UBC Press A Practitioners' Tool for Child Protection and the Assessment of Parents book Paperback 256 pages

A practical tool for the assessment of children and their families, this guide enables professionals to make informed decisions about child protection issues. Firmly rooted in current practice, it draws on the expertise of a practising consultant and experienced qualified social worker Jeff Fowler, whose work has already formed the basis of guidance reports for child protection agencies and court proceedings.Providing detailed checklists for collecting and interpreting information vital to a best practice assessment, it also includes practical sections that focus on assessing attachment issues, childhood experiences, alcohol and drug abuse, and parenting skills and abilities. It presents a central case study leading to an assessment report which can be used for case conferences, as a core assessment in care proceedings, or for statements in public and private law matters.This is a helpful tool for anyone undertaking assessments but also for others who may be involved in aspects of child protection work such as social workers, health professionals, teachers, and legal and criminal justice professionals.

Jeff Fowler is a qualified social worker with thirty years experience of working with children and families. He has worked in residential and field social work as a practitioner and senior manager. Since 1992 he has been a Guardian ad litem, independent social worker, consultant and trainer. He presently assesses families for local authorities and for parties in public and private law proceedings. He is an expert witness in the High Court, the `Quality Assurance Assessor' for the National Association of Independent Resources for Children, an independent person to the Hesley Group of schools and inspects residential children's services under the Care Standards Act 2002. He is a member of CAFCASS.