[quote IknowwhatIneed]**@IknowwhatIneed, are you a social worker? What do you think you would need to be able to stop cases like this? If you could wave a magic wand?
I am, though not in practice now precisely because of the level of risk I was carrying.
If I had a magic wand I’d increase SW numbers, reduce case loads, give time and space for reflective practice. I’d ring fence physical office space for social workers (many work “agilely” or hot desk) so that they can use informal supports and learning from more experienced workers. I’d build confidence in interpersonal skills needed to engage with parents, who are often challenging in their own right, core training would focus on people skills, professional assertiveness and effective relationship building. Id raise pay to attract better candidates and establish the profession as a specialist area of work rather than the current jack of all trades.
I’d change the law to make it easier/possible to intervene more directly, I’d improve children’s care services raising the bar both for residential care and foster carers so we could remove children confident that they were going to a safe, nurturing environment. I’d make sure community supports were well staffed and effective so children could safely stay at home wherever possible, with high quality care placements as an option of last resort. I’d significantly lower the threshold of “last resort”.
For starters.[/quote]
Thank you very much. That made me cry a bit, I will be honest. I thought attitudes were a big part of the problem, but from what you are saying, what we need is more money first and foremost. To pay better for social workers, provide them with better working environments and training, and work with families more constructively.
So children like Arthur are dying tortured, horrible deaths - crying out for food and for love, for God's sake - because not enough money is being directed where it needs to be. It is fucking stark, right?