The Child's World: Assessing Children in Need

Di Hart worked for many years as a child care social worker and manager before taking up a post at NCB developing practice with children in public care. She has a particular interest in children in secure settings. Recent work has included a review of the use of physical restraint in children's services, the development of a care-planning model for looked after children who go into custody and a project aiming to improve outcomes for the children of drug-misusing parents.

Yvonne Shemmings is a Continuing Professional Development Specialist and has trained professionals in over 30 child protection organizations. She is a qualified social worker and a senior manager, and her work includes the use of attachment theory in practice. Both David and Yvonne have published widely in the fields of child and adult attachment and child protection.

Robbie Gilligan is Professor of Social Work and Social Policy at Trinity College Dublin and associate director of the Children's Research Centre. He has written extensively on child care and foster care.

Gordon Jack has more than 30 years' experience in social work practice, education and research with children and families, and is currently Reader in Social Work at Durham University.

David Shemmings is Professor of Social Work in the School of Social Policy, Sociology and Social Research at the University of Kent. He undertook his PhD in attachment theory, and has spent most of his working life in the field of child protection. David was awarded an OBE in the Queen's Birthday Honours list in June 2014 for 'Services to Child Protection'.