Abstract
This chapter from 'New Directions in Children’s Welfare' aims to discover the delicate dynamics of trust within the specific professional and service user relations in work with children and young people who are either Looked After or at risk of significant harm. The issue of time to work with children directly and the importance of continuity of relationships between the child and professional are emphasised. The chapter considers institutional trust and mistrust, the wider issues of trust within the broader context of societal attitudes towards children and young people. This level of analysis takes us into the arena of children’s rights and social justice. The chapter aims to rethink child protection through the lens of relations of trust between children, young people and the professionals who support and protect them.