The problem of children 'in trouble' is the subject of repeated media panics and of heated political rhetoric. Drawing on wide-ranging original research, Carol Hayden reviews evidence about children in trouble across a range of circumstances, demonstrating the tensions between welfare and justice, care and control in the treatment of these vulnerable young people and evaluating the methodological as well as practical implications of the current 'what works' debate within social policy. All students and professionals working with children, whether in social work, teaching or the criminal justice system, will find this book invaluable.

Restorative justice (RJ) and restorative approaches (RAs) are becoming increasingly valued as a way of responding to a wide range of conflicts, including problem and offending behaviours. The growth in the use of RJ and RAs has been described as a 'global social movement' that sets out to repair harm, reduce conflict and harmonise civil society. This report takes a close look at the implementation of an RJ approach in the challenging environment of children's residential care homes. It will appeal to people who are interested in the use of RJ, particularly its use with children and young people, as well as those interested in problem and offending behaviours in relation to children in care.

A critical introduction to the Troubled Families Programme (TFP), this book explores the roots, significance and effectiveness of troubled family approaches in social work. An important strand of government social policy, the TFP gives rise to a number of ethical and political questions about assertive outreach, choice, use of power and eliding the structural inequalities which, it is often argued, largely account for the difficulties troubled families face. Social Work with Troubled Families: A Critical Introduction debates these issues, offers an examination of the systemic framework which underpins it and looks at the initiative in a broader context. This interdisciplinary study will be an important resource for social workers, social work students, practice educators and academics for its examination of practice methods. As an exploration of social policy it will appeal to social scientists and to policy makers along with those who seek to influence them.