Children's rights and social work practice

This paper looks at the impact that the increasing focus on Children's Rights is having on Social Work Practice. It is divided into four main parts and begins by looking at how we have initially responded to the Children Order, to highlight some of the fears and anxieties that exist and to identify the central myths that feed these. The second section moves beyond the myths to look at the reality of Children's Rights and, in particular, how they have come to be defined and understood in theory and practice. This will provide the basis from which, in the third section, consideration is given to the detail of the Children Order and how the notion of Children's Rights have come to be both enshrined in law and implemented here in Northern Ireland. The final section draws upon my personal experience as a Senior Social Worker and examines some of the current dilemmas that have emerged in practice in relation to Children's Rights.