Making Child Protection Work

Harry Ferguson is Professor of Social Work at the University of Birmingham. He has taught and researched child protection for 35 years and is among the most read social work academics in the world.

• Introduction: Bringing child protection to life1. The Child Protection System: the making of practice 2. Starting Relationships: Investigating and assessing child protection concerns 3. Relationships Over Time: Care, holding and reliability 4. Automated Practice: The invisible, unheld child 5. Disorganised Practice: Chaotically thought about and unsafe children 6. The Intimate Pattern: Seen, heard and held children 7. Hands-On Practice: Making relationships with babies and young children 8. Holding Relationships: Helping parents, families and enabling change 9. Hostile Relationships: Conflict and good authority in working with involuntary service users 10. Close or Distant?: Relational styles in child protection work 11. Crafting Relational Spaces: Digital, outdoor and mobile practices 12. Beyond Reflective Practice: Help with thinking and non-thinking 13. Holding Environments: Supervision and live organisational support for relational practice 14. Making Child Protection Work WellAppendix A: Methodology and the research studies Appendix B: The Practice Cycle Worksheet

“This book is a remarkable feat and a gift to the profession – I was engrossed from the start; where else can a practitioner learn from hundreds – nay, thousands – of hours of observations, interviews and interactions with children, families and social workers in one sitting? Ferguson so skilfully humanises not only the people that social workers serve but social workers themselves, exploring strategies to work with, not against, vulnerability and complexity but also strength. One of its most groundbreaking contributions is through the exploration of the use of the embodied self in practice – something often entirely missing in social work education. This holistic approach draws out practice wisdom from head, heart and felt knowledge, bringing social work to life through the five senses. Read and be transformed.” Rebekah Pierre, author and care-experienced social work campaigner. “A rich, insightful exploration of the realities of child protection – messy, complex, but always centred on children and relationships. Essential reading for students and practitioners alike.” David Wilkins, Professor of Social Work, Cardiff University