Community Social Work
Access and Assessment
When you first visit or ring the office you will speak with an information and advice worker who will take some details from you. If the situation is more serious then the worker will arrange for you to see or speak with a social worker. If you are calling to report serious concerns about the welfare or safety of a child say this clearly to the advice worker and ask to speak to the duty manager.
In cases where you can not be helped straight away or where the situation is not an emergency, arrangements will be made for an appointment at the office, your home or a convenient place. The worker will meet with you to assess your needs and that of your child. The idea is to find out as much as possible about the difficulties so as to provide the best help and advice. If you have particular needs arising from religion, culture or disability then you should say something so the assessment can take account of this.
People often worry that if they go to Social Services their child will be taken away. Even where there are concerns about the child's well being the social worker will always try to work in partnership with you and to involve you fully in the plans.
Child Protection
If the assessment shows that your child has been neglected or harmed or is likely to be so in the future, a child protection conference will be held. You will be invited to attend. See the Child Protection pages for more information.
It is seldom in the interests of the child to be looked after by public agencies for all of their childhood. Adoption will be considered if a child remains in care with little chance of returning home safely and especially if the child is 10 or under.
The Children in Need Service
Children in Need is made up of 18 designated social work units. Each unit is made up of 5 professionals:
- Consultant Social worker
- Clinician/Family Therapist
- Social worker
- Children's practitioner
- Unit Co-ordinator
The service takes cases from the Access and Assessment service and works with their families with the aim of enabling them to be able to care for their children most effectively. The work is done within the following remits:
- Children with Child in Need Plans
- Child subject to Child Protection Plans
- Cases in Public Law Care proceedings
- Cases in Private Family proceedings
Cases transfer from the Access and Assessment service at the earliest opportunity once their assessment on a family is completed. This is usually done at the Initial Child Protection case conference, Child in Need review or Initial Court hearing.
All children are allocated to a designated social work unit within Children in Need. Access and Assessment compile a weekly transfer list of children transferring and we allocate them all in the week of transfer.
We hold cases until we have achieved the goals set out in the relevant plans for the children to be able to remain at home in a safe environment. As a last resort if we have exhausted all supports and interventions to bring about change we will plan for a child or children to come into care. Once a child comes into care, Children in need continue to work with them until a plan for permanent accommodation is agreed, at this point the case then transfers into the Looked After Children's Service.
Disability Services
Children with Disabilities Assessment Team provides a social work service to children with moderate to severe to profound disability. They assess families for a range of services and provide social work assistance where needed. Social Services is not responsible for providing all services like after school groups, play schemes, health care but can sometimes help families access this provision.
Page updated: 3 Feb 2012
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