This article explores the contribution made by infant observation procedures to social work. It initially reviews three areas in which this contribution has been made: social work training; understanding human interaction in areas of social work concern (such as parent-child interaction, child abuse and protection); and practice in specific areas of social policy. This article then takes the examination further to argue that the method of infant observation has a key contribution to make to the underlying methods, attitudes and performance of social workers. This is explored through a study of the links between infant observation and the two concepts of 'the reflective practitioner' and 'social space'. These contributions to effective social work practice are in opposition to currently dominant legalistic, procedural and competency-driven paradigms.
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