ABSTRACT
The British solve their problems in the personal services by setting up committees. When the issue was problem families co-ordinating committees were set up. Conferences have thus become one of the most important tools in the management of child protection cases, but they should not be the stars of the whole show. The 1991 guidelines Working together under the 1989 Children Act have crashed together various concepts into a working process. First there are the philosophies of the 1989 Children Act which stress the importance of involving parents and children in any decision-making process and insist that the welfare of the child must always be the paramount concern. Secondly, although governments have stressed the importance of working together, the 1991 guidance has put the matter more categorically and unequivocally. Thirdly, this process must always take account of gender, race, culture and disability.
