This second edition of "Children's needs - parenting capacity" updates the original exploration of the research literature in the light of legal and policy changes in England and findings from more recent national and international research. The edition has also been expanded to cover parental learning disabilities and how it may impact on parenting and children's health and development. The findings show that these parenting issues affect children differently depending on their age and individual circumstances. While some children grow up apparently unscathed, others exhibit emotional and behavioural disorders. This knowledge can inform practitioners undertaking assessments of the needs of children and their families and effective service responses. This publication is essential reading for practitioners, managers and policy makers concerned with improving the outcomes for children and families who are experiencing such problems.

This book addresses evaluations for child protection, one of the most delicate legal arenas in which forensic mental examiners play a part. The evaluations are highly specialized, requiring child clinical specialization, a knowledge of the legal and social context, and a thorough understanding of the professional and ethical guidelines for child protection evaluations. This volume provides that context, and presents established empirical foundations from the behavioral, social, and medical sciences. Finally, the book provides a detailed "how-to" for practitioners, including information on data collection, interpretation, report writing and expert testimony.

Decades of research have demonstrated that the parent-child dyad and the environment of the familyâ€"which includes all primary caregiversâ€"are at the foundation of children's well- being and healthy development. From birth, children are learning and rely on parents and the other caregivers in their lives to protect and care for them. The impact of parents may never be greater than during the earliest years of life, when a child's brain is rapidly developing and when nearly all of her or his experiences are created and shaped by parents and the family environment. Parents help children build and refine their knowledge and skills, charting a trajectory for their health and well-being during childhood and beyond. The experience of parenting also impacts parents themselves. For instance, parenting can enrich and give focus to parents' lives; generate stress or calm; and create any number of emotions, including feelings of happiness, sadness, fulfillment, and anger. Parenting of young children today takes place in the context of significant ongoing developments. These include: a rapidly growing body of science on early childhood, increases in funding for programs and services for families, changing demographics of the U.S. population, and greater diversity of family structure. Additionally, parenting is increasingly being shaped by technology and increased access to information about parenting. Parenting Matters identifies parenting knowledge, attitudes, and practices associated with positive developmental outcomes in children ages 0-8; universal/preventive and targeted strategies used in a variety of settings that have been effective with parents of young children and that support the identified knowledge, attitudes, and practices; and barriers to and facilitators for parents' use of practices that lead to healthy child outcomes as well as their participation in effective programs and services. This report makes recommendations directed at an array of stakeholders, for promoting the wide-scale adoption of effective programs and services for parents and on areas that warrant further research to inform policy and practice. It is meant to serve as a roadmap for the future of parenting policy, research, and practice in the United States.

How does parental mental illness, problem alcohol or drug use and domestic violence impact on children's development? An exploration of the research literature shows that these potential problems affect children differently depending on their age and individual circumstances. While some children grow up apparently unscathed, others exhibit emotional and behavioural disorders. This knowledge can inform practitioners undertaking assessments of the needs of children and their families and effective service responses.

Written for professionals involved in the assessment of children in need, this book is a comprehensive guide to recent developments in research and practice. It looks at the policy framework for assessment, the actual process of assessment, how to assess the developmental needs of children and how to assess their parents' and family's capacity to meet those needs. The contributors are experts from a range of fields and the guide, which was developed by the NSPCC and is published in association with them, is designed to facilitate productive joint agency work. Key topics covered include: * ecological perspectives on the child and the family * attachment theory and child development * assessing families where the parents have a learning disability * working with children and families from minority ethnic groups * the effect of sexual abuse within the family on the assessment process * assessment prior to birth. Originally commissioned by the Department of Health, and outlining the developments and theory underpinning their Framework for the Assessment of Children in Need and their Families this book will be essential reading for qualified and trainee social workers and those completing the Post Qualifying Award in Child Care. It will also be an indispensable guide for psychologists, teachers, health visitors, and any other professionals and qualifying professionals involved in the assessment of children in need.

With the move away from reliance on expert evidence in the court arena there is a need to provide practitioners in the social care and legal professions with a framework for formulating how the child's best interests can be met within their timescales and whether capacity to change is likely.

The first international, cross-disciplinary book to explore and understand the lives of parents with intellectual disabilities, their children, and the systems and services they encounter Presents a unique, pan-disciplinary overview of this growing field of study Offers a human rights approach to disability and family life Informed by the newly adopted UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (2006) Provides comprehensive research-based knowledge from leading figures in the field of intellectual disability

Drawing on in-depth interviews with social workers and their managers, and families and young people themselves, the authors of this important book show how the principles embodied in the Assessment Framework have been applied to social work practice. Revisiting the principles outlined in the legislative context and the Assessment Framework, they show how the focus on assessment has affected the work with children, and the experiences of children and families themselves. The authors identify a range of issues that influence the implementation of the Assessment Framework, including the key areas where support and training are needed. They review social workers' and other professionals' appraisal of how the Assessment Framework affects individual practice and inter-agency collaboration, as well as exploring how satisfied young people and their parents are with the assessments they are involved in. Finally, they examine the cost to social services of undertaking a core assessment. Emphasising the importance of a joined-up child care service, the authors' findings have been taken into account in the development of the Integrated Children's System. This book should be read by all those professionals who are working to promote the welfare and well-being of children.

Parental Learning Disability and Children's Needs explores how to effectively assess children in families where one or more parent has a learning disability. These children often have unmet needs because their parents are more likely to be coping with mental and physical illness, domestic violence or substance abuse. The book examines current social care practice in this area, whether it is working, and the impact it has on families. The authors describe how, although some parents with a learning disability face a significant risk of losing their children, most continue to look after them and, while support provided by social services and other agencies, can be significant it is rarely sustained and the health and welfare of many children suffers as a result. Case studies and interviews from original research support the authors' recommendations for policy and practice to combat these problems. This book will prove to be an invaluable source of information for all social workers and other professionals working with someone who is both a parent and has a learning disability.