With an emphasis on professional expectations, values and practice skills such as building trust, listening and advocacy, this textbook helps enable social workers base their practice with children and young people on a truly child-centred model. Drawing on contemporary knowledge about childhood and children's rights, it provides a critical understanding of the theoretical and legal basis for child-centred practice, and examines the dilemmas faced by professionals in maintaining their focus on promoting children and young people's participation in decision-making.

Child-Centred Social Work is essential reading for students and professionals, helping the reader understand what we can learn from the tragic deaths of children such as 'Baby P' and Victoria Climbié, and from children and young people in care who need their voices heard.

I would recommend this book to all social workers and other professionals who undertake assessments and work with children and families as it gives a clear message children and young people should be centre of all assessments and work with families ? This makes this book very relevant to current social work practice with children and families.