Jim Richards studies an account of foster carers in Scotland; Ged Smith looks at the effects on children of having alcoholic parents; and Terry Bamford recommends an essential guide to changes in social care.

John Triseliotis, Moira Borland and Malcolm Hill

British Agencies for Adoption and Fostering

£12.95

ISBN 1 873868 80 4

This survey of foster care in Scotland is highly relevant to those working in this area of work wherever they may be in the UK. Its findings are based on data from some 800 foster carers and are linked to those of Waterhouse in his recent work on the organisation of fostering in England.

There is much here for the specialist, whether as a practitioner or manager. Concentrating on how best to deliver a wide range of fostering services, from planning recruitment strategies, all the way through to mechanisms to support and therefore retain foster carers, it is a welcome addition to our knowledge base.

There are timely warnings in it as well as nuggets of useful information. It is clear that listening to children in an organised group way was, with notable exceptions, rudimentary. We need to take note of this given that two thirds of children are now in foster care. There is also criticism of the "episodic and unsystematic" way recruitment of carers is organised together with the finding that the greater problem is not so much the loss of carers but rather the huge problems in recruiting them.

As for the nuggets, something that has been found in previous studies is shown once again, that foster carers are the best recruiting officers. Therefore, how vigorously they advocate their calling will depend on how well they are looked after. We are also asked to bring carers firmly into the management of the system, not as tokens, but as valued partners.

The survey showed clearly that foster carers want more training after selection, especially in birth parent contact. Also, needless disruption too often takes place when children are placed with carers where the age gap between their own children and those placed is too short.

One thing that is missing is comment on the impact of independent fostering schemes. This is because, interestingly, this is not a feature in Scotland. This seems to suggest that despite the problems faced by Scottish local authorities, there is still a greater value paid and more support given to the public section solutions to social problems north of the border.