mental Health, Domestic and Family Violence, Drug & Alcohol, Juvenile Justice, Homelessness—the list goes on. When you look at those agencies that rely on a seamless approach and partnership with Child Protection to care for our most vulnerable, what service delivery are they going to get when they are dealing with a broken Child Protection System? What hope do our most vulnerable members of society deserve? It’s about time somebody asked the question.

For Whom This Book Is Written:

This book is for everyone who cares about child welfare—parents, educators, social workers, policymakers, and the services that interact with Child Protection. and concerned citizens. It is for those who believe in the power of truth to drive change and are committed to creating a safer and more just world for our children. Whether you are directly involved in the Child Protection sector or simply want to understand more about the challenges faced by those who are, Child Protection Behind Closed Doors offers invaluable insights and a call to action that cannot be ignored.

This book is also for anyone looking for a compelling read they can’t put down. Comprised of short stories, it’s an easy and engaging read. To counterbalance the weight of the content, each story concludes with a positive affirmation, ensuring that readers finish each chapter with a sense of hope and encouragement.

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

The life of Jo Cooling is like living in a theme park: one minute, it's like riding a roller coaster, baking cupcakes, cookies, and slices. With a kitchen covered with chocolate, flour, and cooking utensils. Also trying to develop new tastes and ideas for her growing baking business.

Sometimes, she feels like she travels through life in a Dodge 'em car. All the while, she works to complete two novels while caring for two Cavoodles, who believe their mother was placed on this earth purely to play with them 24 hours a day.

But no matter how out of control her life can be at times, eventually, she ends up sailing around on the Walt Disney teacup ride on top of the world. However, when she relaxes, the Cavoodles see this as an opportunity to snuggle on Mum's lap.

Jo's work career has been just as colorful as her current life. She has worked in horse and car racing, sold lingerie, designed websites, been a Personal Assistant, and worked as a Law Clerk.

Jo looks at life like a box of chocolates: each day unwraps a new layer, revealing unexpected flavors and textures.

CONNECT WITH Jo Cooling

WEBSITE: www.jocooling.com

INSTAGRAM: @jocoolingauthor

PURCHASE LINKS Child Protection Behind Closed Doors

AMAZON.COM: https://amazon.com/dp/1779418698

AMAZON.AU: https://amazon.com.au/dp/1779418698

INDIGO CHAPTERS: https://www.indigo.ca/en-ca/child-protection-behind-closed-doors/9781779418692.html

BOOKTOPIA: https://www.booktopia.com.au/search.ep?keywords=9781779418692

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GIVEAWAY

The author will be awarding a $10 Amazon/BN gift card to a randomly drawn winner.