The Child's World: Assessing Children in Need - Softcover

It is heartening to read a book which explores so much research, accessibility, and with references for those with particular interests... The greatest value of a book like this lies in the ability to stimulate thinking to help staff to be thoughtful helpers. -- Young Minds Magazine The Child's World will be of particular interest to any professional involved in the assessment of children in need, including social workers, teachers, health visitors and psychologists. The book is intended to enable practitioners to develop effective assessment practice that will result in appropriate provision of services to safeguard and promote the welfare of children in need and their families. -- OPFS Briefing This book sets out to guide the reader through recent developments in research and practice in relation to children in need, with the overall aim of promoting assessment practices that produce better outcomes for children and their families. While the text is aimed primarily at social work personnel, some of the issues canvassed will be of interest to lawyers. The text covers a lot of ground under four general headings: the assessment framework; the assessment process; assessing the developmental needs of the child; and assessing parenting capacity to respond to these needs...This collection is concerned with improving the lot of children in need by arguing for a practice much more focused on the service user, in which engaging parents and children in the assessment process is of fundamental importance. At this level it is to be welcomed. The book is clearly laid out with useful summaries at the start of aeach chapter and emphasis practice agendas. -- Child and Family Law Quarterly The Child's World offers an excellent overview of assessment practice for a wide variety of professionals who interact with children. It takes the professional beyond a series of checklists that might be offered in a more shallow assessment and encourages a thorough, holistic assessment of children and families. It is a comprehensive, well-written book for practitioners from a variety of field, and can be valuable reading for professionals in the UK, other parts of Europe and the US. -- European Journal of Social Work ... this volume is a very useful addition to current literature on childcare assessment work and it deserves to be widely read by relevant professionals. -- Child Abuse Review Although the book appears to be primarily aimed at those working in social services, and in particular social workers, it will undoubtedly be of great use to occupational therapists who work in a variety of settings. It will be of particular value to those occupational therapists who are becoming members of integrated teams, alongside their health and social care colleagues, in working with children in need and their families. -- Napot Journal Child protection continues to be high on the political agenda and this book will no doubt be a valuable reader for social workers and trainees. Its strength is in the clear organisation and accessible presentation of both practical and theoretical perspectives. -- International Journal of Early Years Education

Written for professionals involved in the assessment of children in need, this book is a comprehensive guide to recent developments in research and practice. It looks at the policy framework for assessment, the actual process of assessment, how to assess the developmental needs of children and how to assess their parents' and family's capacity to meet those needs. The contributors are experts from a range of fields and the guide, which was developed by the NSPCC and is published in association with them, is designed to facilitate productive joint agency work. Key topics covered include: * ecological perspectives on the child and the family * attachment theory and child development * assessing families where the parents have a learning disability * working with children and families from minority ethnic groups * the effect of sexual abuse within the family on the assessment process * assessment prior to birth. Originally commissioned by the Department of Health, and outlining the developments and theory underpinning their Framework for the Assessment of Children in Need and their Families this book will be essential reading for qualified and trainee social workers and those completing the Post Qualifying Award in Child Care. It will also be an indispensable guide for psychologists, teachers, health visitors, and any other professionals and qualifying professionals involved in the assessment of children in need.