ABSTRACT
In this chapter I will explore difficulties encountered when using a therapeutic model to gain evidence for a Social Service assessment. The statutory sector predominantly uses a systematic model because in the legal framework in which the work takes place, evidence plays a crucial role in determining outcomes and whether or not an abusive act has taken place. Consequently, a heavy emphasis is on verbal disclosure and social workers have great problems securing evidence with very young or very damaged children. In these situations, other models, namely the therapeutic, are used. However, using images or the language of play within the transference can create even more difficulties, as evidence could be viewed as ambiguous. I will present two cases where art and play therapy played an important role in assessments, but questions of validity still persisted.
