336 Book Reviews

Chapter 3 goes on to consider the use of public inquiries in thiscountry in forming public policy and addressing public concerns.It discusses the wider context of public inquiries and looks at thehistory of their use and the details of how they are conducted. Thebook then looks at the rise and fall in the use of public inquiries intoabuse of children in the community and the use of Part 8 reviews.This particular chapter was written before the Victoria Climbieinquiry, but the arguments and debate still have relevance.

The book goes on to consider the increase in public concernsabout the institutional abuse of children since the mid-1980s, anddiscusses the strengths and weaknesses of inquiry reports in relationto such abuse.

Chapters 6,7 and 8 look at the North Wales Tribunal of Inquiryinto Child Abuse in a detailed and accessible way. The chapterscover the events leading up to the Tribunal, and the issues ofprocess and outcomes which have emerged from it.

The next chapter looks at the impact of public inquiries onresidential child care now and describes changes in areas likeselection and recruitment, training, complaints and the promotionof children’s rights. It also identifies some of the possible negativeoutcomes, such as a lowering of staff morale, decline in the quality

‘Possible negativeoutcomes, such asa lowering of staffmorale’

and range of provision, ‘problems’ being shifted elsewhere and thedanger of practice becoming too defensive.

The final chapter looks at the future use of public inquiries inregard to institutional abuse and recommends changes in process,procedures and structures, to ensure that they work more smoothly.Having read the book, I was slightly disappointed in this chapterand felt that there could have been more discussion as to whetherthis type of inquiry was the most efficient way of dealing with theseissues. I would also have welcomed more discussion of the benefitsof a non-adversarial process.

I found this book extremely useful and thought-provoking. Italso gives a very good history and political analysis of the use ofresidential care for children and young people. It is easy to read yetcovers many complex areas. It provides a brief but comprehensiveaccount of the North Wales Inquiry for those who may not havebeen able to read the full report or management summary. Inaddition, the book contains useful lists, such as that relating topublic inquiries into institutional abuse.

I would strongly recommend this book to anyone interested inthese areas.

Shaun KellyChild Protection Adviser

NCH Action for ChildrenLondon

DOI: 10.1002/car.749

Child Protection in Primary Care edited by Janet Polnay,Radcliffe, Oxon, 2001. 169pp. ISBN 1-85775-224-4 (Pbk), £17.99

This 13-chapter book, with an introduction by the Minister ofState for Health, is a readable attempt to navigate those working in

Copyright 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Child Abuse Review Vol. 11: 332–339 (2002)

Book Reviews 337

PCTs (Primary Care Teams) through the process and personnel ofthe child protection process.

It begins by contextualizing child abuse—both historically andsocially—before providing a glossary and dramatis personae of thosewho have roles and responsibilities in the child protection process.From practice receptionist to police surgeon, this is admirable inits breadth and depth.

Legal aspects are summarized well, yet the text remains quitecompact and could be dipped into as necessary. It guides thereader through the legal terminology and statutory processes inchild protection. It also contains useful definitions of the conceptsof ‘risk’ and ‘significant harm’ as used in Social Services—themost straightforward explanation of the logic applied which I haveyet read.

There is a refreshing lack of algorithms, Venn diagrams orany other diagrammatic representations. This is a book to be

‘A refreshing lackof algorithms, Venndiagrams or anyotherdiagrammaticrepresentations’

read, not looked at, and no amount of topography in ACPCguidelines has so far prevented us from replicating past failures.It is made clear throughout that the text is to be read inconjunction with local ACPC guidelines, not as a substitute forthem.

A handful of cases are given as worked examples: ‘Whatshall I do?’. These are a little limited in range and scope.However, the book’s strength is its concentration on the processof child protection and perhaps the brevity of this section reflectsthat.

Three typos (pp. 70, 73, 114) and two gripes. Firstly, thereis some of the repetition of ideas and phrase that is commonin multi-author works (otherwise the book reads with remarkablecohesion), but these are unlikely to trouble the reader. Secondly,and much more importantly, the area of fabricated and inducedillness (still outmodishly termed Munchausen syndrome by proxywhen first mentioned in the text) is given scant coverage. It isworth only two index references, and little sense of the rangeof presentations is given (for example, ‘chronic fatigue’ typepresentations are not mentioned at all). Furthermore, the otherwiseexcellent list of references which closes each chapter do not directthe reader to any further sources of information on this complexsubject.

Two themes underpin the book: a belief in the impor-tance of child protection and the spectre of previous medicalscandals—Colwell, Beckford, Cleveland, even Shipman. As theClimbie Inquiry grinds on, this book is a timely effort at preventingother, as yet unknown names from sliding into history as bywordsfor disaster.

The only useful textbook is the one that is read and referred toby the owner. This modestly priced book stands a good chance ofmaking it not only onto the reference shelves of practice offices,but also into the hands of primary care workers.

Julie MillerSpecialist Registrar in Paediatrics

Royal Victoria InfirmaryNewcastle

DOI: 10.1002/car.750

Copyright 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Child Abuse Review Vol. 11: 332–339 (2002)