Can we imagine different ways of working together to secure better outcomes for children and families? What are the complex issues that underlie the apparently simple call for ‘joined-up’ services? Children’s services in many countries around the world are being transformed as part of the call for ‘joined-up working for joined-up solutions’. Social, health and educational policy discourses are driven by the idea that ‘effective’ inter/professional, interagency collaboration is crucial in determining whether service delivery to children and families will succeed or fail. However, the rapid turn from previous inter/professional practices of liaison, consultancy, cooperation and collaboration to more radical and wholescale service integration and sector transformation has not been accompanied either by a well considered research agenda of hard questions nor close scrutiny of its effects and consequences. The book asks a series of searching and challenging questions: What are the complex issues involved in children’s sector transformation for all those involved – young people, practitioners, leaders and managers, policy makers? How can the ‘silos’ in which professionals have traditionally been prepared for practice be broken down? What are the orthodoxies that surround ‘joined-up’ working and in what ways should they be challenged? Written by authors from across the wide range of professional, policy and disciplinary groups involved in this new cross-cutting area of policy and practice, this book provides a critical analysis of the complexities of children’s services transformations. The research in this collection addresses the range of discursive, policy and organizational developments associated with the transformation of children’s services, providing an important and timely analysis of their complexities and is essential reading for all those working in the complex spaces of children’s services.

Written by authors from across the wide range of professional, policy and disciplinary groups involved in this new cross-cutting area of policy and practice, this book provides a critical analysis of the complexities of children's services transformations.

This timely and thought-provoking book explores how social and family change are colouring the experience of childhood. The book is centred around three major changes: parental employment, family composition and ideology. The authors demonstrate how children's families are transformed in accordance with societal changes in demographic and economic terms, and as a result of the choices parents make in response to these changes. Despite claims that society is becoming increasingly child-centred, this book argues that children still have little influence over the major changes in their lives. This book breaks new ground by researching family change from the child's point of view. Through combinations from childhood experts in Scandinavia, the UK and America, the book shows the importance of studying children's lives in families in order to understand how far children are active agents in contemporary society. Students of childhood studies, sociology, social work and education will find this book essential reading. It will also be of interest to practitioners in the social, child and youth services.

"This is a forensic dissection of New Labour's approach to transforming children's services. Garrett brings together politics, policy and plans in a resolutely critical engagement with the futures currently being made both for social workers and for the families and children who may need those services." John Clarke, Professor of Social Policy, The Open University "Paul Michael Garrett writes with verve, commitment and clarity. His new book on transforming Children's Services will make a significant and lasting impression on the social work literature." Stephen Webb, Director of Institute of the Advanced Study for Humanity (IASH) University of Newcastle, Australia "This is an excellent book and one of the best I have read for some time. It is a must have for all social work and social policy students and practitioners. Policy makers and managers should also read and digest this, even though they will probably find large parts an uncomfortable read." Steve Rogowski, Professional Social Work (Dec, 2009) "Paul Michael Garrett’s designedly critical analysis is timely, offering a fast-paced, hard-hitting, thought-provoking critique ... this book is sure to satisfy those looking for less of 'surface' and more 'depth' explorations ... I am sure that 'Transforming' Children's Services? will become essential reading for social work and social policy students throughout the UK and, indeed, internationally given that Canada, America, Australia and New Zealand share in cognate systems of child welfare and protection." Karen Broadhurst, Critical Social Policy (forthcoming, 2010) This book provides an accessible overview of the 'transformation' of Children's Services in England. In doing this, it draws on social theory, critical social policy and takes account of developments in other countries. Paul Michael Garrett argues that the many changes which have taken place within, and beyond, Children's Services are related to the politics of Neoliberalism which, it is maintained, lie at the core of the Change for Children programme. Readers will find detailed discussion on: The Laming Report which examined the death of Victoria Climbié The case of 'Baby P' Social work's 'electronic turn' and the use of ICTs in Children's Services Controversial plans to introduce Contactpoint (a database on all children) More pervasive patterns of surveillance How 'ASBO politics' has influenced the 'transformation' agenda So-called 'Problem Families' and the measures put in place to respond to such families Controversial plans to set up 'Social Work Practices' for children in public care Transforming Children's Services will be a vital text for social work and social policy students. Furthermore, the book directly addresses a range of issues of direct concern to practitioners. The book will also find an audience amongst academics, policy makers and all those who are interested in critical reflection and in applying theoretical insights to practice issues. After each chapter a 'Reflection and Talk' box is included to prompt further discussion on the key themes examined.

Contributors analyze how economic, political, and cultural changes over the past several decades have reshaped the experiences and representations of children and youth in the United States. From publisher description.

This book provides vivid examples of school mental health innovations from 18 countries, addressing mental health promotion, prevention and interventions. These initiatives and innovations enable readers from different regions and disciplines to apply strategies to help students achieve and maintain mental health, enhance their learning outcomes and access services, worldwide.

This text is an authoritative analysis of current services for children and young people in the UK. Drawing upon European-wide data, this innovative book critiques the policies that have shaped today’s services, argues that the current system is insufficiently joined-up and outlines a radical new model of co-located services for the integrated delivery of children’s care. Shaping Children’s Services: examines key indicators of children’s development; provides a breakdown of the economics of caring for children; explores the way government initiatives such as Sure Start, Extended Schools, Total Place and the Kennedy review of children’s health have shaped current policies; charts the key twentieth-century developments of child welfare across health, education and social care and looks at the inter-relationships between health, social care, police, education and the voluntary sector; presents both good and failing examples of children’s services. Offering a thoughtful and provocative challenge on how the present system can be better configured to meet the needs of children and young people, this book is an essential read for all those involved in working with children from a range of fields, including health, education, social care, juvenile justice and voluntary sector services.

Children’s Services: Working Together brings together contributions from a number of authors in the field. The book covers policy, theory, research and practice relevant to students and professionals working with children in a wide range of roles. The emphasis on working collaboratively with other professionals, where appropriate, and the holistic approach to children make this a valuable resource to anyone working with children today.

Drawing on unique access to prominent policy makers including ministers, senior civil servants, local authority directors, and the leaders of children’s sector NGOs, Purcell re-examines two decades of children’s services reform under both Labour and Conservative-led governments. He closely examines the origins of Labour’s Every Child Matters programme, the Munro review and more recent Conservative reforms affecting child and family social workers to reassess the impact of high profile child abuse cases, including Victoria Climbié and Baby P, and reveal the party political drivers of successive reform.

This book examines the long term impact of service reform in children’s mental health, focusing on comprehensive state and local initiatives to improve care for children with serious behavioral health and their families to illustrate how programmatic and contextual forces influence policy and practice in this area, and inform readers about strategies employed by policy makers, administrators and advocates to develop and sustain effective systems of care. This book looks at Virginia’s effort to reform care for at-risk youth, as well as the transformational initiatives of six states and several localities. Using a comprehensive ecological framework, the authors focus on a statewide transformation of services for children/youth with serious emotional and behavioral challenges to enhance understanding of the course and consequences of system change efforts over an extended period of time. Attention is given to the impact of this reform on individual children and families, and local communities as well as the Commonwealth. Using data from states’ and localities’ efforts to develop comprehensive systems of care for children and families, this book enhances understanding of the dynamics of large-scale human service reform efforts. It describes how political, economic, social, cultural, and technological forces have shaped policy and practice, offer lessons learned from these ambitious reform initiatives, and provide guidance for those interested in improving care for vulnerable children and their families. This book examines the long-term impact of reform legislation, employing a multi-modal approach to enrich understanding of this ambitious reform effort. Examples are provided to illustrate how CSA and other systems of care have impacted individual children and families as well as the interplay of local community dynamics and macro level policy and political processes. This book also offers the first-hand perspectives of individual consumers and families, child advocates, community based program providers, and local and state wide administrators and policymakers. By combining these multiple perspectives the authors provide a comprehensive perspective on the issues of child mental health services and related reform efforts.