A book on child development aimed at student teachers and professionals has been co-authored by Malcolm Hughes of the University of the West of England (UWE).

Child Development: Theory and Practice 0-11 is published by Pearson Education. It is written by Malcolm Hughes and Jonathan Doherty, formerly of Leeds Metropolitan University.

Mr Hughes said: "The book addresses the ongoing controversies of child-care versus family care for young children and reviews the evidence for whether children today lack basic communication skills."

"The book helps put UWE at the forefront of the work to provide a common core of skills and knowledge for those working in the children's services."