This review of child care policy and practice presents evaluations and critiques of legislation and policies, and describes innovative services for children and young people who are deemed to be in need of protection, care or control as a result of abandonment, neglect, or ill-treatment. There is also an examination of changes in adoption law, where such issues as placement policies in relation to children from ethnic minorities, intercountry adoption and the trend towards greater openness have become prominent issues.
Preface. PART I: Developments in Law, Policy and Related Research. 1. The Children Act 1989 and Recent Developments in Research in England and Wales, Malcolm Hill, University of Glasgow and Jane Aldgate, University of Leicester. From the Social Work (Scotland) Act 1968 to the Children (Scotland) Act 1995: Pressures for Change, Kay Tisdall, University of Glasgow. 3. The Children (Northern Ireland) Order 1995: Prospects for Progress?, Greg Kelly, Queen's University, Belfast and John Pinkerton, Queen's University, Belfast. 4. Irish Child Care Services in the 1990s: The Child Care Act 1991 and other Developments, Robbie Gilligan, Trinity College, Dublin. 5. Children, Crime and Society, Stewart Asquith, University of Glasgow. 6. Children and Young People's Participation in Decision Making: The Legal Framework in Social Services and Education, Ruth Sinclair, National Children's Bureau. PART II: Child Protection. 7. The Legal and Social Construction of Significant Harm, Pauline Hardiker, University of Leicester. 8. Families', Social Workers' and Police Perspectives on Child Abuse Investigations, Lorraine Waterhouse, University of Edinburgh and Janice McGhee, University of Edinburgh. 9. Partnership-based Practice in Child Protection Work, June Thoburn, University of East Anglia, Ann Lewis, University of East Anglia and David Shemmings, University of East Anglia. PART III: The Continuum of Out-of-home Care. 10. Respite Accommodation: A Case Study of Partnership under the Children Act 1989, Jane Aldgate, University of Leicester, Marie Bradley, University of Leicester and David Hawley, University of Leicester. 11. Short-term Foster Care, Clive Sellick, University of East Anglia. 12. Children's Perspectives on Long-term Foster Care, Colette McAuley, Queen's University of Belfast. 13. Residential Child Care in England and Wales: The Inquiries and After, David Berridge, University of Luton and Isabelle Brodie, University of Luton. 14. Adoption in England and Wales: Current Issues and Future Trends, Murray Ryburn, University of Birmingham. 15. Adolescents Leaving Care or Leaving Home and Child Care Provision in Ireland and the UK: A Critical View, Eoin O' Sullivan, Trinity College, Dublin. PART IV: Evaluation and Outcomes. 16. Consulting Service Users: The Views of Young People, Isobel Freeman, Strathclyde Social Work Department, Alex Morrison, Strathclyde Social Work Department, Fional Lockhart, Strathclyde Social Work Department and Moira Swanson, Strathclyde Social Work Department. 17. Constructing and Implementing Measures to Assess the Outcomes of Looking after Children away from Home, Harriet Ward, Dartington Social Research Unit. 18. Outcomes of Social Work Intervention with Young People, Malcolm Hill, University of Glasgow, John Triseliotis, University of Edinburgh, Moira Borland, University of Glasgow and Lydia Lambert, University of Edinburgh. The Contributors. Index.
In recent years, social work with children and families has become so dominated by investigations and monitoring that therapeutic work has been pushed aside. The Department of Health (1995) has put the case for redressing the balance and this book provides a welcome overview of how we can, effectively, help parents and children. The editor makes the case for an evidence based approach to practice. Each chapter presents a different therapeutic approach, giving a summary of the key elements and the underlying theory, a discussion on the available evidence on effectiveness, and an indication of when and how it can be used in practice. The range of methods covered include community, family and individual work. They also range from early years interventions designed to prevent problems, to services for children who have been the victims of abuse. This well-written book gives an excellent overview of current evidence on ways of helping families and is a valuable resource for social workers, whether as purchasers or providers of services.
