Improving Children S Services Networks

Family centres are designed to meet a range of day care needs for individuals, families or wider communities. This text details and evaluates expert research into the developing role of family centres in the light of political and social trends including, the Every Child Matters legislation.

This edited collection offers an international perspective on the challenges of designing and undertaking outcome-based evaluation of child and family services. It introduces the key ideas and issues currently being debated in the evaluation of these services and provides examples of evaluation from policy and practice.

Significant amounts of money and resources are spent on child and family services, so successful evaluation of whether or not they are achieving the best outcomes is therefore essential. This edited collection offers an international perspective on the challenges of designing and undertaking outcome-based evaluation of child and family services. With contributions from leading international experts, it introduces the key ideas and issues currently being debated in the evaluation of these services; discusses relevant approaches to designing and using evaluation methods; and provides examples of evaluation from the real world of policy and practice. Issues covered include setting appropriate indicators for service effectiveness, cross-cultural evaluation of service interventions, service user involvement in evaluation, and evaluations of family and community-based services. This invaluable book will be essential reading for policy makers, planners, commissioners and managers across child and family welfare services, as well as researchers and other academics in the field.

This book looks at the nature of management in the human services sector and examines the prevailing issues affecting both the UK and USA. In this book, contributors present both the problems and opportunities associated with the growth of management in the social care sector. This will be essential reading for social workers.

′An excellent introduction to social work with children and families. It links practice with legislation and highlights relevant research findings′. - Mr Dan Burrows,Cardiff School of Health Sciences, Cardiff Metropolitan University Working with children and families is one of the most challenging, skilled, but ultimately rewarding, areas of social work practice. Social workers need to be able to work with a diverse group of children and their families: from babies to teenagers, single parents to two-parent families and multi-carer families, as well as with a diverse group of professionals, such as the police, schools, hospitals, health centres and various community organisations. They need to be able to understand the law, policy and legislation that surrounds social work with children and families, while continually developing their own skills. Such skills include communication, preparation and planning, intervention, recognition, identification and assessment of significant harm, recording and report writing, managing oneself and the work, problem solving, research and analysis and decision making. This fully revised new edition aims to guide you through all of these areas and more. There are chapters on safeguarding, substitute care for children, family support for children and families, life story work and direct work with children.

Changing Children's Services examines the fundamental changes that children's services have been undergoing in the United Kingdom in the context of the drive toward increasingly integrated ways of working. The contributors critically examine the potential and realities of closer integration and ask whether these new ways of working are truly more effective in responding to the needs and aspirations of children and their families. They also explore the experiences of working in constantly changing environments and their effects on practitioners and clients. This fully updated second edition offers a new introduction with a helpful overview of current key issues and new case studies to illustrate the realities of practice today.

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.

The quality of the assessment of children in need has a significant impact on outcomes for the children concerned. Good assessment contributes to better outcomes, but poor assessment can have tragic consequences. Understanding what makes a good assessment is vital. This book brings together findings from 10 years of UK research that shed light on different aspects of child and family assessment, and examines the evidence for what works in promoting the best outcomes for children. It covers thresholds for assessment and intervention, what information should be collected in assessments, and assessments in different contexts. It also examines key aspects of practice and the factors that can help or hinder good quality assessment. These areas include analysis, critical thinking and reflection; engaging with children and families; and inter-professional working. Structural, procedural and organisational factors are also considered. In summarising the research, this important book provides key messages on the links between assessment and outcomes for children, and offers implications for policy and practice. It will be essential reading for social work practitioners, academics, students and researchers, and all those in the child protection field.