Removal or detention of children for their protection has along-established place in child protection practice in the U.K. and in the child protection practice in the U.K. and in the child protection systems in Europe, North America, Australia and South Africa. Although is well recognised, their use remains controversial because of their impact on family integrity and the rights of parents and children. In England and Wales, both the courts and the police have powers to sanction such short-term protection of children with little or no notice to parents. These powers are used in a wide range of circumstances, including the removal of new-born babies from their mothers in hospital, to protect children let home alone and where parents eject their adolescent children from the home. Protecting Powers s provides a critical account of current practice in emergency child protection, identifying good practice and including proposals for reform. Using data from two major empirical studies, funded jointly by the NSPCC and the Nuffield Foundation, the book explores the operation of emergency child protection provisions. These studies provide a rich account of practice from the perspectives of a wide range of professionals working to protect children, including police offers, social workers, child care lawyers, magistrates' legal advisers and magistrates. The broader questions of professionals accountability and the limited ability of the courts to safeguard rights are also discussed.