Safeguarding Children and Young People – A Guide to Integrated Practice

 Safeguarding Children and Young People – A Guide to Integrated Practice
 Steven Walker and Christina Thurston, Russell House Publishing
 ISBN: 9781903855904, £21.95

 STAR RATING: 4/5

The authors have put together a simple but modern guide to protecting children in the UK at the beginning of the 21st century, writes Barry Raynes.

It is designed for a range of child care workers but will be of most interest to newly qualified social workers and social work students. It is a good introductory text and would be very relevant for overseas social workers as it outlines contemporary ideas but also includes historical and legal background.

Set out in an order that follows a child through the social care process, with prevention near the beginning and transitions near the end, the book is easy to dip into as well as read from cover to cover.

Containing activities for group discussion and a thorough bibliography the book continues Russell House Publishing’s commitment to producing practical guides to carrying out complex tasks. The authors are prepared to be critical; for example, criticising government’s “search for scapegoats”, the lack of resources, and social workers’ common failure to realise that their own time is an expensive resource.

So a refreshing, though basic, read.

Barry Raynes is executive director, Reconstruct