Dave Pitcher [born 1958] is a Children's Guardian/ Family Court Adviser in Plymouth. He has been a practising social worker since 1984, before which he was a teacher.Many years working closely with children separated from their parents has convinced him of the value of kinship care, but also that constructive relationships cannot just be taken for granted. Kinship care can also go very wrong for children, and professionals can have a vital role in understanding relationships within the family, and providing the right kind of support. 'Inside Kinship Care' aims to be a distinctive contribution to the literature in that it tries to be realistic about what really goes on inside families, and to look at how it is for everyone involved.Dave is a Special Advisor to 'Families Need Fathers' in Plymouth, is the Social Work Advisor to the Grandparents' Association, and was one of the original founders of Grandparents Plus. In addition to editing 'Inside Kinship Care' and writing 'Where is Poppy's Panda?', Dave has written over twenty published chapters and journal articles. The most recent include: 'Thou Loathed Issue of Thy Father's Loins: Some Effects of Early Childhood Maltreatment as seen in Shakespeare's Richard III' [Seen and Heard, 23 [2] 2013, pages 26-33] and 'What Maisie Knew: A Child's Experience of Divorce' [Journal of Divorce and Remarriage, 52, 2011, pages 519-528]. With Shabana Jaffar, he is currently working on a study of the experience of Muslim children who have to be removed from home.Living in Saltash, a stone's throw from the Tamar Bridge, which links Devon and Cornwall, the idea of making links and overcoming barriers- whether between people or ideas, is central to his approach.Dave has written about the history and literature of Cornwall and Dartmoor, and is currently writing a piece for 'Old Cornwall' about Bishop John Grandisson's Visitation of Cornwall in 1328.You can find Dave ringing the bells at his local church, and also at his local running club [right at the back!!]