EMPOWERING PRACTICE?

Contents

Preface

Acknowledgements

Introduction

1. The dilemmas of empowerment

Introduction

The nature of empowerment

The political history of empowerment

Power and the professionals

Empowerment as professional practice

Conclusion

2. Partnership and empowerment in children’s services

Introduction

Partnership, participation and empowerment

Partnership – the early years

A crisis of confidence

The optimism of the 1989 Children Act

The aftermath of the Children Act

Reconfiguring professional control

Conclusion

3. Lessons from New Zealand

Introduction

The origin of family group conferences

Origins of the Children, Young People and their Families Act

The 1989 Children, Young Persons and their Families Act

The FGC approach

FGCs – dilemmas in practice

Conclusion

4. Empowering professionals?

Introduction

The evolution of FGCs in the UK

Beginnings

Decision making

Flexibility or prescription

Information and assessment

Enabling families, enabling professionals

Conclusion

5. International perspectives

Introduction

The international development of the FGC approach

International research

Positive messages

Areas of concern

Conclusion

6. Empowerment in process?

Introduction

The evidence base

Before the FGC

Empowerment for all?

Conclusion

7. Assessing outcomes in child welfare

Introduction

Why study outcomes?

The idea of outcome

The experimental approach

Outcomes and causality

Accounting for agency

Subjectivist approaches

A pragmatic resolution?

Assessing empowerment

Conclusion

8. Empowering outcomes?

Introduction

Evaluating outcomes

Immediate results/outputs

Immediate results/outcome

Intermediate results/outcomes

Ultimate results/outcomes

Conclusion

9. Conclusion

Bibliography

Index