Helping vulnerable children and young people to build protective behaviours is the key to keeping them safe. Full of creative ideas and activities, this guide provides the tools to help children develop these key skills. Topics include work around: building resilience and problem solving skills; identifying a 'safety network'; developing emotional literacy; awareness of grooming strategies and safe/unsafe touch; and cyber safety. The range of tried and tested techniques will be sure to engage any child in thinking about their personal safety, allowing adult carers to have confidence that their child will be empowered to better identify and avoid harmful situations and behaviours. Practical and easy to use, this is a valuable resource for professionals working with vulnerable children and young people, such as adopted or fostered children and those in residential care, as well as the parents and carers of these children.

Life story work allows care-experienced and adopted young people to understand their histories and come to terms with their feelings about the past. This accessible guide helps therapists and social care professionals to develop their skills to support children and families through their life story journey. It builds on the fundamental 6-step model for practice to incorporate elements from a variety of therapeutic approaches, from DDP to creative therapies. Theoretical explanations, case vignettes, and practical suggestions provide guidance on practice-based issues in life story work, such as working with parent/carer-child dyads, incorporating a birth family perspective, talking about traumatic stories, managing endings and constructing the life story book. Essential reading for anyone undertaking life story work, this guide enhances a time-tested model with up-to-date research and new ideas for overcoming the most common challenges practitioners face when delivering life story work.

Everybody says be careful online, but what do they mean? Lacey is a cyber-smart dog who protects kids by teaching them how to stay safe online. Join Lacey and her friend Gabbi on a fun, cyber safe adventure and learn the ins and outs of how to behave and how to keep yourself safe online. In this day in age our kids are accessing the internet about as soon as they can read! Cyber Safe is a fun way to ensure they understand their surroundings in our digital world.

For the busy frontline practitioner with little time to plan ahead, this hands-on guide presents imaginative and unique methods to engage families and caregivers throughout the process of assessing vulnerable children. Setting the context for each area of assessment, including strengths and resilience, risk and needs and the child's lived experience, the book then describes a series of activities or creative techniques to engage young people and their caregivers within this area. It outlines the materials required, aims of the exercise and method. It includes 'handy hints' based upon practical experience, making it a quick go-to guide for every day practice. It encourages practitioners to focus on building safety into relationships and to adapt their approach to take into account the impact of trauma and abuse on an individual's capacity to engage and to communicate verbally.

A groundbreaking, research-based guide that sheds new light on why young people make dangerous choices--and offers solutions that work Texting while driving. Binge-drinking. Unprotected sex. There are plenty of reasons for parents to worry about getting a late-night call about their teen. But most of the advice parents and educators hear about teens is outdated and unscientific--and simply doesn't work. Acclaimed adolescent psychiatrist and educator Jess Shatkin brings more than two decades' worth of research and clinical experience to the subject, along with cutting-edge findings from brain science, evolutionary psychology, game theory, and other disciplines -- plus a widely curious mind and the perspective of a concerned dad himself. Using science and stories, fresh analogies, clinical anecdotes, and research-based observations, Shatkin explains: * Why "scared straight," adult logic, and draconian punishment don't work * Why the teen brain is "born to be wild"--shaped by evolution to explore and take risks * The surprising role of brain development, hormones, peer pressure, screen time, and other key factors * What parents and teachers can do--in everyday interactions, teachable moments, and specially chosen activities and outings--to work with teens' need for risk, rewards and social acceptance, not against it. “Presents new research, as well as insights as a clinician and a father….This book is a clear argument to stop putting ourselves in our children’s shoes, and to try putting ourselves in their minds, instead.” –The Washington Post “With stories (personal and professional), neuroscience and cognition, psychology and clinical experience Dr. Shatkin offers an abundance of understandable, engaging and actionable information. He explains why and shows how. We can reduce risk in the adolescents we love and teach, but only if we know to how to do so and then do it. Born To Be Wild shows us the way to succeed.” --Psychology Today Winner, National Parenting Product Award 2017

Since the Munro report (2011), a greater emphasis has been placed on the value of child-centred practice in social work with children, young people and families. It has come to be recognised that social workers cannot make an assessment or intervene to safeguard children and promote positive outcomes without engaging with the children themselves. This involves recognising the rights of the child, getting to know who they are, what they need, how they feel about their situation, and what they want for their future. Split into two distinct sections, this authoritative text focuses on the foundational knowledge required for child-centred work, unpacking the ethical and theoretical principles that form the basis of the approach and exploring current debates around working with children and families. Benefitting from the authors' extensive experience in academia and practice settings, each chapter: - Provides insightful practitioner testimonials and case study examples to help the reader apply what they have learned to everyday practice. -Highlights important research studies that give voice to children and young people, providing the reader with background knowledge of the evidence base for child-centred approaches. - Includes engaging questions and activities to enable the reader to reflect on what they have learned, and make links to their own practice, values and beliefs. With a strong focus on developing the reader's practice skills, particularly in engaging and communicating with children, Child-Centred Practice is an essential handbook for students and professionals involved in this complex yet rewarding area of social work practice.

Positive emotional health in a child's earliest years can be a critical factor in their future development. Offering practical suggestions for games, activities and exercises designed to promote emotional wellbeing in young children, this essential guide showcases a wide range of approaches such as mindfulness and meditation, Forest School and Reggio Emilia to provide a hands-on reference for teachers and parents. Drawing on over 25 years' experience as an early years professional, the author explores topics including playfulness, stillness, sensory play, creativity and staff wellbeing. Each topic references current best practices and international examples, and also includes a comprehensive list of further resources and activities. Providing an informative introduction to both theory and practice, this book demonstrates easy-to-implement ideas for any professional or parent engaging with young children.