Signs of Safety – what is it, and what did the evidence say?

Stabler, Lorna 2025. Signs of Safety – what is it, and what did the evidence say? Sanders, Michael, Westlake, David and Hirneis, Vanessa, eds. Experimental Methods and Children's Social Care: The Contribution of Randomised Controlled Trials, Sociology, Social Policy and Education 2025, Cheltenham: Edward Elgar Publishing, pp. 66-76. (10.4337/9781035327157.00014)

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Abstract

This chapter explores the effectiveness and implementation of the Signs of Safety (SoS) model in child protection social work within the UK and globally. Originating in Western Australia, SoS aims to actively involve families and children in creating safety plans, focusing on strengths rather than deficits. The chapter discusses a mixed-methods systematic review conducted in 2018 that assessed SoS's impact on reducing the need for children to enter care. Despite widespread adoption and positive feedback from practitioners and families, evidence supporting SoS's effectiveness in improving child safety and reducing care entries is inconclusive, highlighting a gap between favourable perceptions and verifiable outcomes. The chapter underscores the necessity for rigorous evaluations to determine SoS's efficacy in real-world settings and its potential to reshape child protection practices.

Item Type:	Book Section
Date Type:	Publication
Status:	Published
Schools:	Schools > Social Sciences (Includes Criminology and Education) Research Institutes & Centres > Children’s Social Care Research and Development Centre (CASCADE)
Publisher:	Edward Elgar Publishing
ISBN:	9781035327140
Last Modified:	15 Dec 2025 15:15
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/183247

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