Since it was developed by Bronfenbrenner in 1979, the social-ecological perspective has been widely used to formulate practical guidelines and government policies in planning service needs for children, young people and their families. This essay will discuss what a social-ecological perspective consists of, what limitations it may entail and how it can help us develop best practice and understanding when working with children, young people and families. We will rely on examples from K218 for illustrative purposes. Social-ecological perspectives are often described as a network of relationships (k218, Learning Guide 3, 3.1). They make us aware that each individual has many factors that define him. Socio-ecological perspectives place the child/young person at the center and show how they are connected to the family, community and society as a whole. They demonstrate the layers that contribute to the formation of the individual and show that everyone has a unique set of circumstances that influence who they are, their achievements, social standing, and even their health. Socio-ecological perspectives give us the opportunity to quantify these factors and offer a tool for collecting data, giving us the ability to see how factors such as employment, housing or demographic area can influence life chances both short and long term. Social economic perspectives tell us that to fully understand the individual we must also understand their environment and how they are connected to it. Rather than just looking at the child or young person individually, we need to consider what factors influence their behaviour, where they live, what the home or community environment is like and try to respond appropriately to this. Social eco... ... half of the document ...... physical perspectives are very useful for identifying areas of need and identifying “at risk” groups; they allow practitioners to target entire areas of society at once and can be used to encourage social change. However, at an individual level they should be used with some care to ensure that each person's needs are met and that factors not linked to the wider community can be targeted. Bibliography Commission for Social Care Inspection (2005) Making Every Child Matter, Commission for Social Care InspectionThe open University (2011) K218 Readings, Working with children, young people and families, Milton Keynes, The Open UniversityThe Open University (2011) K218 Working with children , young people and families, Learning guide 3 “A network of relationships” The Open University http://learn.ac.uk/mod/oucontent/view.php?id=604235&direct=1 (accessible 8/11/2011)