Social Work and Child Protection in Europe

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Prof. Dr. Brian Littlechild

Social Work and Child Protection has been an increasingly high profile area of concern in Europe in recent years. In the UK, for over 30 years there has been a culture of government carrying out inquiries into situations where children have been murdered when they have been known to child protection agencies, and this had an enormous effect on policies on law and practices. It is also becoming the case in other European countries, and the recent Bremen decision in Germany shows the growing area of  concern for this area of work from media and politicians. ERIS will provide consultancy and publications on child protection in Europe, looking at practices and research in different countries, and providing consultancy on the management and practice of such cases drawing upon European learning from research, practice and methods in different countries.

Research in agencies is undertaken, and evaluation of effectiveness of management and practice, including where relevant, evaluation of the experiences of families and young people who have experienced the services of those agencies. Advice and guidance on policies and practices to improve child protection is offered.

Professor Brian Littlechild has worked and managed in the area of child protection in the UK, and researched into child protection work, for 30 years. He has published widely on issues of policies and regulations in relation to child protection, and the effects on practice and management within the child protection field. His PhD was based upon research on this area.

Updated: 29. 03. 2017