ABSTRACT
Contemporary approaches towards safeguarding and mental health support in childhood should be seen in light of the complex interaction between beliefs, ideologies and practices inherited from the English Poor Law legislation (which can be traced back as far as 1536); the child rescue movement and early children’s homes – with the establishment in 1739 of the Foundling Hospital, the first English charity devoted exclusively to children; and child psychology/psychiatry. This chapter outlines and critically evaluates the development of child safeguarding and mental health support practices in the UK from the 1800s onwards, which includes perceptions around ‘deserving/undeserving’ children and those who ‘can be helped’ or are ‘beyond help’. Moreover, this chapter will discuss the development of the child rescue movement in the late 1800s, child guidance clinics in the 1900s and the establishment of the NHS (1948) and the welfare state. The main purpose of the chapter is to provide an overview of social care practices and mental health support introduced from late Victorian times to the present day, highlighting that, despite the numerous acts, policies and developments in practice, there is still a long way to go when it comes to supporting the most vulnerable children in society.
