This book focuses on children's journeys through the care system, from voluntary admission into care, through complicated and often long court proceedings, in pursuit of Care or Freeing Orders. Problems that arise from taking cases through the courts are examined, together with tensions that may arise between judicial and social work decision-making. The Child's Journey Through Care discusses in full: the emotional and behavioural problems of looked-after children and elaborates on care-planning and helping strategies; children's rights whilst in State care and their participation in decision-making about their future, including preparation for appearances in court; the importance and ways of building new attachments and relationships with substitute carers, with emphases on resilience and children's strengths; pitfalls and successes when seeking permanency of care and emotional stability. The book also includes considerations of the European Convention of Human Rights (1998) and describes many of the dilemmas arising in meeting the rights of children and parents, without jeopardising the welfare of either. The importance of openness, consideration, and straightforward dealings with parents is given due emphasis, especially where preparations for taking cases to court are involved. The Child's Journey Through Care will be a valuable source of information for field and residential workers, social work supervisors, resource managers, policy makers, and those working in the legal profession.

Originally published: Indianapolis, IN: Perspectives Press, 1991.

Child protection made simple: the plain-speaking guide for all those concerned with the protection of children. Providing a clear and uncomplicated route through the child protection process. Diagrams and charts are included to aid understanding; jargon and acronyms are only included in order to explain them and key court decisions are explained in their proper context. In addition to coverage of local authority safeguarding duties and investigations, parental responsibility, wardship and the inherent jurisdiction and secure accommodation, new content in this edition includes: A chapter on special guardianship, helpful for those who find themselves involved in legal proceedings without access to legal aid, such as grandparents Developments in cases involving: Radicalisation Adoption Children or parents who are nationals of a foreign country The introduction of the Child Arrangements Programme for private law

This work aims to support the understanding of those who work with children by providing detailed information about some of the central themes in early development, such as: brain growth and function, the role of the senses, emotion, and aspects of how children learn.

Quality Matters in Children's Services brings together authoritative research to explore critical concerns for those working with vulnerable children, young people and their families. Subjects covered include reunification, stability and wellbeing, kinship care, educating vulnerable young people, child protection, domestic violence and parental substance misuse, the participation of disabled young people and advocacy services. Mike Stein discusses key issues for policy and practice in the development of quality services including identifying and sustaining quality through involving stakeholders, integrated working and quality services, the development of policies, procedures and organisational processes and carrying out quality assessments, training and workforce reform. This book is essential reading for practitioners, senior staff, commissioners, managers and anyone involved in developing quality children's services.

Children are frequently cared for by relatives and friends when parents, for whatever reason, are unable to care for their children themselves. Yet there has been very little information about how well children do when placed with kin or how safe they are in these placements. This book compares formal kinship care to traditional foster placements in order to ascertain which children are placed with kin, in what circumstances, how well such children progress, and how often these placements disrupt. The authors explore whether children placed with family and friends fare better or worse than other foster children, what services are provided and needed, and how kin care is experienced by carers, children and social workers. This book will be essential reading for social workers, policy makers, students and all those working with looked-after children, and will enable local authorities to make informed decisions about where best to place children and the support needed by family and friend carers.

This practical book looks at the experiences of children in need who live in state care and the social worker′s role in working with them. This is a popular guide to this complex and demanding area of practice. There are chapters on communication and children′s rights, life story work, attachment and culture, ethnicity and faith. Throughout the book there are sections on supporting legislation and policy for children in residential care, foster care, adoption and leaving care. Key features include: Practical links between theory and practice Includes law and policy relevant to looked-after children Information on understanding statistics Contains lots of practical activities