Intimate Child Protection Practice

‘Not nearly enough attention is given to the detail of what child protection social workers actually do, where they do it and their experience of doing it’. These are the words of Professor Harry Ferguson in his latest book “Child Protection Practice” This book explores in rich detail the actual experience of doing the work built particularly around Harry’s experiences of directly shadowing child protection social workers on home visits and learning with them what effective practice looks like. Harry suggests we need to speak of ‘intimate’ child protection practice that ‘demands sophisticated skills, courage and a capacity to use authority directly and wisely but also tenderness and empathy’. An author putting words courage, wise use of authority, tenderness and empathy into the one sentence on child protection practice deserves to be read! You can also view Harry talking about the book on youtube at: www.youtube.com/watch?v=7O8pqrhDWDw