In Harm’s Way: The Memoir of a Child Protection Lawyer from the Most Secretive Court in England and Wales – the Family Court

by Teresa Thornhill

When the system fails the parents, how can it protect the children?

Welcome to the secretive world of the Family Court.

What's it like to act for a father who has recently overcome his drug problem but risks losing his beloved son to foster care?

Or to represent a young mother whose abusive childhood has left her depressed and struggling to cope, to the point where the local authority is seeking to persuade the Family Court to place her small children for adoption?

In this hard-hitting account of her work representing parents in care proceedings in the Family Court, child protection lawyer Teresa Thornhill conveys the dilemmas inherent in the job and shows how our under-resourced system of child protection – in both its social work and legal aspects – often fails to provide support that could enable the most vulnerable parents to continue to care for their children.

‘A vivid account of all the terrible things that can happen to children and all the challenges facing lawyers and social workers in our child protection system which is meant to help and protect them but which struggles to do so. It doesn’t have to be this way so what can be done about it?’ Rt Hon Lady Hale DBE, Formerly President of the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom.

‘Should be required reading for those who care about how society treats our most vulnerable citizens.’ Louise Allen, Sunday Times bestselling author

‘This timely book resonated with my experiences as a children’s social worker and probation officer; it’s a refreshingly honest account of our dysfunctional child protection system.’ Joanna Hughes, former children’s social worker and probation officer.

Genres: Nonfiction, Audiobook, Memoir

321 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 14, 2024

Reviews

[Connie · Rating 4 out of 5]

As someone who works in the Family Court and aspires to be a family lawyer after university, this book was written for me.

It’s so interesting to know what happens on the other side of court proceedings. It’s all the things that court staff do not get the luxury of experiencing, for obvious reasons.

This book is well written, has a lot of information on family law without it reading like a textbook and shows how important the individual professionals within child care proceedings really are. As well as the challenges of a career in law as a whole. Family court remains a highly confidential area of law, so to have a book such as ‘In Harm’s Way’ is a blessing in disguise.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

I listened to the audiobook adaption, not narrated by the author for obvious reasons.

This was an interesting book about the work that goes on behind the scenes in English family courts, how the system is under immense pressure and the shortcomings it has. The author is a lawyer working in child protection - although, ironically, she has only ever met one of her clients (the child) in person once - most of her time is spent grappling with the local authority and navigating the complex legal system and red tape. There wasn’t enough real life stories or case studies in this book to completely hold my attention. Long courtroom conversations are documented but feel repetitive at times, not necessarily because the subject isn’t important, but because that is the legal process.

I appreciated the author drawing attention to inequalities within the system and how it often fails to meet the needs of parents and children. The author touched briefly on generational trauma and how that impacts care proceedings. There is little mention of her own life outside of work, but that’s okay for this topic. Ultimately, much of her workload focuses around a lack of funding for various things, such as cuts to legal aid, non working printers in the office and a lack of administrative support when it comes to letters and emails.

Not necessarily what I expected when I began listening, but I certainly learnt a thing or two.

[Cate · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very interesting book about children's protection services in the UK, particularly processes of social services and the courts.

I was worried the book would be a series of harrowing tales of misery and child abuse but the author is kind enough to keep more to processes than to graphic detail. There is some reference to it, but it focuses more on the pressure and stress people working within the system are facing, chronic underfunding, and other societal issues linked to children's social care and protection.

Very well written and interesting. My only negative is that occasionally we get a little bogged down in minor detail like what's in a lunchtime sandwich when you'd just like to know what happens next in the case!

[Geronimo · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a fan of legal memoirs and someone interested in one day possibly getting into family law this book had everything you could want. Moreover, it handled many difficult topics with great care, sensitivity and honesty.

Although the structure is bold in its decision to give a few asides about Thornhills own life as a parent, I felt this was a clever choice that gave us a glimpse into often ignored aspects of being a child protection lawyer. It also helped punctuate the 'cases' and heavy loads of technical information.

[Anna · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this an incredibly insightful book. I already have a fair bit of knowledge about children’s social services as my sister is a social worker (with experience in some CP cases) and my parents are foster carers for children up to the age of 10 so discussions around social care and social services aren’t uncommon in our house! My sister was very pleased with the suggestion that social workers should get a sabbatical every 3 years and receive higher pay - and I agree too! She once said to me that she’s a ‘good social worker, but I could be an amazing one with the right funding of services and decent staff levels’ - I think she’s an amazing social worker but I’m biased, and completely see where she is coming from! Children’s services desperately needs more funding and support, the staff deserve better but, more importantly, so do the children they support.

But it helped me gain a deeper understanding of the legal side of child protection and what cases might entail. I started listening to the book a day after my parents current foster child moved on to their forever home - a very bittersweet day as we’d spent 10 months loving this little baby, but we’re incredibly glad that they’ve found their forever home. And I found my heart breaking even more for the child’s birth mother. I can’t begin to imagine the heartbreak of losing your child and will always think of her and wonder how she is doing. But I also found incredible joy in some of the stories - particularly when the young boy was able to be reunited with his father. So it was a mixed bag emotionally - I possibly shouldn’t have started it during what was always going to be an emotional week for me!

A very honest account - I really recommend it to anyone who wants to know more about the law around child protection and the work of social workers.

[Lucy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This review is based on the audio format published by Harper Collins UK.

Upon receiving confirmation that my degree in Criminology had been approved, I decided to delve into a memoir that would help me expand my knowledge of nonfiction legal theories. As someone with a deep passion for Children's Protection, anything related to the subject holds a special place in my heart.

The memoir I chose was written by a Child Protection Barrister named Thornhill. Thornhill discusses various cases they have dealt with over the years in this eye-opening and honest account of their career. The cases are emotionally provoking, and although I was somewhat prepared for what I was about to read, the book still managed to hit me hard.

Reading about the welfare system's failures and how they affect children in our society was a stark reminder of how much work still needs to be done. Thornhill's writing style is engaging and entertaining, and the narration of the audiobook version brings the story to life flawlessly.

This memoir is a must-read for anyone who shares my interest in this genre. It offers an in-depth look into the legal system and the complexities surrounding Child Protection while shedding light on government policies and their impact on the children in our society.

‘In Harm’s Way’ is available now!

[Percy Yue · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book provides an insightful overview of family law practice in the United Kingdom. It highlights the significant efforts made by both the government and society to support struggling families. I can relate to the author’s frustrations with her role as a barrister, even though I practice in Hong Kong rather than the UK. Despite Hong Kong’s colonial past, the legal landscape differs due to a simpler demographic composition and, frankly, fewer dysfunctional families.

However, my main criticism is that the author places excessive blame on government resources. The reality is that no government has unlimited funds—public money ultimately comes from taxpayers. No matter how many resources are allocated, if families do not take responsibility for themselves, systemic issues will persist. The core problem is not merely a lack of therapy. The West places too much emphasis on “personal experience” and how childhood trauma affects parenting. Yet, do we see such issues on the same scale in East Asian societies like Japan, Korea, or Hong Kong? No. The difference lies in education and strict discipline. It is time for the West to reassess its education policies and reinforce stricter discipline to address societal problems such as alcoholism, drug addiction, and unstable relationships.

[clover_c_ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Our society needs books like this. They won’t take parents seriously, they only want to label them and call them conspiracy theorists. But society is more likely to listen to a ‘professional.’
This book gave a lot of non bias insight to the whole system and the range of issues that impact social care, child protection law and adoption etc
Using a powerful and expertly written mix of personal observation and experience with professional knowledge and experience, Teresa had created an invaluable source of evidence for our society on what prejudice and limitations lay at the heart of this line of work. It should be essential reading on all social worker and family law degrees.
I will certainly be recommending it and referencing to it in my own work

[Natalie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an interesting read but a bit too long for me.

Whilst not an overly long book, there was a lot of information in this book, facts and figures along with real case stories. It was very interesting but I found myself only wanting to read the actual cases, perhaps that's just me.

It was an interesting read anyway, I just felt there was a lot of data in the book which I personally didn't find enjoyable but I understand they were very relevant to the story.

[Josh Martin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book. Does a good job getting the reader to grips with some of the issues in public family proceedings and is engaging throughout. Does a good job showing how much austerity damaged the care system too

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 ⭐️
This was a very interesting account of the work involved in child protection. All the legislation and relevant fictional facts were discussed well.

[Elicia Westran · Rating 5 out of 5]

Unreal book

[Matilda Dichmont · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very interesting and quite depressing.