Working With Children and Teenagers Using Solution Focused Approaches ─ Enabling Children to Overcome Challenges and Achieve Their Potential

Solution focused approaches offer proven ways of helping children overcome a whole range of difficulties, from academic problems to mental health issues, by helping them to identify their strengths and achievements.Based on solution focused practice principles, this book illustrates communication skills and playful techniques for working with all children and young people, regardless of any health, learning or development need. It demonstrates how the approach can capture children's views, wishes and worries, and can assist them in identifying their strengths and abilities. The approach encourages positive decision-making, and helps children to overcome challenges, achieve their goals and reach their full potential. The book is packed with case examples, practical strategies, and practice activities. This valuable text will be of great use to a range of practitioners working with children and young people, including social workers, youth workers, counsellors, teachers and nurses.

Judith Milner and Jackie Bateman are both solution focused practitioners, trainers, consultants and writers. Previously a senior lecturer in social work, Judith now acts as an a therapist, consultant and Independent Expert to family courts in child protection, domestic violence and contested contact cases. Jackie previously worked as a social worker in child protection and then youth offending before joining Barnardo's in 2002. She is currently a Children's Service Manager for Barnardo's The Junction, a service which works with children and young people who display sexually concerning behaviour and their families.