Forty Years of Research, Policy and Practice in Children’s Services

Nick Axford has been at Dartington since 1997 after working for the Shaftesbury Society in a family centre in London. He was jointly responsible for a Department of Health study on patterns of need and service use among children living in the community, and currently works on an evaluation of an innovative programme for disaffected young people, using a random allocation design. He is joint author of a review for the Department for Education and Skills of the literature on refocusing children's services towards prevention, and has been closely involved in developing and implementing several practice tools with clinical and planning functions. In 2003 he completed a PhD on childhood social exclusion.

Forty years of research, policy and practice in children's services provides an overview of key issues in research, policy and practice concerning children's services in the UK since the 1960s. Closely linked to the work of Roger Bullock and Dartington Social Research Unit -- the centre for which he has worked throughout that period -- this book takes a uniquely wide perspective on children's services, incorporating not only social care but also other providers involved in meeting the needs of vulnerable children. Written by distinguished and internationally recognised authors, chapters explore recurring themes in children's services within the context of 21st-century reforms. Theoretical and practical perspectives are combined to consider developments in education, youth justice, mental health, residential and foster care, adoption, child protection, family support and family law. An historical view of the role of social research in policy-making, a discussion of international perspectives, a sideways look at the relationship between social research and the arts, and a survey of the challenges faced by one independent research centre are also included. Messages are highlighted and future directions examined for research, policy and practice aimed at improving outcomes for children in need and their families. Particularly relevant to the new agenda for children's services, this is an important book for researchers, policy makers and practitioners involved in the reform and development of children's services. It will also be of interest to students and lecturers on courses in social work, education, health, family law and youth justice.

List of Contributors. About the Cover. Acknowledgements. Part I: SETTING THE SCENE. 1. Introduction (Nick Axford, Vashti Berry, Michael Little and Louise Morpeth). 2. Then and Now (Roy Parker). Part II: CHILDREN'S SERVICES FROM DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES. 3. Forty Years of Educational Change (Ewan Anderson). 4. Children in Residence (Roger Clough). 5. Reforming Juvenile Justice (Henri Giller). 6. Young Offenders, Mental Health and Secure Care (Sue Bailey). 7. Stability through Adoption for Children in Care (June Thoburn). 8. Going Home or Staying Away (Ian Sinclair). 9. Child Protection (David Berridge). 10. The Evolution of Family Support (Michael Little and Ruth Sinclair). 11. Research into the Family Justice System (Mervyn Murch and Douglas Hooper). Part III: LOOKING FORWARDS. 12. European Developments in Juvenile Delinquency and Juvenile Justice (Peter van der Laan and Monika Smit). 13. Creative Arts and Social Research (Roger Bullock). 14. Where Next for Social Research at Dartington? (Nick Axford and Louise Morpeth). 15. Messages for Research, Policy and Practice in Children's Services (Nick Axford, Vashti Berry, Michael Little, Jill Madge and Louise Morpeth). Appendix A: Roger Bullock - A Brief Biography. Appendix B: Roger Bullock's Main Publications. Index.