Social Work Pocketbooks Series

Managing Contact for Young People

by Sally Scott

Published 1 January 2013

Part of a new Social Work Pocketbook series this is a succinct and handy guide to setting up and managing contact visits with looked after children. Realistic about the day-to-day challenges associated with this fundamental aspect of working in children and families services, this book is easy to use and supports social workers and non-social work staff at all levels.

Useful features include:

Practical examples, advice and tips
Examples of good practice
Examples of common pitfalls and how to avoid them
Point of law reminders
Checklists for easy reference when you are in a hurry

Written by an author with hands-on and extensive experience, this pocketbook will assist students and professionals in:

Deciding who to involve, and where the contact should take place
Supporting relationships to achieve the overall aims of the careplan
Assessing a young person’s needs in relation to contact
Drawing up the contact agreement
Evaluating and recording contact

"This easy to read, easy to understand book is accessible to all students who are beginning a placement and need to understand the legislation and philosophy behind contact provision, with excellent tips on how to supervise contact. Invaluable."
Paula Beesley, Freelance Practice Educator, North Yorkshire

"Scott has provided a useful daily tool for professionals … by capturing the everyday issues faced by workers. She has created a working insight of the policies and procedures used by various statutory and voluntary agencies and made them easy to read and understandable."
Louisa Saunders, Newly Qualified Social Worker