Abstract

Identifying the most serious challenges faced in child protection work, this practical guide offers helpful solutions for frontline professionals working with children and adults.

Informed by her many years on the frontline and subsequent experience writing serious case reviews, Joanna Nicolas has identified the most common pitfalls in child protection cases. The book focuses on understanding the impact of neglect, information sharing between professionals, communication with children, working with non-compliance/disguised compliance, and the impact of multiple risk factors. It offers tips for overcoming the challenges of everyday practice, such as home visits, as well as enhancing understanding of the key issues in this complex field. The evidence-informed chapters are packed with case examples and include useful reminders of the underlying principles at play.

This is essential reading for social workers, health care workers, mental health workers, education professionals and related professions, such as housing and probation.

This book goes to the heart of social work practice and stays there throughout. Through the use of a large number of relevant and focused case examples, Joanna Nicolas shows how child protection work can be effective even in the most disturbing and distressing circumstances. This upbeat and strengths-based book is a manual for our times and will help students and practitioners to navigate the messy, uneven and murky terrain of child protection.
Anthony Douglas CBE, Chief Executive of Cafcass and Chair of BAAF
All who have roles and responsibilities in working with children should find this book illuminating and inspiring. It is informed by substantial practical experience and wisdom and confronts and clarifies the challenges in child protection. It is grounded in advice on action whilst also enhancing knowledge and understanding. This is an important text.
Ray Jones, Professor of Social Work, Kingston University and St George's, University of London
Joanna Nicolas opens up for discussion many of the complex dilemmas faced by child protection professionals: the quandaries, ethical minefields, tight spots and the occasional catch-22. She nails her own colours to the mast throughout, and by drawing regularly upon authentic 'real-world' examples Joanna invites practitioners to explore, expose and defend their own personal and professional values when working in the complex emotional area of child protection.
David Shemmings OBE PhD, Professor of Child Protection Research, University of Kent
Joanna Nicolas has worked in social care for 23 years. She has worked as a residential social worker, a frontline child protection social worker and has been developing and delivering child protection training for her Local Safeguarding Children Board since 2006. She also develops and delivers training in the private and voluntary sector. She now leads on serious case reviews and works as an independent child protection consultant. She is an accredited lead reviewer in the Social Care Institute for Excellence (SCIE) Learning Together systems reviews model and has been leading these reviews since 2011, when the Government first piloted the model. Since 2008 Joanna has been a national commentator on issues around social work, child protection and serious case reviews. She is also the author of Conducting The Home Visit In Child Protection.