Child Protection Practice

Different, fresh and arresting. What Harry Ferguson does better than anyone else is capture the actualite of front-line child protection work. The book is so unlike any other in the busy market place of child protection books, it should have no difficulty sticking its head above the crowd. It is utterly distinct in terms of its willingness and ability to talk about the job in terms of how it looks, feels, smells and sounds as practitioners move between office, car and home.' - David Howe, Professor Emeritus, School of Social Work and Psychology, University of East Anglia, UK "I was very impressed by this book. In fact, I'd go as far as to say that it includes some of the most interesting and original writing about social work and child protection I have seen. It is a strength of the book that the author is prepared to set out his own position on the line. This makes it enjoyable, stimulating and challenging to read." - Chris Beckett, Senior Lecturer in Social Work, University of East Anglia, UK "Harry Ferguson brings to life the embodied experience of child protection work. Combining historical research with contemporary accounts of frontline practice, Ferguson urges us to understand child protection work as a highly skilled and embodied practice, and offers powerful insights into the complex nature of authority, relationship building and decision-making. This book should be essential reading for anyone seeking to understand the challenges facing child protection workers today, and what is needed to create the conditions for better child protection practice." - Karen Healy, Professor, School of Social Work and Human Services, The University of Queensland, Australia "a 'must read'... This book offers a unique perspective on child protection that engages the reader in an immediate, honest and compelling fashion." - Gillian Ruch, Division of Social Work Studies, University of Southampton

What happens when social workers leave their desks to carry out home visits? Harry Ferguson provides a rich and compelling insight into day-to-day child protecting practice. Capturing the sight, smell and feel of the home visit, he outlines the realities and complexities of face-to-face social work within this challenging field.How do practitioners step up to the professional challenge of keeping children safe? Leading author Harry Ferguson draws on his own research, personal experience and real-life case studies to challenge the way we think about child protection. This highly original and engaging book captures the daily reality of practice within life's most personal spaces, and offers a rare insight into the lived experience of working with vulnerable children, their parents and other carers. An inspiring declaration of the need for a new, intimate approach to child protection, this ground-breaking book lays the foundations of skilful, authoritative practice. It is a must for Social Work student and practitioners within this challenging field.