Signs of Safety
Published in 1999 by Andrew and Steve this is the first major description of the Signs of Safety approach.
Available from all online booksellers
This book is available in Dutch and Japanese Translation
Resources & Publications
Signs of Safety in Denmark
A Danish publication by Mette and Henrik Vesterhauge-Petersen and Andrew Turnell.
This book describes the approach as it had evolved by 2014 for a Danish audience with Danish examples throughout. Published by Hans Reitzals Forlag
Signs of Safety in Japan
A Japanese publication by Ai Hishikawa and Hiroyuki Suzuki published in 2018 describes the Signs of Safety as it is applied in Japan.
The book presents the theory, principals and the practice methods, demonstrated through many examples of their application by practitioners across Japan.
Signs of Safety comprehensive briefing paper
A comprehensive overview of the Signs of Safety approach and underpinning theory, as well as detailing the research and implementation science that supports it.
The Signs of Safety Briefing Paper is now available to download for free.
Resolutions Approach to Denied Child Abuse
Written with English Systemic Family Therapist Susie Essex who is the principal creator of the Resolutions approach.
Susie supervised Andrew’s clinical use of the approach for ten years after Andrew met Susie in 1996.
Susie’s thinking and methods for safety planning, safety network involvement and words and pictures explanations as well as her radical safety-organised approach to working with disputed child abuse and neglect has been successively integrated into the practice methods of the Signs of Safety.
This book is the core text on the Resolutions Approach and is available through most online booksellers.
You Can’t Grow Roses in Concrete Parts One and Two
These two reports describe the lessons learned about implementing the Signs of Safety in ten English Local Authorities between 2014 and 2017 through the research lead by Professor Eileen Munro.
While these reports focus on implementation of the Signs of Safety, the lessons from the reports apply to implementing any practice approach in Children’s Services.
IT Systems
IT Case Management systems define so much of how practice is defined and services are delivered in human and health services.
These two resources provide organisations and leaders with guidance of how to make the Case Management systems in their organisation serve the core purpose for which they are created to enhance service delivery.
Creating a case management information system
This paper describes a user centred, whole agency learning lab process undertaken with the managers and practitioners in North Tyneside to test and refine a case management system configured around the Signs of Safety practice framework.
The paper details a tested participatory IT development process centred on the practitioner’s role and experience that could be replicated whatever practice approach is configured within the IT system.
Patient Safety
This highly readable and practical booklet describes how to make IT systems serve people delivering services, distilling the key messages from Professor Thimbleby’s book Fix IT (See Link ).
While the booklet focuses on co-designing and continually improving IT systems in the English National Health System it is completely applicable to child protection services and organisations.
Appreciative Inquiry
Building a Culture of Appreciative Inquiry around Child Protection Practice
This yet to be published paper provides a detailed explanation of the use of Appreciative Inquiry to transform the culture and practice of child protection.
The paper explains the history of Appreciative Inquiry as an approach to organisational change and connecting this to Social Work thinking about ‘theorising from practice’ and ‘practice-base evidence’.
The inquiry and questioning process that Andrew has formulated within his approach to Appreciative Inquiry is presented in detail. Finally, two case examples, one from England and one from the USA are used to demonstrate the use and benefits of the approach within children’s services.
Relationship-grounded, Safety-organized Child Protection Practice: Dreamtime or Real-time Option for Child Welfare?
This short paper makes the case for focusing on successful child protection practice to create a vision of ‘what good looks like’ to help transform child welfare and antidote the often dominant proceduralised and defensive culture of the field.
Andrew Turnell's Solution Papers
The first three published with Larry Hopwood provide a step-by-step description of how to use Solution-focused Brief Therapy together with many examples and transcripts from Andrew and Larry’s practice of the model.
The fourth paper ‘Doing something different for a long time: An extended journey with the Brief Therapy tradition’, describes Andrew’s professional journey drawing on both the Solution-focused and Focused Problem Resolution models of Brief Therapy and how the Brief Therapy tradition continues to nourish and underpin his professional thinking and practice and how Andrew has adapted the methods and thinking to both child protection and work with refugees who were tortured.
Publications and Resources
Munro, E., Turnell, A., and Murphy, T. (2014). You can’t grow roses in concrete: action research final report Signs of Safety English Innovations Project. Volume One Perth: Munro, Turnell and Murphy. (See above to download)
Munro, E., Turnell, A., and Murphy, T. (2016). You can’t grow roses in concrete: action research final report Signs of Safety English Innovations Project. Volume Two Perth: Munro, Turnell and Murphy. (See above to download)
Munro, E. and Turnell, A. (2018). Redesigning organisations to facilitate rights-based practice in child protection. In A. Falch-Eriksen and E. Backe-Hansen, Human rights in child protection: implications for professional practice and policy. London: Palgrave.
Teoh, A.H., Laffer, J., Parton, N. and Turnell, A. (2003). Trafficking in meaning: constructive social work in child protection practice. In C. Hall, K. Juhila, N. Parton, & T. Pösö (Eds.), Client as practice. London: Jessica Kingsley.
Turnell, A. and Edwards, S. (1997). Aspiring to partnership: the Signs of Safety approach to child protection. Child Abuse Review, 6: 179-190.
Turnell, A. and Edwards, S. (1999). Signs of Safety: A safety and solution oriented approach to child protection casework. New York: WW Norton.
Turnell A. and Essex S. (2006). Working with ‘denied’ child abuse: the resolutions approach. Buckingham: Open University Press.
Turnell A. and Essex S. (2013). It takes a village: placing grandparents and extended family at the centre of safeguarding vulnerable children. In David Pitcher (ed.), Inside kinship care: understanding family dynamics and providing effective support. London: Jessica Kingsley.
Turnell, A., Elliott, S. and Hogg, V. (2007). Compassionate, safe and rigorous child protection practice with parents of adopted children. Child Abuse Review, 16(2): 108-119.
Turnell A., Lohrbach, S. and Curran, S. (2008). Working with the ‘involuntary client’ in child protection: lessons from successful practice, pp. 104-115. In M. Calder (Ed.), The carrot or the stick? Towards effective practice with involuntary clients. London: Russell House Publishing.
Turnell, A., Munro, E. and Murphy, T. (2013). Soft is hardest: leading for learning in child protection services following a child fatality. Child Welfare, 92(2): 199-216.
Turnell, A., Munro, E. and Murphy, T. (2018). ‘Signs of success: Implementing Signs of Safety within children’s services worldwide’, in N. Burnett (Ed.) Solutions Focused Special Education: Practical and Inclusive Strategies for All Educators. London: Jessica Kingsley.
Turnell, A., Pecora, P.J., Roberts, Y.H., Caslor, M. and Koziolek, D. (2017). Signs of safety as a promising comprehensive approach for reorienting CPS organisations’ work with children, families and their community supports. In M. Connolly (Ed.), Beyond the Risk Paradigm in Child Protection. London: Palgrave, Macmillan Education.
Turnell, A., Vesterhauge-Petersen, H. and Vesterhauge-Petersen, M. (2013). Signs of Safety: arbejdet med udsatte børn og deres familier. Copenhagen: Hans Reitzels Forlag.
Turnell, A. (2004). Relationship-grounded, safety-organised child protection practice: dreamtime or real-time option for child welfare? Protecting Children, 19(2): 14–25.
Turnell, A. (2006a). Constructive Child Protection Practice: An oxymoron or news of difference? Journal of Systemic Therapies, 25(2): 3-12.
Turnell, A. (2006b). Tecken på säkerhet - Signs of Safety på svenska. In M. Söderquist. & A. Suskin-Holmqvist, A. (Eds.), Delaktighet - Lösningsfokuserat förhållningssätt i utredningsarbete. Stockholm: Mareld.
Turnell, A. (2007a). Enacting the interpretive turn: narrative means toward transformational practice in child protection social work. PhD Thesis. Perth: Curtin University.
Turnell A. (2007b). Solution-focused brief therapy: thinking and practicing beyond the therapy room. In F. Thomas and T. Nelson (Eds.), Clinical Applications of Solution-focused Brief Therapy. Bimmington: Haworth Press USA.
Turnell, A. (2011). Of Houses, Wizards and Fairies: involving children in child protection casework (DVD and Workbook). Perth: Resolutions Consultancy. Available at www.signsofsafety.net
Turnell, A. (2013). Safety planning workbook. Perth: Resolutions Consultancy. Available at www.signsofsafety.net
Turnell, A and Etherington K. (2017). Signs of Safety workbook. Perth: Resolutions Consultancy. Available at www.signsofsafety.net
References
Belonging
hooks, b. (2009). Belonging: A Culture of Place (1st ed.). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203888018
O’Tuama, P. and Jordan, G., (2021). Borders and Belonging: The Book of Ruth: A Story for our Times. Norwich: Canterbury Press.
Vogl, C. H. (2016). The art of community: seven principles for belonging. Berrett-Koehler Publishers.
Whyte, D. (1997). The House of Belonging. Seatle: Many Rivers Press.
Managerialism, Proceeduralisation and Neoliberalism
Monbiot, G. and Peter Hutchison, P. The Invisible Doctrine: The Secret History of Neoliberalism (& How it Came to Control your Life). Dublin: Penguin Random House.
Morley, C., Macfarlane, S. and Ablett, P. (2017). The Neoliberal Colonisation of Social Work Education: A Critical Analysis and Practices for Resistance. Advances in Social Work and Welfare Education, 19; 25-40.
Munro, E. (2004). The impact of audit on social work practice. British Journal of Social Work, 34; 1077 – 1097.
Parton, N. (1996) `Social Work, Risk and `The Blaming System', in N. Parton (ed.) Social Theory, Social Change and Social Work. London: Routledge.
Toft, J., Lightfoot, E., Calhoun, M., Choy-Brown, M., Merighi, J., Renner, L., Soffer-Elnekave, R., Mendel, J. and Marsalis, S. (2023). Effects of Neoliberalism on Social Work Practice in the United States: A Scoping Review, Social Work Research, 46(2), 99- 110, https://doi.org/10.1093/swr/svad003