The Child’s World – Assessing Children in Need

By Jan Howarth.
Jessica Kingsley Publishers
£16.95
ISBN 1 85302 957 2

This text complements and expands on the
Department of Health’s guidance for the Framework for the
Assessment of Children in Need and their Families. It is intended
for all those involved in delivering and managing the assessment of
the needs of vulnerable children and their families. It is a core
text for the Post-Qualifying Child Care Award.

This book provides a comprehensive and helpful
guide to implementing the framework. The sections describe the
framework and the assessment process, and the context of children’s
developmental needs and parental capacity to meet those needs.

There is also a useful chapter concerning the
assessment of young people who sexually abuse with an excellent
checklist of issues to consider when completing a core assessment
of their needs and potential risks.

This book should be regarded as essential
reading for all those working with children in social work and in
health, education and other agencies. It brings together all the
relevant knowledge and evidence and suggests how best to collate
information for assessments and how to synthesise that information
to make judgements.

Amy Weir is head of children and
families services, London Borough of Harrow.