Biography & Publications

Biography

Andrew Turnell is an independent social worker, brief family therapist and child protection consultant from Perth, Western Australia. As well as international consultancy and teaching work, Andrew maintains a clinical practice working solely with families where child maltreatment has occurred or is suspected but the parents deny responsibility. Andrew has published extensively on the subjects of brief therapy and child protection, including his most well known works: Turnell, A. and Edwards, S. (1999) Signs of Safety: A Solution and Safety Oriented Approach to Child Protection Casework, New York, Norton. Turnell, A. and Essex, S. (2006) Working with ‘Denied’ Child Abuse: The Resolutions Approach, Open University Press.

During the 1990’s, Andrew and colleague Steve Edwards, in conjunction with over 150 West Australian child protection workers, developed the Signs of Safety approach to child protection casework. The approach has won two Australian social service awards for innovative practice. Andrew has also been closely involved in the development of statutory child protection risk assessment frameworks in Victoria and West Australia that are collaborative and participatory, that integrate best professional knowledge alongside local family and cultural knowledge, and that balance information regarding danger/harm alongside strengths and safety.

Andrew regularly gives lectures and workshops in Australia, Europe, North America, Japan and New Zealand. Andrew also has ongoing consultation relationships with child protection teams and organizations utilizing and implementing the Signs of Safety approach in New Zealand, UK, Sweden, The Netherlands, Japan, Canada and the USA. The longest standing implementation process is occurring in Olmsted County, Minnesota who are now into their seventh year of a system wide implementation of safety-organised practice. Andrew has recently completed his PhD focused on practitioner and service recipient-defined constructive child protection practice.

PUBLICATIONS AND RELEVANT PAPERS

Teoh, A. H., Laffer, J., Parton, N., and Turnell A. (2003).“Trafficking in meaning: constructive social work in child protection practice” in Chris Hall, Kirsi Juhila, Nigel Parton and Tarja Pösö (Editors) Client as Practice, Jessica Kingsley, London.

Turnell, A. (1998). The Signs of Safety: Reflections on the road toward a comprehensive partnership practice for child protection casework. 12th International Congress on Child Abuse and Neglect, Auckland, New Zealand Sept 6-9.

Turnell, A. (2000). “Current International Developments in Risk Assessment: A Background Paper”. Family and Children’s Services, Risk Assessment and Risk ManagementProject. Perth.

Turnell, A. (2001). “Humour in therapy; reflections from practice”, Context. Winter: 18-22.

Turnell, A. (2004). Relationship-grounded, safety-organised child protection practice: Dreamtime or real-time option for child welfare? Protecting Children, 19(2): 14–25.

Turnell, A. (2006). Constructive Child Protection Practice: An Oxymoron or News of Difference? Journal of Systemic Therapies 25(2): 3-12.

Turnell, A. (2006). Tecken på säkerhet - Signs of Safety på svenska. In M. Söderquist. & A. Suskin-Holmqvist, A. (Eds.), Delaktighet - Lösningsfokuserat förhållningssätt i utredningsarbete. Stockholm: Mareld.

Turnell, A. (2007). Enacting the interpretive turn: narrative means toward transformational practice in child protection social work, PhD Thesis, Perth: Curtin University.

Turnell A. (Forthcoming July 2007). Solution-focused brief therapy: thinking and practicing beyond the therapy room. In F. Thomas and T. Nelson (Eds.), Clinical Applications of Solution-focused Brief Therapy, Bimmington: Haworth Press USA.

Turnell A. (In press expected early 2009). Building safety in child protection practice: working from a strengths perspective. London: Palgrave.

Turnell A. & Edwards S. (1997).“Aspiring to partnership: The signs of safety approach to child protection casework” Child Abuse Review, 6: 179 - 190.

Turnell A. & Edwards S. (1999). Signs of safety: A solution and safety oriented approach to child protection casework. WW Norton, New York.

Turnell, A., Elliott, S. and Hogg, V. (2007). Compassionate, safe and rigorous child protection practice with parents of adopted children. Child Abuse Review 16(2): 108-119.

Turnell A. and Essex S. (2006). Working with situations of ‘denied’ child abuse: the Resolutions approach. Buckingham: Open University Press.

Turnell A., Lohrbach, S and Curran, S. (Forthcoming). Working with the ‘involuntary client’ in child protection: lessons from successful practice. In M. Calder (Ed.) The carrot or the stick? Towards effective practice with involuntary clients, London: Russell House Publishing.

Turnell A. & Hopwood L. (1994a). Solution-focused brief therapy: A first session outline, Case Studies in Brief and Family Therapy, 8 (2): 39-51.

Turnell A. & Hopwood L. (1994b). ‘Solution-focused brief therapy: An outline for second and subsequent sessions’ Case Studies in Brief and Family Therapy, 8(2): 52-64.

Turnell A. & Hopwood L. (1994c). " Solution-focused brief therapy: Case closure and ideas for the 'stuck' cases" Case Studies in Brief and Family Therapy, 8(2): 65-75 .

Turnell A. & Lipchik, E. (1999).“Empathy in brief therapy: The essential but overlooked aspect”.  Australian and New Zealand Journal of Family Therapy. 20(4): 177-182.