‘I may not know who I am,but I know where I am from’: the meaning of place in social work with children and families |
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| Authors: | Gordon Jack |
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| Affiliation: | Social Work and Communities, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, Northumbria University, Newcastle‐upon‐Tyne, UK |
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| Abstract: | Although social work around the world is understood to be a ‘person‐in‐environment’ activity, policy in UK places more emphasis on individual characteristics than on environmental influences on development and behaviour. This results in social work practice which rightly places a strong emphasis on children's attachments to their parents and other significant people, but which largely fails to recognize their attachments to important places in their lives. Evidence from a range of disciplines is used to demonstrate the fundamental links that exist between place, identity and well‐being. The implications of this evidence for social work with children and families are explored, using practice examples to highlight some of the consequences of a lack of ‘place awareness’, as well as ways in which greater place awareness can be used to promote the well‐being of children and families. |
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| Keywords: | assessment attachment theory child welfare community‐centred practice |
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