This second edition of "Children's needs - parenting capacity" updates the original exploration of the research literature in the light of legal and policy changes in England and findings from more recent national and international research. The edition has also been expanded to cover parental learning disabilities and how it may impact on parenting and children's health and development. The findings show that these parenting issues affect children differently depending on their age and individual circumstances. While some children grow up apparently unscathed, others exhibit emotional and behavioural disorders. This knowledge can inform practitioners undertaking assessments of the needs of children and their families and effective service responses. This publication is essential reading for practitioners, managers and policy makers concerned with improving the outcomes for children and families who are experiencing such problems.

How does parental mental illness, problem alcohol or drug use and domestic violence impact on children's development? An exploration of the research literature shows that these potential problems affect children differently depending on their age and individual circumstances. While some children grow up apparently unscathed, others exhibit emotional and behavioural disorders. This knowledge can inform practitioners undertaking assessments of the needs of children and their families and effective service responses.

Parental Learning Disability and Children's Needs explores how to effectively assess children in families where one or more parent has a learning disability. These children often have unmet needs because their parents are more likely to be coping with mental and physical illness, domestic violence or substance abuse. The book examines current social care practice in this area, whether it is working, and the impact it has on families. The authors describe how, although some parents with a learning disability face a significant risk of losing their children, most continue to look after them and, while support provided by social services and other agencies, can be significant it is rarely sustained and the health and welfare of many children suffers as a result. Case studies and interviews from original research support the authors' recommendations for policy and practice to combat these problems. This book will prove to be an invaluable source of information for all social workers and other professionals working with someone who is both a parent and has a learning disability.

This definitive textbook provides accessible information on best practice for assessing the needs and strengths of vulnerable children and their families. It explores the challenges that practitioners face routinely - with suggestions as to how to address them - as well as the established areas for assessment, of children's developmental needs, parenting ability and motivation, and socio-economic factors. This new edition has been extended substantially to include recent practice, policy and theoretical developments, such as understanding the lived experience of children, young people, and family members. It also considers children's neurological development, assessing parental capacity to change, early help assessments, emerging areas of practice such as child sexual exploitation, and working with asylum-seeking and trafficked children. Crucially, this updated edition takes a broader approach in offering relevant information to a range of professionals working with vulnerable children. The importance of inter-professional working is emphasised throughout.

Drawing on interviews with social workers and their managers, and families and young people themselves, the authors of this important book show how the principles embodied in the Assessment Framework have been applied to social work practice. This book should be read by all professionals working to promote the welfare and well-being of children.

Drawing on in-depth interviews with social workers and their managers, and families and young people themselves, the authors of this important book show how the principles embodied in the Assessment Framework have been applied to social work practice. Revisiting the principles outlined in the legislative context and the Assessment Framework, they show how the focus on assessment has affected the work with children, and the experiences of children and families themselves. The authors identify a range of issues that influence the implementation of the Assessment Framework, including the key areas where support and training are needed. They review social workers' and other professionals' appraisal of how the Assessment Framework affects individual practice and inter-agency collaboration, as well as exploring how satisfied young people and their parents are with the assessments they are involved in. Finally, they examine the cost to social services of undertaking a core assessment. Emphasising the importance of a joined-up child care service, the authors' findings have been taken into account in the development of the Integrated Children's System. This book should be read by all those professionals who are working to promote the welfare and well-being of children.

This book presents an innovative, empirically-supported approach to assessing parenting capacity of parents with learning difficulties that can lead to more humane, fair, and accurate child custody decisions. The authors are leading researchers and practitioners in this field having worked with hundreds of these families. Many professionals working with these families recognize that current parenting capacity assessment approaches are based on outdated and invalid assumptions and methods. This book addresses the unique assessment needs of these families and includes detailed background information, rationales and methods. After a comprehensive literature review, the authors provide a theoretical interactional model underlying their assessment approach. The remainder of the book is devoted to a detailed description of the comprehensive, competence-based parenting capacity assessment method and includes many examples and two case studies. This book is an indispensable resource for all professionals involved with parents who have learning difficulties and their children. Book jacket.

Parental Learning Disability and Children's Needs explores how to effectively assess children in families where one or more parent has a learning disability. These children often have unmet needs because their parents are more likely to be coping with mental and physical illness, domestic violence or substance abuse. The book examines current social care practice in this area, whether it is working, and the impact it has on families. The authors describe how, although some parents with a learning disability face a significant risk of losing their children, most continue to look after them and, while support provided by social services and other agencies, can be significant it is rarely sustained and the health and welfare of many children suffers as a result. Case studies and interviews from original research support the authors' recommendations for policy and practice to combat these problems. This book will prove to be an invaluable source of information for all social workers and other professionals working with someone who is both a parent and has a learning disability.

Child welfare professionals, legal counsel, and judges will find this manual to be an indispensable reference with which to inform and structure their effort to advance what is in the best interest of a child at risk. Dr. Alexander T. Polgar created this remarkably comprehensive, user-friendly manual. It includes, in a single source, a clearly articulated rationale for a systematic methodology with which to conduct Parenting Capacity Assessments. Mental health professionals new to this area of practice regardless of jurisdiction will be able with the use of this manual, to conduct assessments of a quality that usually comes with practice wisdom derived from years of experience. Seasoned practitioners again, regardless of the jurisdiction in which they work, will welcome the benefits of this initiative to achieve standardization that is rationally based and empirically supported by a wealth of previously unsynthesized research. Child welfare professionals, legal counsel, and judges will find this manual to be an indispensable reference with which to inform and structure their effort to advance what is in the best interest of a child at risk. This manual includes two separate but related sections.