Pełnomocnik małoletniego pokrzywdzonego w postępowaniu karnym - postulaty de lege ferenda.

The article is a kind of a response to the press conferences organised by the Ministry of Justice on the 21st February 2021 announcing, that Ministry of Justice had prepared complementary project of 21 changes in the legislation, make the law more child-friendly. The study contains numerous de lege ferenda demands concerning changes in the rules regulating the issue of representing a child in a criminal proceeding. The author proposes for example, simplification and harmonisation of issues of representation of minor victims, and thereby resignation from the participation of the guardian ad litem in the criminal proceeding, while introducing an instutution of mandatory attorney.

MANAGING THE PROBATION, WELFARE AND GUARDIAN AD LITEM SERVICES TEAM. MANAGERIAL COMPETENCE

The aim of the article is to present the aspects of managing the probation, welfare and guardian ad litem services team in the context of the managerial competence of the team manager. Based on a literature study, it has been emphasized that the level of managerial competence of a manager has a signifi cant impact on the eff ectiveness of team management. The first part of the article was devoted to the organization of the probation, welfare and guardian ad litem services team. Then, defi nition and functions of management were described. The tasks of the team manager are presented in reference to particular management functions. Afterwards, problematic aspects of managerial competences were presented. The key competences of a team manager were indicated, based on the managerial competence model developed by the Polish Agency for Enterprise Development. Also presented, was the impact of these competences on the eff ects of work. The summary highlighted the necessity of conducting empirical research, in order to explore the level of the team manager’s managerial competences as a determinant in the direction of changes and intensifi cation of training of managerial staff . It was also used as the basis for developing a model of the managerial competence of a person managing a team of probation officers. In the author’s opinion, managing the probation, welfare and guardian ad litem services team is an important aspect of the manager’s activity, and shaping professionalism in this fi eld becomes a serious challenge. Therefore, the team manager faces multi-dimensional requirements as the executor of the management process. They relate to qualifi cations in the area of knowledge, skills and experience, including managerial competences, as well as personality traits and ethical attitudes. By analysing the current state of knowledge in the field of managing the probation, welfare and guardian ad litem services team, one can get the impression that there are no publications that would develop this topic from the perspective of management science. Therefore, the article aims to partially fill the cognitive gap in this respect.

From Need to Policy: Community Supported Development and Implementation of the South Carolina Vulnerable Adult Guardian Ad Litem (SC VAGAL) Program

Adult guardian ad litem programs are a necessary public service to protect adults from abuse and neglect. This article describes the development and implementation of an adult guardian ad litem program. We discuss the program’s impetus, pilot testing, evaluation, and implementation of the program. Our experience highlights the vital role of diverse inter-sectoral stakeholders. Furthermore, the development process highlights the need for flexibility in program development, tension negotiation among stakeholders, and engagement of aging stakeholders in nontraditional arenas.

The Activist Lab and the MOULA Program

The Activist Lab at the University of South Florida College of Public Health is an exciting initiative that serves to build interdisciplinary advocacy and leadership skills for public health students and the community. The Lab is led by a very active student advisory group that with the Director develops the advocacy strategies and focus areas for change. The Activist Lab’s More Opportunities to Use Learned Advocacy, or MOULA program, allows students to work side by side with local agencies to support their advocacy efforts. A recent student works with the local Guardian ad Litem program to determine needs and services for children in the foster care system who have also been trafficked. The student is working with attorneys, social workers, families, advocates, and others so that the best needs of the children are met. Students must apply and be selected for the MOULA program based on their responses as to how they could meet the agency’s needs. The best responses and matches with the agencies are then determined. Students who participate in MOULA do midyear and final-year reports, evaluate their experiences, are evaluated by the agency mentor, develop a presentation on their experiences, and are interviewed on one of the Activist Lab podcast episodes. The Activist Lab and initiatives such as MOULA provide an opportunity for students to learn and advance critical public health advocacy skills and will help strengthen these skills for future success.

Contextual Factors Influencing Recommendations for Service Provision by Guardian ad litem and Court-Appointed Special Advocates

The purpose of this study is to assess the impact of county-level variables on services offered to children who have guardian ad litem/court-appointed special advocate (GAL/CASA) representation. An email survey was sent to GALs and CASAs inviting them to participate in the study. A total of 473 GALs/CASAs completed the survey, with 437 meeting criteria for the study. Our sample represents 33 of 92 Indiana counties. We found the number and types of services ordered were strongly influenced by county contextual characteristics. Families served by a GAL/CASA in urban counties with more poverty received more services. In contrast, families with a GAL/CASA residing in counties with a greater percentage of minorities generated fewer services. Future research should focus on why environmental conditions influence GAL/CASA recommendations for services. Lastly, the relationship between the GAL/CASA race and the race of the families they serve should be explored.