ABSTRACT
This chapter argues that when approaching family support with too narrow a focus on the family unit, professionals may overlook the inner complexities, relationships and power dynamics that create such a unit. It demonstrates that such dynamics cannot be underestimated, as it is this very combination of relationships that creates the individual family circumstance with which a family support professional will come into contact. The chapter critically differentiates between effort based on 'need', child 'well-being' and 'rights/social justice' and encourages family support professionals to be more honest about their capacity to deliver support that children actually want. It evolves a participatory perspective on family support and poses questions about how children and young people are involved as active family support service users. Children aspire to resolve a range of social justice issues including: recognition of their rights, access to local conflict resolution, removal of injustice enablement of stronger familial/local relationships and experience of more effective anti-discriminatory practice.
