Early investment in vulnerable families, both in terms of the timing of early support or at the onset of issues, is more effective and cheaper than specialist support which is offered only once problems become complex. One of the best ways to keep children safe is to develop innovative ways of enhancing the quality of help received by families, to redesign services around children and families' needs, and to provide an early help through better inter-agency working. This book examines early intervention policy across the UK and promising practice initiatives which have been designed to support vulnerable families.

Dr Sharon Vincent is Reader in Social Work and Communities at Northumbria University. She worked previously at the University of Wolverhampton and at the Edinburgh/NSPCC Centre for UK-wide Learning in Child Protection (CLiCP).