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

If you could introduce new or change existing legislation, what would you do?

I haven't really thought about that, it's a bit hard to answer! Better housing legislation maybe. Change the process for families to be accepted homeless

Will it show on a DBS form if I choose to go back into education? Do I have to inform anyone if I have another baby?

No, only child protection shows up on a DBS. No you don't have to tell anyone if you have another baby.

The records won't be removed but honestly don't worry. They won't be read by anyone and they won't affect your life.

How much training do you have about conditions such as autism and ADHD?

Not in enough ways

I'm afraid I haven't got the energy to debate this with you. I'm just trying to answer questions.

@twllbch thank you. Exactly! I see enough professionals that someone would notice if my anxiety affected my kids.

I'm sorry it happened to you

Ok

What's not clear to me is do you pick your specialism (C&F, elderly etc) and train in that, or are you just generally trained, then you get a job in a particular area

Training is generic, then you do an assessed and supported year in your first job which makes you fully qualified.

Any advice for a mum of 2 little ones about uni/FrontLine etc?

How much training do you have about conditions such as autism and ADHD?

Not a lot. We speak to CAMHS or the child development centre for their expertise on child development matters. We do have a children's disability team but they only take children with severe or complex disabilities, but obviously they know a lot more about disabilities and developmental issues

My child was on a CPP plan due to psychosis in my pregnancy and at birth. They were removed very soon after birth (second conference) and the case was closed entirely before they were 6 months old. I asked for a TAC myself when I was in abusive relationship a few years ago and I had a malicious referral made by abusive relative fairly recently - investigation was done and they said no CP concerns and I was accessing all relevant support off my own back etc so no need to be involved

If I go for a job working with vulnerable people... will any of this show on a DBS? I wanted to train to be a counsellor...

Any advice for a mum of 2 little ones about uni/FrontLine etc?

Look into bursaries, I think they still exist. I know nothing about frontline.

Hi OP - not sure if you missed my post on page 2 or if you chose not to answer. I was wondering if you have ever unofficially been discouraged from investigating cases of child sexual exploitation. This was prompted by a current thread about accusations of child sexual abuse amongst the Roma community in Glasgow. And do you believe that there is widespread, and systemic child sexual exploitation in the UK?

The degree you get is the same regardless of your speciality, however in my MA course you did choose if you wanted to do adult mental health or children, my placements were both child related as were some of my modules such as law, child development and child observation.

If I go for a job working with vulnerable people... will any of this show on a DBS? I wanted to train to be a counsellor...

I honestly don't know. You could try contacting the LADO in your local authority and ask them? It's their job to share relevant information with the DBS when they are asked.

Thanks I will do that... what is LADO?

dancingdot I tried to answer that. Yes, in as much as multi agency meetings about sexual exploitation were shut down despite much interest because there were concerns they would inflame racial tension. No, in terms of individual DC on our caseloads. The bigger issue is how you manage it even if you are aware, at that time residential social workers couldn't force DC to return to a care home, I imagine they still can't and the police took very little action without a complaint, which the DC didn't want to make because they felt they were in a relationship with one of the men.
Recently I have had some really good experiences of using the police's local register of DC at risk of sexual exploitation and have found them to be very proactive. I think this is on area where things have got much better where I worked.

OP you didn’t answer my original question (fair enough as you have been asked lots of questions) but pasta’s reply would suggest that nothing much would be done unless the adult victim reported the historical abuse to the police, do you agree with that?

I was wondering if you have ever unofficially been discouraged from investigating cases of child sexual exploitation

Not at all. I have never heard of that happening

do you believe that there is widespread, and systemic child sexual exploitation in the UK?

Yes, the evidence is clear enough

pasta’s reply would suggest that nothing much would be done unless the adult victim reported the historical abuse to the police, do you agree with that?

I think there are too many variables to say what is likely to happen. It really depends on many things; the nature of the abuse, the family structure etc

If I can jump in a little
@dancingdot
In my experience, absolutely not, but the investigatory work would be led by police with our role to focus on work with the child or children involved and trying to make sure they become safer.

@YearOfYouRemember
I would agree with OP that there is a risk of the whole thread being focused on this one debate because it is a massive one. I would say the biggest issue that gets shown up in all serious case reviews is too high caseloads and that has not changed. Loads of other things have. But the simple fact is that if someone decides to harm or abuse a child its never ever going to be possible to always know about it and prevent it.

What percentage of your case load is children suffering from emotional abuse? I ask as mine were emotionally abused for years by their father. Nobody took me seriously and my 24 year old son has serious issues now because of the harm he suffered. I always felt if it was physical, sexual or neglect I would have been believed.

How often to LAC end up having children that become LAC?

What's the most rewarding aspect of you role and what's the worst?

I know you can't be too specific but what has been the case that has affected you the most and why?

I'm. Confused you say a cluttered dirty home could trigger an assessment but taking drugs wouldnt necessarily
OP didn't quite say that. It wasn't the cluttered dirty home that would necessarily trigger the assessment but that together with really bad food hygiene which is another level of poor home conditions all together. Btw, dirty and cluttered to a social worker means something far worse than just busy parents not getting the tidying done. Dirty = maybe excrement on the floors, needing to change clothes after visiting due to the suffocating smell, children getting bullied in school because they smell, etc.

As for the drugs, it's about impact on the children. Parent drug use doesn't always have a significant enough impact on the care of children to warrant social care involvement. Sometimes it does. Sometimes the impact is enough that children are ultimately removed from parents care. But the first example of the food hygiene already hints at what the impact might be on the child thus the assessment. With the drugs there may be a whole load of other info that points to the child progressing well in all areas of their life.

Ive known families who have child protection get involved due to an over zealous consulants when parents don’t agree to medical treatment plans. Have you experienced many of these cases? Do you feel you listen more to the doctors than the families?

How much of your work is straight forward abuse and how much tends to be well meaning parents who aren’t parenting well for what ever reason?

daisy I'm not sure there is a great deal of difference between straightforward abuse and well meaning parents who aren't parenting well most of the time. There are those who abuse DC for personal gratification, primarily those who sexually abuse but not exclusively. However most parents, however badly they parented their DC were not doing so out of malice, this includes many parents who abuse their DC.