Active Social Work with Children with Disabilities

Active Social Work with Children with Disabilities provides a comprehensive social worker’s guide to working with children with disabilities, exploring current issues from the perspective of both the social worker and the family. Many people are afraid of working in this field of social work and this book dispels the myths and fears about working with children with disabilities and build the social worker’s confidence in an area that is often left behind within the social work world.

The book will help you to:

• undertake a social work assessment with a child with a disability
• consider the holistic needs of the child and the family
• explore the impact of grief and loss upon the family
• build emotional intelligence and resilience within families.
• communicate with children with disabilities communication techniques.

The new SEND legislation and issues around Safeguarding of Children with Disabilities and Transition to Adult Social Care for the young person are explored, and activities and scenarios help you to critically reflect and explore theory and practice further.

Julie began working in residential care in 1992, working within children’s disability before moving to mainstream settings. Having qualified in 1999 she then moved to field Social Work and has worked in a variety of settings including child protection, adoption, looked after children and also had a brief spell working overseas. Julie worked her way through the ranks from Social Worker to Team Manager and has also spent some time working in a hospital setting with adults with complex health and permanent conditions. Julie has mentored Social Workers and delivers training with Angie and is always looking for new learning experiences.

Diana Leshone began working with children and families in 1989 starting in a Family Centre in partnership with Save the Children Fund and the Local authority. Her direct work includes assessments, direct work with children, crisis response, court work, behaviour management including developing and delivering courses, parenting skills, and disabilities. Diana has managed a Resource Centre and a Children’s Centre whilst continuing to have children’s needs in focus. She qualified as a social worker in 2009 and joined a children’s disability team progressing to senior social worker. Diana has delivered training with Julie and is continually looking to share her practice wisdom to others in this field.