Archive

 The Child's Journey Through Care
 Edited by Dorota Iwaniec,
 John Wiley and Sons
 ISBN: 0470011378,
 £24.99
 
 STAR RATING: 4/5




This book looks at placement stability, care planning and achieving permanency through the use of research findings and studies, writes Sarah Welsh.

I found the research, which mainly refers to Northern Ireland, a little repetitive. One chapter clarifies the difference between attachment and bonding, while another suggests we should be comparing looked after children, in terms of needs and outcome, with children from similar backgrounds, not the child population as a whole. A multi-media portfolio to represent children's wishes and feelings during court proceedings was another progressive idea.

Many will agree with the editor that there is an urgent need to reinstate direct work with children as an essential part of the social work role and to properly fund, staff and support foster care and specialist residential services.

Sarah Welsh is an independent social worker