Identifying families with multiple problems: Possible responses from child and family social work to current policy developments

Trevor Spratt

    Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

    32 Citations (Scopus)

    Abstract

    In the development of family policy under New Labour there has been a growing tendency to identify groups who are likely to be high in lifetime costs to the state. Investment in such groups is seen as crucial. Whilst the economic case for current investment is compelling, idenitiying one of these groups, ‘families with multiple problems’ raises complex research problems and ethical issues. Reseach indicates that families with multiple problems may be identified on the caseloads of child and family social worker and there are claims that key events such as the registration of a child on the child protection register may indicate such multiple problems. This offers new opportunities for child and family social work to embrace less incident based ways of working in favour of longer term provision of services to address longer term risks.
    Original languageEnglish
    Pages (from-to)435-450
    Number of pages16
    JournalBritish Journal of Social Work
    Volume39
    Issue number3
    Early online date22 Feb 2008
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - 2009

    ASJC Scopus subject areas

    • Social Sciences (miscellaneous)
    • Health(social science)

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