includes assessment of risk, the potential use of powers to protect
children and ultimately a focus on the needs of the child rather
than the parent. The task of social workers in such situations is to
empathise and work with parents while retaining a focus on the child
and their welfare. Specific challenges include how to be honest and
clear with parents without creating hostility; how to be empathic
without colluding with unacceptable behaviour; how, in short, to
reconcile the different imperatives of the role within practice
with parents. This is sometimes understood as the challenge of
working in ‘partnership’ with parents (Department of Health,
1995a; Bell, 1999).