Child protection social worker- ask me anything!

[NynaeveSedai]

With the recent rash of social worker related posts recently which have been FULL of frankly bollocks I thought I would offer to answer any questions.

Disclaimer - different local authorities do things slightly differently though national standards should be followed, and I'm in England so can't talk about the rest of the uk

Thank you for the clear reply and for the difficult job you do.

How has practice changed since the 80s?

Social work is now a professional qualification and a protected title. We have evidence based practice, use the latest research from top universities and invest a lot of money in training and CPD. We are more accountable.

The children act of 1989 and subsequent amendments and acts have set out a legal framework within which social workers must practice.

Thank you for the clear reply and for the difficult job you do

Thank you

*Not really an investigation but just a referral by a non statutory agency about a child. That agency wouldn't necessarily know if there had been any previous concerns.

How is a picture pieced together ?*

You answered my question about how a picture is pieced together however not in the context I wanted.

I understand consent for an investigation but why does a referring body I.e nursery , school , scouts , sports club need the consent of the parents when there is possibility a child protection issue. Not talking about a child in need.

It is my experience of being involved in such organisations that children's services will not consider a referral without consent being provided.

If a referral is made without the consent what happens then ?

OP that makes sense. I remember ringing once, something very worrying was going on, SW worker was off due to sickness and I asked to speak to a manager and was told there wasn't one. Not, they're not in, just there wasn't one at all.
It's terrible and children are suffering. I really hope this changes at some point.

I also wonder regarding the role I had, independent visitors can make a difference, how often is this promoted/advertised? What do you think of it? I didn't even know it was a thing until I stumbled upon it purely by accident after meeting the child in an unrelated scenario and it was her who asked.

I admit I’m a bit secretly terrified of social services. It’s mainly because I don’t think the public really has a clear idea of what “significant harm” means. It feels really vague and open to interpretation. If there were clear rules it would be easier to reassure yourself that you’re not breaking them. I asked a few questions on this thread about stuff I’d never do but just to try and gauge where the edges of that boundary might be but there’s such a large range of potential behaviours it’s hard to ask about every single one.

Like when I was 6 I was allowed to go to the shops in my small village by myself. Is that ok? Would someone get in trouble these days if they did that? From age 11 me and my younger brother were left alone together (he was 2 years younger than me), is that ok these days? When I was a kid I was often allowed to wait in the car with a book while my parents popped into the shop - which I was happy about because I didn’t want to be dragged round a boring shop. We’re talking from about age 8. Is that ok? People seem to get hysterical about kids in cars but I imagine by 8 it’s ok, right? Sometimes I worry when I let my 2 year old go in the garden with no clothes on and only glancing out the window from time to time (listening to him the whole time though). Is that ok? Like it’s summer and he’s a toddler and we have privacy fences but I still worry someone will think “well a paedo could look at him over the fence from an upstairs window, it’s not right!!!”

I’m sure as he gets older there will just be more and more decisions I need to make and it annoys me that I’m never just thinking “is this what I think is right” but also “does this seem socially unacceptable enough I might get my kids taken away even though I think it’s harmless?” But I guess on another level maybe it’s better because if I did happen to have terrible judgement then the socially acceptable test would at least prevent me going completely crazy with it? I dunno.

In reality I only knew one woman to have her kids taken away. She was an alcoholic, I remember visiting her with my parents and playing with her kids and them (barely older than toddlers) showing me how they cleaned the bath while her mum was still in bed. They got taken away because the older boy said she got angry and hit them when drunk which seems completely fair enough. Years later in recovery she had another kid, then relapsed (she relapsed often over the years) and her now adult daughter, who she had regular contact with reported her again and her last child was also put in foster care. Obviously her daughter thought it had been the right decision (and her son didn’t want anything to do with her). So in actual personal experience they don’t seem to have overstepped the mark or taken kids for their parents letting them walk to school alone or something.

why does a referring body I.e nursery , school , scouts , sports club need the consent of the parents when there is possibility a child protection issue

It's not consent, it's information. Referrers must inform parents they are making a referral. They don't need consent.

I also wonder regarding the role I had, independent visitors can make a difference, how often is this promoted/advertised? What do you think of it?

When they work they are fantastic but as they are volunteers there is no way to attract more people and we don't have enough :( in fact I don't think we even have any any more though we did when I started working with lac about 15 years ago

Like when I was 6 I was allowed to go to the shops in my small village by myself. Is that ok? Would someone get in trouble these days if they did that? From age 11 me and my younger brother were left alone together (he was 2 years younger than me), is that ok these days? When I was a kid I was often allowed to wait in the car with a book while my parents popped into the shop - which I was happy about because I didn’t want to be dragged round a boring shop. We’re talking from about age 8. Is that ok?

The NSPCC has some advice on its site but personally I wouldn't bother with that as I use my own knowledge of my child, my assessment of risk and judgement to decide things like that.
There are no 'rules'. A 6 year old walking to the shop across a busy main road - dangerous. Walking down a pavement with no roads 3 minutes from the home, not so much.

I left my kid alone for short periods from an earlier age than many of his peers but I trusted my judgement. If I try something and feel it's a bit beyond him we dial back a bit but I'm encouraging independence and I guess I have the confidence of knowing it's my right to make those judgements, as a social worker myself!

Ask yourself- has your child come to harm? Are they likely to come to harm? If there is a risk of harm, how likely is it? How severe? How can it be reduced?
If the risk is likely or severe, don't do it. If unlikely, mild or easily reduced, then try it.

Two's, I totally get where you are coming from. Our LA has an awful retention rate, there is a core of long-term, dedicated staff, then a large amount of temps, locums, and people who just leave.

It was so frustrating to try to contact a social worker, to have calls unanswered, emails ignored, then to find out they had left and the child was currently 'unallocated'. There were children who had 3+ social workers in one year. We used to joke about it, except it wasn't funny.

How can a parent prove that a child is being manipulated, controlled and cohersed? Why is emotional abuse so hard to get taken seriously?

Is it the case that your are tied up in guidelines and without concrete proof nothing can be done?

So some authorities have them but not others.

I would say it is attractive for people who care and have time. People volunteer for the homeless, charity shops,animal charities, all sorts..I am not sure how it would be best to implement but I'd argue people would do it if it was available and known to be. Having good adult role models could make a huge difference.

When I met aforementioned girl she had very few. Her previous foster carers had been told to stop all contact and she wasn't allowed to see parents, (adult) sibling didn't know where she was. I am very currently, but I've been asked to volunteer for a different child. I was hoping to do it closer to where I live but perhaps that won't be an option. :(

Very BUSY that should read.

Great thread, thank you for starting it OP.

Where does social services stand on the smacking of children? I cannot understand how it is still ok for parents to smack children but wondered whether it is ever something you investigate? How do you differentiate between "loving smacks" as I believe they are referred to and abuse?

Last year I reported a woman who has 4 boys at the time aged from 6 to 11. Her youngest was in my dds class. She is a known drinker and has caused trouble with various members of our community. I reported her because I saw her 11 year old and her 10 year old holding her up walking down the street with her 8 and 6 year old following behind. She is also a single mother so I can imagine that her children were left to their own devices whilst she was drunk.

Recently, I was driving home and her 2 youngest boys were playing out on the street (nowhere near her house) and they were jumping in front of cars and pulling their pants down and exposing themselves. I stopped my car and told them to stop. They are putting themselves in all kinds of danger. I was told to fuck off and called a slag by the youngest.

Social services seem to have done absolutely nothing at all. I'm aware she had a visit last year but I don't think anything has happened since then. And she's still carrying on the same way.

What if anything can be done? I really feel for her children and I fear that because they are allowed to do anything they want they are going to end up hurt

What are your views on this report about Child Protection please, OP? The same problems are occurring today. www.aims.org.uk/journal/item/child-protection

Hi op

What do you think about sw's processes when it fails the children involved. For instance my family have been ripped apart in the last week by the authorities. Both my children being interviewed by police on the basis of a mash referral. Mash referral was completely unfounded. What can social workers now do to try mend the mess that has happened and support my children? Or is it likely that as there is no risk to the children they will wash their hands of us and leave me to try and fix it all myself?

OP, the report I linked to was made just before Baby P. Why then, is Baby P being used as a reason for the extreme measures as reported?

How can a parent prove that a child is being manipulated, controlled and cohersed? Why is emotional abuse so hard to get taken seriously?

Very difficult question without a simple answer. It is taken seriously but it is very hard to evidence.

Where does social services stand on the smacking of children? I cannot understand how it is still ok for parents to smack children but wondered whether it is ever something you investigate?

As I said - the law allows parents to harm their children to a certain extent. Smacking doesn't necessarily cause significant harm. In fact, a smack, in a predictable scenario, with reparation and forgiveness afterwards is less harmful than random and unpredictable emotional and verbal abuse.

That's not to say that I personally think smacking is ok; but again, we are not the parenting police and our remit under the law is significant harm.

What if anything can be done? I really feel for her children and I fear that because they are allowed to do anything they want they are going to end up hurt

If you are aware of further incidents then please report again. When you say that social services don't seem to have done anything please remember that what they have done won't necessarily be a) obvious or b) effective. We don't have magic wands; we try to help parents identify what they need to change and access support to change it but it doesn't always work.

Thingywhatsit

Unfortunately yes. If case closed then you’ll have to just put your life back together it’s dreadful. We are 18 months in after CP investigation. Sorry this has happened to you x

What are your views on this report about Child Protection please, OP?

I'm sorry, I haven't got time to read a long report. If you have a specific question I might be able to respond

What can social workers now do to try mend the mess that has happened and support my children? Or is it likely that as there is no risk to the children they will wash their hands of us and leave me to try and fix it all myself?

MASH investigated as they are legally obliged to do. I don't want to sound callous but it's not the responsibility of social workers (especially as MASH workers only do screening) to counsel your family after the assessment. Once a case is closed it is closed.

OP (and other SWs) - I have had a fair amount of help from SS over the years. Not CP my child (now nearly 19) has ASD so I have used them to access services for him over the years. For the past year DS has been ill with depression and anxiety and hasn't left the house at all. His SW is pressuring me to get him a PA and I have someone coming to the house on Friday. I feel frustrated as I know it's the wrong way forward and he doesn't want it. I think his SW thinks I am blocking his recovery but despite coming to our house several times DS has never been able to speak to her. I'm doing other things medication, hypnotherapy and trying to find a non NHS therapist who will come to the house and commit to DS long term. But SW has fixated on this PA.