families

Effective interventions for complex families where there are concerns about, or evidence of, a child suffering significant harm (Safeguarding: briefing 1)

Briefing paper focusing on the effectiveness of interventions in complex child protection cases. Effectiveness here is defined as the prevention of further maltreatment or significant impairment to the child's development.

Statutory Guidance, Children's Trusts: Statutory guidance on inter-agency cooperation to improve well-being of children, young people and their families

This guidance, issued under section 10 of the Children Act 2004 and to which all local authorities and “relevant partners” must have regard, replaces the Statutory guidance on inter-agency cooperation to improve wellbeing of children: children’s trusts (2005) and the consultation document Children’s Trusts: statutory guidance on inter-agency cooperation to improve well-being of children, young people and their families published in April 2008.

Poverty is...

This learning object introduces you to definitions of poverty and social exclusion, key facts and figures about poverty and its effects in the UK. After thinking about meanings of poverty and social exclusion in the Introduction, you will have the chance to do a Quiz which is based on government figures on child poverty from 2004 to 2005 (because of the complexity of the data collection process these are the most recent available). This learning object also includes a series of video interviews with services users.

Parental mental health : messages from research, policy and practice

This review focuses on one particular aspect of parenting and family life. It is about children living in families where a parent has mental health problems. The aim of this review is to identify – from a range of publications – sources and messages that might help practitioners and managers improve their understanding of the circumstances of children and families living with parental mental health problems, and find responses that have the potential for achieving positive change.

Rethink factsheets

The Rethink National Advice Service provides information and advice to people with mental illness, their family, friends, informal and professional carers on a range of issues affecting people with mental illness and their carers. They run a telephone advice line and an email advice service as well as taking written enquiries. This links to s series of about 40 factsheets in PDF.

Exploring disability, family formation and break-up: reviewing the evidence

The research was carried out by Stephen McKay and Harriet Clarke at the University of Birmingham on behalf of the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) and the Office for Disability Issues (ODI). The report provides evidence on the effect that being a disabled adult, or having a disabled child, has on rates of family break-up, on repartnering or having children.

Statutory guidance, the roles and responsibilities of the lead member for children's services and the Director of Children's Services

This guidance, on the roles and responsibilities of the Lead Member for Children's Services (LM) and Director of Children's Services (DCS), has been updated to take account of the good progress already made, reinforce existing best practice and highlight the importance of the LM and DCS as leaders and champions for children, young people and their families.

It aims to explain how the roles are distinct and complementary and how working together as a team, they can be most effective in driving clear improvements in outcomes.