Reviews of fatal child abuse cases regularly identify communication problems between the professionals. Understanding their origins requires an analysis of the psychology of communication as well as its technology, since it is a complex process in which interpersonal factors impact on the meaning that each person attributes to the messages given and received. The contexts within which the communications occur also colour how the messages are comprehended. Examples in practice from the Victoria Climbié Inquiry Report (Lord Laming, 2003) will be cited. Effective communication between professionals requires a mindset that can be developed through training.

The principal findings of the Victoria Climbié Inquiry Report (Lord Laming, 2003) repeat those of most previous fatal child abuse inquiries or reviews, revealing problems with professionals' assessments, communications, skill base and resources. There is a danger that the recommendations of this latest report will be implemented in an overbureaucratic manner, reducing their potential to make a significant difference to practice. Instead, it is essential to build on the core lessons of this and previous inquiries, which is that professionals' capacity to think about their cases and their work must be enhanced. This has considerable implications for the training of professionals and the resources available to them. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Clients and professionals bring to their relationship with each other beliefs about the helping process which can significantly influence the outcome of referral and treatment. This article describes the development of the authors' ideas about this relationship to help and some of the beliefs that contribute to it. In clinical practice, issues around the relationship to help may need to be addressed at the referral, engagement or therapy phases.

The term 'multi-agency' family is preferred to 'disorganized family. Multiagency family systems present special problems of the relationships (a) within the family, (b) between family and professional network, (c) among members of the professional network and (d) between family, network and treatment centre to whom the family is referred. Pressures on the family and professional workers can create a locked system which prevents natural development of the family or effective problem solving by the workers. A systems approach to such problems is presented which includes consultation to the family/professional network system.

Thirty-five child abuse inquiry reports, published in Britain between 1973 and 1989, were reviewed and the cases reanalysed using a systemic framework. Problematic interactions were identified within the families, among members of the professional networks and between the families and professionals. These relational aspects of each case interacted and progressively skewed the course of events. The findings have important implications for the practice of child protection, including the assessment of risk and decisions by statutory professionals to employ controlling interventions such as Emergency Protection Orders. 'Recommendations have concentrated on structural improvements in the mechanical transfer of information and largely i p o r e d the relationship aspects of the communication process'