Family Support in the UK
Family support is key to working with children and families; not child protection. This website is not concerned with ‘significant harm’, because if we cannot distinguish between the significant harm apparently presented by a parent and that offered by the care system, there is no point in pursuing that path further.
The question then for practitioners, policy makers and researchers is how to provide better family support in the UK for those that are struggling. This website deals with the three main, and perhaps most difficult, triggers for poor outcomes: domestic violence, substance abuse and severe mental health issues. But lest we forget, many wealthy parents suffer from these and do not lose their children or babies to care. So what can we do better?
The links below offer examples of support, research and policy that can better help those looking for family support.
Deaths of Children in Need December 2024 Children's Commissioner. Do They Draw the Right Conclusions?