Traditional ways of working with children and young people are giving way to new practices. Where practice solutions previously tended to be imposed on children and young people, professionals are now looking to engage them as vital partners in actively negotiated and co-constructed models of working. Combining social ecological and social constructionist perspectives drawn from a range of academic and practice disciplines, Working with Children and Young People explores and interrogates how ideas about childhood, policy and professional discourses change over time and, in turn, affect the issues faced by young people and their families. In particular, this important text: develops a critical and reflective approach to knowledge and practice explored vividly across a wide range of practice settings presents a new vision, where the focus is centrally on the child or young person and where dominant ideas are challenged explores how key concerns, such as professional power and children's rights, embed themselves in working relationships. Working with Children and Young People provides an innovative critical framework for all students on vocational and professional courses involving work with children and young people. It also offers illuminating reading for practitioners working with the 0-18 age group, whether in the statutory, voluntary or private sectors.

* Includes full explanation of the requirements and terminology of the new Level 3 qualification, so learners and tutors can feel confident that they are fully supported. * Written by Penny Tassoni and a team of expert childcare tutors and trainers, so you can be sure that content is reliable , relevant and of the highest quality . * Contains a CD-ROM which includes bonus content of short video clips to bring selected topics to life. * New 'Working Life' feature pages help learners relate knowledge to their own settings.

In Licensing Parents, Michael McFall argues that political structures, economics, education, racism, and sexism are secondary in importance to the inequality caused by families, and that the family plays the primary role in a child's acquisition of a sense of justice. He demonstrates that examination of the family is necessary in political philosophy and that informal structures (families) and considerations (character formation) must be taken seriously. McFall advocates a threshold that should be accepted by all political philosophers: children should not be severely abused or neglected because child maltreatment often causes deep and irreparable individual and societal harm. The implications of this threshold are revolutionary, but this is not recognized fully because no philosophical book has systematically considered the ethical or political ramifications of child maltreatment. By exposing a tension between the rights of children and adults, McFall reveals pervasive ageism; parental rights usually trump children's rights, and this is often justified because children are not fully autonomous. Yet parental rights should not always trump children's rights. Ethics and political philosophy are not only about rights, but also about duties_especially when considering potential parents who are unable or unwilling to provide minimally decent nurturance. While contemporary political philosophy focuses on adult rights, McFall examines systems whereby the interests and rights of children and parents are better balanced. This entails exploring when parental rights are defeasible and defending the ethics of licensing parents, whereby some people are precluded from rearing children. He argues that, if a sense of justice is largely developed in childhood, parents directly influence the character of future generations of adults in political society. A completely stable and well-ordered society needs stable and psychologically healthy citizens in addition to just laws, and McFall demonstrates how parental love and healthy families can help achieve this.

Child, nation, race and empire is an innovative, inter-disciplinary, cross cultural study that contributes to understandings of both contemporary child welfare practices and the complex dynamics of empire. It analyses the construction and transmission of nineteenth-century British child rescue ideology. Locating the origins of contemporary practice in the publications of the prominent English Child rescuers, Dr Barnardo, Thomas Bowman Stephenson, Benjamin Waugh, Edward de Montjoie Rudolf and their colonial disciples and literature written for children, it shows how the vulnerable body of the child at risk came to be reconstituted as central to the survival of nation, race and empire. Yet, as the shocking testimony before the many official enquiries into the past treatment of children in out-of-home 'care' held in Britain, Ireland, Australia and Canada make clear, there was no guarantee that the rescued child would be protected from further harm. -- .

How do you spot the signs that a young person has been victimised? What do you do if you are approached by a young person who has been affected by crime or bullying? What is the impact of crime and how can you best aid the young person's recovery? Are You Okay deals with these issues that many adults may face when trying to help a young person in their care in the aftermath of a crime. It provides detailed information on the different types of crime from assault and hate crime to cyberbullying and sexual abuse, and explores how they may affect the young person in different ways. The author also addresses difficult issues such as dealing with fears of retaliation, confidentiality and whether a crime should be reported, the grey area between crime and bullying and how best to assess the young person's needs. This accessible guide will be essential reading for anyone working with children and young people aged 8+, including social workers, youth workers, teachers, police, education welfare officers and victim support and witness service workers. a

Art-based activities can develop resilience and self-esteem, enabling children in need to cope better with ongoing stress and loss. Arts Activities for Children and Young People in Need offers interventions and exercises drawn from practice and research, for practitioners to use as a basis for their own arts-based groups or one-to-one sessions. Holistic arts activities facilitate a spiritually sensitive approach. Mindfulness-based exercises underpin the approach, and include guided meditations in which a group imagines that they are clouds, or draw feelings and emotions while listening to music, to encourage awareness of the senses. The activities help the group to relax and become more self-aware, encourage an exploration of feelings, values and understanding and are beneficial for children not ready to embrace traditional therapies or counselling. This book is accessible and suitable for helping, health and education practitioners and students from a variety of disciplines, such as social work, psychology and counselling.

What do we mean by wellbeing, and what does it look like as it takes shape in early childhood? What can we do to support the wellbeing of children at home and in settings? This book provides some answers to these complex questions, in a straightforward, accessible way. PART 1: INTRODUCING WELLBEING describes the 'backdrop' for a new model of wellbeing, outlining research and policy background, and underpinning early childhood themes. PART 2: THE THEORY OF WELLBEING defines wellbeing itself, describing the new model and the mechanism of wellbeing development called companionable learning. PART 3: EVERYDAY WELLBEING contains ideas and examples from homes and settings of 'real-life' wellbeing. Chapter 6: 'All to play for' is rich with ideas and examples of "profoundly satisfying" wellbeing play. PART 4: INVESTING IN WELLBEING is about professional development. It covers observation, assessment and planning; the key person approach; 'when things go wrong'; and integrating services across settings and communities. The book ends with the importance of collective wellbeing, arguing that all young children need experiences of individual and collective wellbeing, in their families and their communities. Essential reading for anyone studying early childhood, and for managers and practitioners working with young children and their families, this book is an inspirational guide to developing a framework for wellbeing from birth.

For over a decade and with the best of intentions, the U.K. government has spent millions attempting, but largely failing, to improve personal, social and educational outcomes for children and young people in public care. In this book, the authors explain why the problems of this highly vulnerable group have resisted such effort, energy and expenditure and go on to show how achieving positive outcomes for children in care is possible when the root causes of failure are tackled.

Topic covered include:

- The power of parenting

- The impact of parental rejection on emotional development

- Support for the adaptive emotional development of children and young people

- Practical advice on introducing the 'Authentic Warmth' approach into existing childcare organisations

- Future issues in childcare

This book is essential reading for carers, commissioners, policymakers, support professionals, designated teachers and students of social work.

Praise for Sharon Beder's previous book Global Spin: 'Sharon Beder has taken the taboo subjects of propaganda and censorship in free societies and exposed their insidious threat.' John Pilger 'Beder's analysis is comprehensive, steely and clinical. She lifts the lid on an elaborate tapestry of lies, deceit, intimidation and destruction.' Harold Pinter This book investigates the way that corporations are strategically shaping children to be under-aged hyperconsumers as well as the submissive employees and uncritical citizens of the future. Sharon Beder shows how marketers and advertisers are targeting ever younger children in a relentless campaign, transforming children's play into a commercial opportunity and taking advantage of childish anxieties. Beder investigates the corporate relations and ideals that infiltrate every aspect of our lives. She presents an alarming picture of how a child's social development -- through education, health care and nutrition -- has become an ordered conveyor belt of consumerist conditioning. Focusing on education in particular, Beder explains how businesses are taking control of more and more aspects of schooling, not only for profit but to erode state schooling and promote business values. Similarly, she shows how 'difficult' children are taught from an early age that pharmaceuticals can be used to discipline them or to make them 'happy'.

Ethis is a vital issue for youth workers. Youth work projects are often established to encourage an ethical purpose among young people and this book helps youth workers to think about ways of developing ethical reflection in young people. It considers the establishment of organisations, by neighbourhoods and networks, to express an ethical purpose among young people. Youth work professionals will learn how to site their practice within the professional code and work in complex and unpredictable contexts. The book also encourages youth workers to think about the development of ethical reflection by young people.

"These two authors are always worth reading for their breadth and originality. Their new book offers a timely and stimulating analysis of modern children's services" David Berridge, Professor of Child and Family Welfare, University of Bristol "Clear yet thorough; practical yet politically insightful; complicated yet coherent ... this book will appeal to those who want to get an overview of the territory, but also to those who wish to drill down deeper and understand the theoretical underpinning of government policies" Martin C Calder, Honorary Research Fellow, Sheffield Hallam Univeristy This is the first book to provide a comprehensive overview and critical analysis of children's social care in England following the introduction of Every Child Matters and the 2007 Children's Plan. Up-to-date and accessible, the book examines the key issues surrounding child care policy, politics and legislation, and the implications they have for practice. The book is organised into three sections: - From Children's Departments to Departments of Children's Services analyses the historical and political changes in the children's service since 1948. - Different Service Areas provides a critical review of the main service areas, including safeguarding and child protection. - Current Issues and Future Prospects considers the main challenges and future prospects for children's social care. Essential reading for those studying child social care on programmes in social work, childhood studies and social policy, the book will also interest postgraduates and practitioners in child care.

'The book covers a fascinating range of theory, policy and practice research not covered elsewhere in one text. The editors are to be congratulated' - Marian Charlton, Leeds Metropolitan University 'The book offers a broad overview of the issues and literature, and will be of immediate use. It enables students to bring themselves up to date with contemporary concerns and changes in the field of community and youth work' - Jean Spence, University of Durham This authoritative text is a must-read for anyone working - or training to work - with young people. It considers how theory, policy and practice intersect and influence one another in today's challenging and rapidly changing social, economic and political contexts. Offering a timely contribution to the debate, it covers key themes and developments, including: - how we understand the lives of young people - the principles that underpin work with young people - the policy and practice in a wide range of contexts, both national and international - the key concepts currently high on the policy and practice agenda. An essential companion for the professional training of youth workers, this core text will also be of interest and value to students in a wide range of fields such as education, criminology and youth justice, social work, sociology and social policy.

Childhood Denied: Ending the Nightmare of Child Abuse and Neglect is an expose of how America ignores and often discards its most vulnerable children. Delving into the political, legal, and social factors of children at risk for abuse and neglect, it chronicles the plight of abused children across the nation and provides a "report card" for each U.S. state. With a practical, journalistic, and social scientific approach, this fervent book emboldens child welfare professionals, government representatives, lawmakers, child attorneys, law enforcers, and the general public to respond more effectively and consistently to the needs of children at risk. Features and Benefits Explores viable solutions to mitigate child abuse, such as legislative changes; quality of child protection services and foster care; training and education within the judicial system; and developing national standards Draws a clear distinction between questionable parenting practices and situations where children's lives and health are consistently in jeopardy Employs a strong call to action and inspires readers to help end the cycle of abuse and neglect by addressing the core of the problem Created in collaboration with First Star - an organization that offers a nonpartisan, multidisciplinary approach - and provides a catalyst for change Intended Audience This inspiring book is a must-have for child welfare professionals, policymakers, attorneys, law enforcers as well as anyone devoted to helping children at risk. It is also an excellent supplement for courses in social work, government, politics, and law.

Childhood Denied: Ending the Nightmare of Child Abuse and Neglect is an expose of how America ignores and often discards its most vulnerable children. Delving into the political, legal, and social factors of children at risk for abuse and neglect, it chronicles the plight of abused children across the nation and provides a "report card" for each U.S. state. With a practical, journalistic, and social scientific approach, this fervent book emboldens child welfare professionals, government representatives, lawmakers, child attorneys, law enforcers, and the general public to respond more effectively and consistently to the needs of children at risk. Features and Benefits Explores viable solutions to mitigate child abuse, such as legislative changes; quality of child protection services and foster care; training and education within the judicial system; and developing national standards Draws a clear distinction between questionable parenting practices and situations where children's lives and health are consistently in jeopardy Employs a strong call to action and inspires readers to help end the cycle of abuse and neglect by addressing the core of the problem Created in collaboration with First Star - an organization that offers a nonpartisan, multidisciplinary approach - and provides a catalyst for change Intended Audience This inspiring book is a must-have for child welfare professionals, policymakers, attorneys, law enforcers as well as anyone devoted to helping children at risk. It is also an excellent supplement for courses in social work, government, politics, and law.

`A key text in the exploration of social, political and historical changes around child social care. It offers a broad overview of key themes in all areas and aspects of child care within the UK. It is an essential resource for students studying the degree in social work and will support and encourage their knowledge of fundamental issues' - Sarah Thomas, Programme Director BA (Hons) Social Work, University of Wales Institute, Cardiff This book offers an authoritative overview of child care policy and practice in the UK. It covers assessment and family support services, understanding child maltreatment and protection, the care of looked after children, including the contribution of adoption, foster and residential care, services for those leaving care and barriers facing disabled children and their families. Child Care Policy and Practice reflects the complexity and contested nature of children's needs, rights and interests and relationships between family and state. It analyses relevant debates and research and highlights practice issues and dilemmas. Readers are also directed to sources of further information on topics they may wish to explore in more depth. At the end of each chapter, there is guidance for further reading, resources for practice and questions for discussion. The book is aimed at social work practitioners and students, both qualifying and post-qualifying, at allied professionals working with children and families and at undergraduate students in Childhood Studies or Social Policy.

This book examines the risk factors surrounding children at risk of experiencing and perpetrating violence, and looks at the positive role that children's rights can play in their protection. The authors propose that violence in childhood is not spontaneous: that children are raised to become violent in poorly functioning families and child-unfriendly environments. They may be exposed to toxic substances in utero, to maltreatment in infancy, to domestic violence or parental criminality as they grow up. Each of these risk factors is empirically linked with the development of antisocial and aggressive behaviour, and each reflects a violation of children's rights to protection from maltreatment. The authors show how respecting children's rights and safeguarding them from exposure to violence can shift the balance between risk and protective factors and, as a result, reduce the incidence and severity of childhood violence. This book will be essential reading for professionals working in child protection or with young offenders, academics, students, practitioners and policy-makers.

Comprehensive in its coverage, the text examines the core areas of childcare practice, considering the various strengths and weaknesses of both policy and practice. With an emphasis on reflective practice, this text is insightful reading for all those studying childcare from advanced undergraduate level upwards.

With standardized testing and predetermined subgroups garnering the attention of educational leaders, abused and neglected children have fallen deeper into the crevice of the system. For years these children have been ignored, save the obvious, visible bruises or child-initiated confessions. Because researching children is difficult without parental consent, it is nearly impossible to expose this problem with any level of legitimacy. By combining research from scientific research and the humanities, autobiographical flashbacks fuse with narratives that vividly detail the author's disturbing encounters with abused children as a school administrator. The effect is the realization that public schools unknowingly feed on weaker children beneath the awning of accountability.

Informal Learning in Youth Work offers fresh perspectives on all aspects of informal education in the youth work setting. Designed to develop the reader's knowledge and skills, this comprehensive textbook explores key issues such as communication, power relations, ethics, gender exclusion, sexuality, race discrimination and social class. The author places particular emphasis on conversation as a key means of promoting informal learning and engaging effectively with young people. Other key features include: " case studies that illustrate the application of theory to `real-life' practice " an emphasis on critical reflection, including reflective questions " an easily accessible style, with key terms and tips for further reading " a four-part structure guiding the reader through different stages of conversations and relationships in informal education. Informal Learning in Youth Work provides a unique combination of theoretical analysis and practice tips. Satisfying training and course requirements in the area, it will be essential reading for all students on youth and community work courses, as well as those in allied fields such as education and social work. It will also be a valuable reference for practitioners working with young people on a daily basis.

This book highlights the problems, dilemmas and challenges facing the child protection agencies in England and Wales and tackles a variety of areas where knowledge on child abuse is either limited or out-of-date. Raising awareness of social, demographic, situational and environmental risk factors that may lead to the harming of children, it also looks at difficult cultural issues that sometimes get in the way of protecting children. Any professional working in, or studying, child protection will find this book an essential read.

The detrimental impact of poverty on child development, educational outcomes, job prospects, health and behaviour is well known, and governments worldwide have committed themselves to eradicating child poverty as well as the intergenerational transmission of poverty. Yet more than 60% of South African children live in households with annual incomes below $1360 (2006 value) and mortality and maltreatment rates remain high. In order to realise the rights of all children and tackle child poverty, it is critical that robust measures are developed to quantify the nature and extent of social deprivation experienced by children at sub-national level and thereby accurately identify the areas of greatest need and the most deprived areas. It is also essential that these measures focus specifically on children; separating children out from household level data or data presented for the total population and foregrounding deprivation from a child perspective. This report is a first attempt to generate data of this nature, to map child deprivation at municipal level, in order to inform local level policy and intervention in South Africa. Making use of information available from the 2001 Census about different aspects of deprivation, such as income, employment, education, health and living environment, the authors have combined these domains to form an overall index of multiple deprivations. The model which emerges is of a series of uni-dimensional domains of deprivation which can be combined, with appropriate weighting, into a single child-focused measure of multiple deprivations. This title is a valuable resource for policymakers, NGOs, scholars and other stakeholders monitoring the situation of children in South Africa.

Managing Children's Homes focuses on leadership, effective management, the allocation of resources, and ensuring positive outcomes for young people in residential care. The book develops an interdisciplinary understanding of what needs to be taken into account when establishing and maintaining good practice on behalf of young people living in children's homes. The authors explain the considerable variation in quality achieved by children's homes and how this relates to management style, working environment and staff structures. The skills and qualities that make effective managers of homes are explored. These, along with factors such as the provision of resources, are investigated to demonstrate how to attain a successful children's home environment and longer-term achievement for looked-after children. Based on innovative, DfES-funded, interdisciplinary research, this book will be essential reading for staff and managers in children's care homes and will also be of interest to students, policy-makers and directors of social services.

The influx of southern and eastern European immigrants to the United States at the beginning of the twentieth century resulted in a stereotype of Catholics as poor, illiterate laborers. As prejudice against the unwelcome newcomers spread, Irish- and German-American Catholics-many of whom were American-born-felt threatened. Although genuinely concerned about the welfare of fellow Catholics, they feared the loss of their hard-earned economic security and slowly rising social position. By identifying common interests, the women of Chicago's Catholic community found a solution that simultaneously served the needy and cemented the status of the middle class. In More than Neighbors, Deborah A. Skok tells the story of Chicago's Catholic settlement houses and day nurseries and the cross-class alliances they fostered. For poor women, these institutions provided child care, social services, and employment. For white-collar working girls, they offered volunteer opportunities as well as classes on job skills. For upwardly mobile women, they afforded the ability to demonstrate Christian charity and to take leading roles in the political and cultural life of the city. Settlements enabled Catholic women from all social strata to come together for their mutual benefit, despite conflicts over issues of class and ethnicity. By giving equal attention to the religious as well as to the social component of the settlement house movement, Skok illuminates the dynamics of class mobility, ethnic group interaction, and the gendered relations of power. Historians can no longer ignore the significance of Jane Addams' neighbors.

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.

While child welfare programs are a primary responsibility of state and local governments, the federal government appropriates close to $7 billion annually to support these programs (primarily for foster care and adoption assistance) and states are required to meet certain federal policies in order to receive this funding. Child and Family Services Reviews (CFSRs) gauge state efforts and ability to achieve the primary goals of safety and permanence for children, and well-being for children and their families. The review is intended both to measure state compliance with federal child welfare policy and to strengthen and improve state child welfare programs. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) conducted the initial round of onsite reviews between March 2001 and March 2004. No state was found to be in substantial conformity with all of the outcomes and systems assessed. Some critics of the CFSR argue that while the outcomes reviewed are on target, the criteria established to determine state achievement of those outcomes may give misleading information about a state's performance. Although much attention has focused on states' uniform inability to meet all of the federal criteria, the reviews also showed certain relative strengths. States showed the greatest ability to ensure that children were not exposed to child abuse and neglect and remained safely in their homes whenever appropriate and possible, and in preserving their family relationships and connections. They had the most difficulty in achieving permanent and stable living arrangements for children, enhancing the capacity of families to meet the needs of their children and in seeing that appropriate mental and physical health services were available to children served. Information regarding ensuring provision of educational services to children was more mixed. In addition to reviewing outcomes, the CFSR assesses state compliance with federal child welfare policy by examining certain federally required systems. States were most likely to be found successful at operating a statewide information system; maintaining foster and adoptive parent licensing, training, recruitment and retention; and responding to community concerns. They were least likely to have a strong service array or case review system in place. Ratings of state quality assurance and training systems were more mixed. To avoid immediate assessment of penalties for failure to comply with federal policy, each state was required to develop a Program Improvement Plan (PIP). A PIP must address each one of the outcomes or systems with which a state was found to be out of substantial conformity and must describe the state's specific plan for moving toward full conformity with federal policy. A few states have successfully completed their PIPS but most are still in the process of implementing them. The Children's Bureau has begun planning for a second round of CFSRs and onsite reviews will likely begin in FY2006. This book describes the origins and design of CFSRs before turning to its primary discussion: state performance in the initial round of CFSRs.