Introduction

This book explains the unique insights that child observation can bring to practice with children and families and helps the reader develop their own skills in this approach. The ability to observe and to process what is seen is crucial in social work with children and families.

Challenges in Child Observation

Yet successive inquiries into child deaths have demonstrated the problems faced by professionals in doing what is superficially a very straightforward task, highlighting the difficulties in seeing, thinking about and developing an understanding of the child's experience.

Purpose of the Book

This book helps readers to develop an understanding of what is entailed in observation, explaining the unique insights that child observation can bring to practice with children and families. By drawing out relevant theoretical concepts it aids their understanding of what they are observing and so helps them to develop their own skills.

Theoretical Foundations

Key theoretical concepts are brought together from developmental psychology and psychoanalytic thinking in a way that enables practitioners to draw on these to inform and enrich their thinking.

Practical Application

Useful case studies are presented which practitioners can relate to their own practice when they are struggling to make sense of difficult situations.