Making Sense of Child and Family Assessment: How to Interpret Children's Needs

by Duncan Helm, Brigid Daniel (Foreword by)

Overview

The application of assessment frameworks hinges on human qualities and skills which are naturally prone to bias and inconsistency. Making Sense of Child and Family Assessment aims to support workers in analysing and making sense of the information gathered, and increasing accuracy and empathy in assessing the needs and risks for vulnerable children and young people.

This book offers best practice guidance on how to analyse information gathered during the assessment of children and young people and their families. Good assessments take time and need to be appropriately resourced. A range of analytical tools are also needed if practitioners are to present assessments of children's needs which lead to meaningful care plans and improved outcomes. Helm introduces the key messages emerging from policy and research, and provides insights into today's multi-disciplinary practice.

Professionals working in child welfare and protection roles, such as social workers, health visitors, midwives and teachers will find this practical guide to analysis invaluable in interpreting needs and outcomes.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780857002983
Publisher:	Kingsley, Jessica Publishers
Publication date:	04/15/2010
Series:	Best Practice in Working with Children
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	224
File size:	2 MB

About the Author

Duncan Helm is a senior teaching fellow at the University of Stirling, where he is Course Director for the Graduate Certificate in Child Welfare and Protection. Duncan previously worked in a variety of local authority child and family settings, and is now primarily engaged in continuing professional development for practitioners involved in working with or on behalf of vulnerable children and young people.
Brigid Daniel is Professor of Social Work at the University of Stirling. She is the co-author of a number of books on child care and protection and has a particular interest in factors that help children to cope with adversity. She was a member of the multi-disciplinary team that carried out a national ministerial review of child protection practice in Scotland.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements. Foreword. Glossary. 1. Making Sense of Analysis. 2. Searching and Seeing in Assessment. 3. Building the Picture. 4. Developing Explanations. 5. Using Intuition Effectively. 6. The Child at the Centre. 7. Developing Practice in Analysis. Bibliography. Index.