Messy Social Work

A straight-talking guide to life on the front line of social work and child protection.

A look into the realities of social work and child protection, based in the author's 10+ years of experience on the front line. From assessments and direct work to decision-making and removing children, this guide explores the challenges of working with children and families, and reflects on the essential value of celebrating the small successes.

Social work is a complex career - a hugely rewarding way to make a difference in people's lives, paired with an enormous responsibility to get it right. This (unofficial) guide, grounded in the author's decade-long experience on the front line of child protection, explores the intersection between these points and how to handle the challenges of the job while celebrating its joys.

This isn't a tidy list of textbook situations and perfect solutions - there are mistakes of all shapes and sizes, there are consequences, and (most importantly) there are reflections on what went wrong and how to not do the same thing in your own practice. Case studies and vignettes look into the realities of child protection from both perspectives, and what happens when what should happen doesn't match with what does.