The Children Act 1989 is one of the most important pieces of legislation relevant to children's services. In the 1990's the Department of Health initiated a programme of research on how it was being implemented. This publication summarises and brings together the findings from 24 of these studies.

This OECD report focuses on how best to close gender gaps under four broad headings: 1) Gender equality, social norms and public policies; and gender equality in 2) education; 3) employment and 4) entrepreneurship.

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.

The Children Act 1989 has led to a number of amendments to adoption law. It introduces changes designed to harmonize adoption law in Great Britain and remedies particular defects in the legislation. It also changes the powers of the courts in cases where adoption orders have been made. This guidance outlines the effects of the Act on adoption issues.

Working with children and families is a challenging, skilled and rewarding area of social work practice. It involves working in diverse settings with various groups of professionals, such as the police, schools, hospitals and community organisations. The current edition of this popular book has been updated to equip students with the knowledge and skills necessary to undertake essential work with children. It also explores social workers’ values and attitudes in relation to the safety of children and includes references to important legislation such as Every Child Matters, Working Together 2006 and the Adoption and Children Act 2002.

Care services for children depend on a limited supply of resources; it is vital that these are used to best effect. This book considers the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of these services and their contribution to children's well-being. The book presents the findings of a set of original research studies. It looks at services provided by the statutory, for-profit and voluntary sectors, examining the way they are delivered and how resources are distributed. It examines the cost of providing particular services, the extent to which they improve outcomes for children and the degree to which they can be considered cost-effective. It explores what changes can and should be made to improve efficiency, paying particular attention to the possible contributions of early intervention and better co-ordination. From the research findings, Jennifer Beecham and Ian Sinclair draw key messages for practice for the use of resources and for future research in this area. This is an invaluable book for those practitioners, policy makers, managers, who are concerned with social care services for children.