‘Messages from the research’: Social services departments and Irish children and families in England and Wales

Social work education and social work theory and practice have tended to pay insufficient attention to the specificity of Irish people in Britain. The chief focus of this article is on the responses of Directors of Social Services Departments, in England and Wales, to a questionnaire that tried to ascertain their operational responses to Irish children and families. It is maintained that some authorities are working hard to ensure that there is an Irish dimension to their work. However, more still needs to be done to ensure that these departments are meeting the requirements of the Children Act 1989.