Abstract
The focus of this chapter is working with children. We have resisted calling this ‘direct work’ or ‘therapy’ because the ability to work competently and sensitively with children should be a basic skill in child and family social work rather than a specialist activity. The child’s right to a voice, as we have argued, pervades all social work with children and young people as well as featuring in several areas of the Children Act 1989 (see Chapter 1). This is not to say that some children will not need more intensive play therapy or specially planned long-term individual work. The aim of this chapter, however, is to enable workers to make a confident start in working and communicating with children of all ages. These beginnings can be developed into more creative, imaginative and longer-term work.
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Further reading
Department of Health (1989) The Care of Children: Principles and Practice in Regulations and Guidance (London: HMSO).
This is an essential text for child care practitioners and provides a good foundation for work with children.
Department of Health (1996) Focus on Teenagers: Research into Practice (London: HMSO).
This is a summary of three research studies on adolescents which analyses the findings and draws implications for practice. It contains a helpful section entitled ‘Tools, checklists and exercises’.
Garbarino, J. and Stott, F. M. (1992) What Children Can tell Us: Eliciting, Interpreting, and Evaluating Critical Information from Children (San Francisco: Jossey-Bass).
A good guide to sensitive interviewing and pitching the work at the right developmental level for children.
Wilson, K., Kendrick, P. and Ryan, V. (1992) Play Therapy: A Non-directive Approach for Children and Adolescents (London: Baillière Tindall).
More detail about the theory and application of non-directive therapy.
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© 1998 Marian Brandon, Gillian Schofield and Liz Trinder
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Brandon, M., Schofield, G., Trinder, L., Stone, N. (1998). The Voice of the Child in Practice. In: Social Work with Children. Palgrave, London. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-349-14043-5_4
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-349-14043-5_4
Publisher Name: Palgrave, London
Print ISBN: 978-0-333-65857-4
Online ISBN: 978-1-349-14043-5
eBook Packages: Palgrave Social & Cultural Studies CollectionSocial Sciences (R0)