Making Sense of the Children Act 1989

 Making Sense of the Children Act 1989
 Nick Allen, Wiley
 ISBN 0470854960, £19.99

 STAR RATING: 3/5

This is something to be held in the office for reference rather than to be taken home to read from cover to cover. Like its predecessors, this edition  covers most aspects of the law used by children’s social workers and managers, writes Julie Murphy.

Although focusing on the 1989 Act, there are brief sections on the Children Act 2004 and the Adoption and Children Act 2002. More detail about these acts may appear in a future edition.

It is a rather dense text although the case law illustrations make it a little more readable. Students and child care professionals with a keen interest in law may find it more helpful than the busy social worker, manager or parent who wants a quick understanding of the act. More bullet points and summaries may have made it more accessible to those who know less about the law.

However, this is a solid reference book, likely to sit on a shelf within easy reach of many professionals who are trying to make sense of and work with the Act.

Julie Murphy is a children’s services manager in Poole, Dorset