Exploring the state of Qatar’s child protection system through the lens of frontline social workers

Abstract

The child protection system in Qatar is newly developed and still fragmented and lacking a comprehensive legal framework. Qualitative interviews were conducted with a sample of social workers in civil society organizations within the Qatar Social Work Foundation to understand barriers encountered by social workers in child protection and strategies used to overcome these barriers. Findings suggest that policy makers should establish a national framework for child protection and a national referral system that supports social workers in case management. Policies for social worker safety are needed, as are permanent supervisors who are specialized in child protection.