Child-Centred Social Work: Theory and Practice

With an emphasis on professional expectations, values and practice skills such as building trust, listening and advocacy, this textbook helps enable social workers base their practice with children and young people on a truly child-centred model. Drawing on contemporary knowledge about childhood and children’s rights, it provides a critical understanding of the theoretical and legal basis for child-centred practice, and examines the dilemmas faced by professionals in maintaining their focus on promoting children and young people’s participation in decision-making.

Child-Centred Social Work is essential reading for students and professionals, helping the reader understand what we can learn from the tragic deaths of children such as ’Baby P’ and Victoria Climbié, and from children and young people in care who need their voices heard.

Dr Vivienne Barnes is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Social Work at Kingston University and has extensive experience of working with children and young people as a social worker and latterly as a children’s advocate. She has a particular interest in children’s rights and has conducted doctoral research on social work and advocacy with children and young people in the care system.