Supporting Families - Child Protection In The Community

With the government giving priority to preventing child harm and family breakdown, a number of initiatives have been launched to tackle problems in this area. Part of the NSPCC Protecting Children series and revised in paperback to take account of the new green paper Every Child Matters , Supporting Families investigates whether government initiatives and developments in professional practice have worked. Ruth Gardner examines a large-scale study conducted by the NSPCC and draws out the main messages for practice and future policy. Research findings are presented in terms of children s and families needs and expectations, agency interventions and outcomes, community context, and measures and perceived changes over time. This timely study is also widely applicable to child protection efforts in the U.S. and elsewhere, and offers valuable lessons on what works and what doesn't.

Ruth Gardner is a Senior Research Fellow at the Royal Holloway College, University of London.

Foreword by Jane Tunstill.

Foreword by Lord Laming.

Acknowledgements.

Report of the Committee on Local Authority & Allied Personal Social Services 1968.

Paul Boateng, Minister of Health, 1997.

1. Introduction and Summary of Findings.

2. About the Families.

3. Components of Parental Stress.

4. Children and Family Support.

5. Typologies of Family Difficulties.

6. Support Networks in the Community.

7. Overview of Family Support Provided by the NSPCC.

8. Examples of Family Support Practice.

9. Children in Need and Local Services.

10. Family Support Now.

References.

Reading List.

Appendix (Methodology).

Index.