The Child's World, Third Edition

Fully updated edition of THE bestselling book on assessing children in need and their families. Comprehensive and multidisciplinary, it covers all aspects of assessment from early help through to child protection. Explores implications of recent legislation and the very latest issues for practice.

If there is a 'Highway Code' for children's social work then this book is it. Updated to reflect recent developments it retains its timeless and classic quality. An indispensable text for all social work practitioners and teachers.

The third edition of the Child's World offers continuities with developed understandings in combination with new insights into the world children inhabit. It's central message is that while children and their families may face may challenges, these are rarely insurmountable. The advice given is succinct, clearly articulated and grounded in hopeful realism - telling us much, along the way, of the professional's world. I would recommend this book to anyone working with children who wants to be better informed with regard to both their world and indeed their own.

This completely rewritten and expanded edition of The Child's World is an excellent resource. Its robust and reliable insights from experts in the field of assessing vulnerable children, young people and families will greatly help to ensure a nuanced understanding of how those working in the child welfare field can best take an individualised approach to children's needs.

As a Principal Social Worker, I regularly support our practitioners in relation to all things practice, and explore how essential evidence informed practice is. I really like how 'The Child's World, Third Edition: The Essential Guide to Assessing Vulnerable Children, Young People and their Families' helpfully links theory, research and legislation to practice, with case examples, tools and guidance available throughout, capturing and informing practitioners practically. It is completely user friendly, and very child focused throughout. An essential must have for childcare practitioners!

A comprehensive and expanded guide, packed with important contributions from some of the field's leading thinkers, researchers and practitioners. Everyone who reads it will learn something new about how best to assess - and help - children and their families.

The ASYE's are using it and as I walk around the teams I see it on their desks! Please pass this on to colleagues, it's such a comprehensive book and extremely helpful. I have quoted parts of it in some recent practice guidance.

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'. 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. Arnon Bentovim is a Director of Child and Family Training, and a Visiting Professor at Royal Holloway, University of London. He was formerly a Consultant Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist to the Great Ormond Street Children's Hospital and the Tavistock Clinic. He was also Honorary Senior Lecturer at the Institute of Child Health, University College London. Audrey Tait is a Social Worker with the Children and Families Practice Team, City of Edinburgh Council. Originally trained as a nursery nurse, she has 20 years' experience working with children in social work settings and for the past 4 years she has been delivering a training course, Communicating with Children, for the City of Edinburgh Council's Children and Families Department. Helen Wosu is an independent social worker and holds an MSc in Advanced Social Work Practice from the University of Edinburgh. She has previously worked as a Teaching Fellow at the University of Dundee, a senior social worker for a practice team and as an Employee Development Officer in Child Protection for the City of Edinburgh Council. She currently undertakes kinship care and adoption assessments as well as child development and child protection training. Claudia Bernard is Professor of Social Work and Head of Postgraduate Research in the Department of Social, Therapeutic and Community Studies at Goldsmiths, University of London. Jane Barlow is Professor of Public Health in the Early Years. She is Director of the Warwick Infant and Family Wellbeing Unit (WIFWU), which provides training and research in innovative evidence-based methods of supporting parenting during pregnancy and the early years. Jane has also researched extensively on the effectiveness of interventions aimed at preventing and treating abuse and is a strong advocate of a public health approach to child protection. Emily R. Munro is Research Fellow at the Centre for Child and Family Research (CCfR), Loughborough University. Her research interests include the interaction between different professional groups in the decision-making process influencing life pathways and outcomes for vulnerable children and innovative methodologies to ensure that services users' views inform policy and practice.