Family Support introduces and explores the state of the art in preventative social work with children and young people. Drawing on contemporary thinking and research, the book aims to make a contribution to current debates about how we can best support families in need. Underpinning the book is an analysis of how family support is changing, having moved from ‘prevention’ through to contemporary debates about ‘family support’, ‘early intervention’ and ‘early help’. The authors draw on their own practice experiences to ensure the discussion remains highly relevant to everyday realities. The book consists of three parts: Part I examines the history and context of family support; Part II outlines a number of practice approaches to family support; and Part III suggests how family support work can be further developed. The book provides ‘think points’ and case studies to support the reader in reflecting on the material presented and how this can be best applied, as well as including a guide to useful resources. Family Support will be a welcome companion for anyone involved in child welfare and safeguarding services, including students at undergraduate and post-graduate level, practitioners, policy makers and academics.

This timely textbook provides an introduction, overview and critical analysis of practice and services in relation to current policy developments. With a focus on working with service users across the life course, multi-agency working, and relational and strengths based approaches, it provides a concise exploration of practice guidance, theory, and the legislative context of supporting families.

Focused on seeing children in the context of the world they live in, it provides students with a range of perspectives, insights and latest thinking. By doing this, it helps readers understand the complexities of early childhood and critically navigate the ever-changing policy and practice.

An accessible and multi-disciplinary guide to working together with other professionals to deliver a child-centred and co-ordinated approach to safeguarding, in line with the Working Together to Safeguard Children guidance.

This book provides an account of parenting support initiatives in children and family services from a number of jurisdictions, paying particular attention to their impact on both ‘hard’ and ‘soft’ outcomes for participants and to the inclusion of parents in the design and delivery of these supports. By focusing on parents who are experiencing challenges outside of the normal day-to-day task of parenting and in receipt of formal support services, their perspectives on the experience of receiving these supports and the difference experienced by children and family members are analysed. Conceptually driven and reflecting the individual theories and frameworks that underpinned the parenting supports, the participatory processes and the research undertaken, this book includes case studies from Australia, Bulgaria, England, Italy, Ireland, Northern Ireland, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Scotland, Serbia and Spain. By highlighting the theoretical, conceptual and practical considerations required when supporting parents in an inclusive manner, it will be of interest to all scholars, students and practitioners working in the following areas: social work and social care, child development, child protection and social policy.

Understanding Family Support provides a definition of family support and a clear perspective on the role that it has in promoting the welfare of children and their families. Family support is a concept that has been used in a range of ways to describe various aspects of child welfare policy and practice. The authors argue that this weakens family support as an overarching child welfare paradigm. They present a unifying definition of family support along with ten principles and a series of reflective practice questions applicable to: legislation and policy; organisation, management and planning; direct work with children and families; and research and evaluation. This is an important resource for any professional engaged in policy development, service design, delivering or evaluation of family support, including social workers, residential care staff, community development workers, teachers, community police, human services managers, evaluators and policy makers.

In the context of the increasing global movement of people and a growing evidence base for differing outcomes in child welfare, Routledge Handbook of Global Child Welfare provides a compelling account of child welfare, grounded in the latest theory, policy and practice. Drawing on eminent international expertise, the book offers a coherent and comprehensive overview of the policies, systems and practices that can deliver the best outcomes for children. It considers the challenges faced by children globally, and the difference families, services and professionals can make. This ambitious and far-reaching handbook is essential reading for everyone working to make the world a better and safer place for children.

Family group conferences (FGCs) are a strengths-based approach to social work practice, empowering families to take responsibility for decision-making. It is a cost-effective service, which is currently used by the majority of local authorities. This collection discusses the origins and theoretical underpinnings of family led decision making and brings together the current research on the efficacy and limitations of FGCs into a single text. This insightful book also covers topics such as the use of FGCs in different areas of children and families social work, uses case studies to illustrate current practice, and explores whether FGCs should become a mainstream function of children and families social work.

A practical and complete introduction to contemporary social work written by subject experts, including best-selling Transforming Social Work Practice authors.

Following a decade of radical change in policy and funding in children’s early intervention services and with the role of the third sector under increased scrutiny, this timely book assesses the shifting interplay between state provision and voluntary organisations delivering intervention for children, young people and their families. Using 100 voices from the frontline, it provides vivid accounts of the lived experiences of charitable groups and offers crucial insights into the impact of recent social policy decisions on their work. Telling the story of how the landscape of children’s early intervention services has changed over the last decade, the author highlights important lessons for future policy while demonstrating the immeasurable value of voluntary organisations working in this challenging terrain.