Both presenters were involved in research into aspects of child and youth care in the Netherlands, and in particular their session focused on a method of working with children and families by means of Indications for Treatment Statements.

A case study of a boy called Stephen was presented as an example of how the system works. In such a case the professionals would pose the question : what form of help or treatment should he be offered? It was felt that this was a suitable case for an Indication for Treatment Statement and a detailed plan was drawn up.

In the case study this included :

" support for Stephens mother
" a treatment programme for Stephen to master his aggression
" attendance at a day centre to help him form friendships and get back into school
" co-operating with a diagnostic assessment to get a more detailed picture of the family situation

There was optimism that with the suggested input Stephen and his mother would be better able to cope and that things should improve for them.

All services for young people are accessed via Youth Care Officers, who operate in all of the regions and large cities in the Netherlands. They act as gate keepers and case managers. An example of their workload is that there have been 2,400 referrals over a ten month period. A case file survey by the researchers showed that 54% of the cases were young males, of whom 33% were of non-Dutch origin. It was also noted that appeals for formal intervention by the Youth Care System increase with the age of the child.

However the researchers reported that there are some flaws in the system. These included unevenness of quality in the production of reports and the fact that agencies do not provide what is actually being recommended for young people. The researchers referred to deciding in uncertainty, where the plan-makers could not be sure if their recommendations would be implemented.

In many ways there seemed to be interesting parallels with aspects of systems in England and Wales, where several initiatives can founder on the skill and conscientiousness of individuals operating them and on the harsh reality of lack of resources.