To ask what you expect from your school Social Worker?

[NCtonotgetroasted]

Hello,

Just a question for parents who have children at school.

What do you expect/what would you like from your school social worker? I have recently (last 2 days!) started in this role and based on some recent threads re schools/SWs/safeguarding I am torn as to what parents might want and what they might find intrusive?

I'm planning to make contact but wanted to see what families might like from me?

@NCtonotgetroasted I’m a registered social worker and practicing psychotherapist so I understand the landscape. I think the important thing for you is to be very clear about your job role and purpose otherwise you could find yourself being pulled in all directions and having very unclear boundaries. Your therapy training will be useful, but you aren’t there as a therapist, your social work training will be useful, but you’re not there as a social worker.

Where I see problems arising in my job role at the moment is school staff who tell me they are a “social worker in school”, trying to investigate or manage CP issues which are reserved for statutory social workers. The boundaries can get quite blurred in a very unhelpful way and cause confusion all round.

@NCtonotgetroasted I imagine you will. Our school social worker was always busy.

They also did food bank referrals, helping with housing (some of our families were in temporary accomodation so in b&B's and HMOs with substance abusers also in residence) and helping families to apply for benefits they are entitled to.

Alongside applying for various funding/ grants that are available for various support services. Ensuring that there were free breakfast club places for certain children, free after school provision for other children that were funded by these grants/ funding streams.

@Jellycatspyjamas that's an interesting take on it! I will likely acting in the capacity of a psychotherapist at some point soon on one of their other sites (will have a split week role) so that I don't have that crossover with the children I work with daily in my regular site, and so I can maintain my boundaries in that sense. Re the social work boundaries I do take your point there and tbh I've been there and done that with CP social work so most definitely do not want to be having the responsibilities of an allocated SW pushed on to me.