Recent government initiatives and developments in professional practice have been designed to help families in difficulty effectively, in order to prevent child harm. This book examines whether these changes have worked, by examining a large scale study conducted by the NSPCC and drawing out the main messages for practice and future policy.

The research findings are set out in terms of children's and families' needs and expectations, agency interventions and outcomes, community context, measures and perceived changes over time.

? Highly topical - national priority designated by government
? Professionals are required to learn quickly about this and little information is presently available to them
? Clear presentation - lots of boxes and diagrams to be incorporated

Ruth Gardner is a Senior Research Fellow at the Royal Holloway College, University of London.