Making Sense of the Children Act

The Children Act is a major piece of legislation that affects all professionals working with children. Since the third edition of this book was published in 1996, there have been some important developments. This Fourth Edition takes these developments into consideration. What exactly are parental rights? What rights do children have? In what circumstances can children be removed from their family? Now in its fourth edition, Making Sense of the Children Act 1989 addresses such questions. Written primarily for the non-lawyer, this practical and jargon-free text describes the social context within which the Act is used, considers the implications of the Act for policy and practice and also discusses its strengths and weaknesses. Revised and updated, this edition takes full account of significant recent developments including the Human Rights Act 1998, The Laming Report on the Victoria Climbié case, the Adoption and Children Act 2002 and the Children Act 2004. The Children Act 1989 remains a major piece of legislation for children, their families and for all of those professionals who work with them. This new edition of the best-selling and authoritative volume on the Children Act is therefore a must-have resource for practitioners in the social care field. It will also be of interest to students of related disciplines. The Children Act is a major piece of legislation that affects all professionals working with children. Since the third edition of this book was published in 1996, there have been some important developments. This Fourth Edition takes these developments into consideration. Topics discussed include case law in the superior courts; the establishment of CAFCASS; and the Fostering Services Regulations of 2002; and much more.

This manual explains the legal concerns of those working with children, families, courts and other professionals. It provides information on what is required under child care legislation in England and Wales. Topics include: parental responsibility; local authority support; care and supervision orders; emergency child protection; private fostering; preventative and institutional care; and young offenders.