Good Practice in Safeguarding Children considers how front-line professionals can keep the best interests of the child at the heart of their work when statutory guidance, the way agencies are integrated and the delivery of services are changing. Liz Hughes and Hilary Owen have drawn together contributors' experiences of working with safeguarding children on a broad range of issues, including neglect, trafficked children, parents with learning difficulties and child protection supervision. The contributors discuss current dilemmas in safeguarding children work and provide models of good practice, including case scenarios and exercises. This book explores how changes in the system offer an opportunity to enhance the quality of service provision, to achieve better outcomes for children and their families. This book is a must-read book for all front-line practitioners involved in safeguarding children, including social workers, child and adolescent mental health practitioners, police officers, healthcare professionals, probation workers and teachers. It is also suitable for undergraduate, post-graduate and post-qualifying students.

Providing an exploration of the key issues, this book offers practical advice on how to improve the safeguarding and welfare of black children and young people in need. With contributions from academics, researchers and practitioners, it promotes an understanding of the particular cultural and social issues that affect black children in relation to child protection. It highlights how race and racism, as well as culture, faith and gender, can influence the ways need and risk are interpreted and responded to. Drawing on insights from research evidence, case examples and practice guidelines, it outlines the range of factors that contribute to the vulnerability of black children and describes how to improve techniques of working with minority ethnic families. The book covers issues such as the effects of parental mental health problems, living with domestic violence, child maltreatment, and demonstrates how these might be understood differently for black children and young people. There are also chapters on topics such as female genital mutilation, witchcraft and forced marriage. Essential reading for all social workers and child protection workers, as well as students and support managers, Safeguarding Black Children provides the tools and understanding needed to better support these children.

"The timing of the publication with the revised Working Together guidelines could not be more advantageous. This book is a unique and important contribution to child care literature. No agency should be without." - Child Abuse Review Professionals concerned with the protection of children face many challenges. This work demands knowledge from several disciplines, a wide variety of skills, and interdisciplinary collaboration. The editors, Howard Dubowitz, a pediatrician, and Diane DePanfilis, a social worker, together with over 70 experts in this field offer what is known about how best to work with maltreated children and their families, in a very practical, concise, and user-friendly way. Structured to follow the life of a case from the time a report of child maltreatment is made through the various pathways in the child protection system, this edited volume synthesizes the best practice principles for responding to reports of child abuse and neglect; engaging children and other family members in intervention; developing cross-cultural practice competencies; assessing risk, evaluating safety, and conducting family assessments; defining outcomes and planning intervention; evaluating risk reduction; and making permanency decisions; and discusses the unique legal, medical, ethical, and other practice issues that work in the child protection field involves. Professionals facing tough dilemmas in practice should find valuable guidance in these pages.

'Domestic Violence and Child Protection' explores the challenges of working effectively in this complex field and offers positive models for practice. Leading practitioners and researchers outline the essential safety considerations for children, adult victims and child protection workers.

This book is concerned with how social workers and managers can engage reflectively and proactively with changes in children's services. Vicky White and John Harris have drawn together the contributors' experiences of working with children in a broad range of settings, emphasising ways in which the current context of change can be used as an opportunity to enhance the quality of service provision and achieve better outcomes for children and their families. The authors examine approaches to the assessment of children in need and the analysis of risk, and consider the impact of poverty and social divisions on children's lives. Highlighting key concepts, such as community development and multi-agency interventions, they anticipate likely policy developments for the future. Examples are provided of the planning and implementation of new initiatives including: · preventive education to protect children · positive reinforcement of children's cultural heritage · therapeutic approaches to sexually inappropriate behaviour · training programmes for foster carers. The real-life material on which the book draws can be used as source material by students undertaking qualifying programmes in health, social care and social work and by more experienced professionals to reflect on their own practice, particularly if they are undertaking post-qualifying courses – a timely resource for all staff and students seeking to develop good practice in children's services.

Keeping children and young people safe is everybody’s responsibility. This requires health, social care and education professionals to make sense of complex family situations that are placing a child or young person at risk of harm. This is no easy feat. The actions we take matter and we need to get this right if we are to truly make things better and improve outcomes for children and young people. Using case studies, reflective questions and checklists for practice, this hands-on guide will provide you with the knowledge and skills you need to effectively and confidently make a difference to the lives of children and young people. This series of books from Learning Matters is aimed at busy social work and health care practitioners, particularly in the context of integrated health and social care, who are looking to enhance their skills and extend their knowledge. Written from a practical point of view, they have clear links to both qualifying training as well as CPD. They are up-to-date, accessible and totally skills focused.

'Good Practice in Safeguarding Children' considers how front-line professionals can keep the best interests of the child at the heart of their work when statutory guidance, the way agencies are integrated and the delivery of services are changing.