Ten top tips for making matches eBook only

The Ten Top Tips series considers some of the fundamental themes in child care practice in concise, practical guides ideal for busy practitioners.

One of the most far-reaching decisions that social workers make is the selection of a new permanent family for a child in care. But in family-finding, there are no right and wrong answers. A match is a relationship constructed artificially out of necessity. It is “a social experiment”, with no clear predictors of success. So what can social workers do to try and ensure the best match?

This book considers the needs of both children and adults and explores how a balance in meeting both can be maintained. It aims to clarify the issues and develop practice, by looking at some fundamental steps that workers can take to ensure that the matching process is as well thought through and carefully considered as possible.

Who is this book for?

The book is intended for all practitioners and social work managers involved in making matches.

What you will find in this book

Each of the ten chapters presents a basic “tip” in an accessible and straightforward style, including:

• Putting aside prejudices
• Not treating disabled children differently
• Remembering that there is no such thing as a perfect match
• Being sensitive to the complexities of ethnic matching
• Learning the lessons from disruption research and understanding the risks
• Assessing the child thoroughly and developing the skills to do so
• Understanding the proposed family and their needs
• Considering the process and getting it right for your agency
• Making the best possible match
• Providing support from the start

Good practice points are included throughout.

Author

Jennifer Cousins was a child placement consultant and trainer for BAAF.

This book is available as an eBook only. It can be downloaded free by CoramBAAF members from the members’ area of the website or purchased below.

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