Social Workers - can they ask to see childs bedroom

[DeeTee1]

Hi there.
I'm new to all this. I've watched threads for a while now and seen all the great advice you netters give each other.
I am mum to a boy with autism & ADHD.
Basically as title says my friend had a visit from a new SW for a review assessment to discuss dp and holidays play opportunities. SW asked to see her childs bedroom. (Child has SLD). Friend had nothing to hide so showed SW the bedroom.
I have this same SW visiting me next week. No previous SW have ever asked this before. Is this reasonable?

TIA

Hi.
Yes we had the SW ask us this too! when visting for an assessment.

I just presumed it was a standard thing they do?

Believe it or not, it's to check if the child has clean sheets on the bed, as this is one of the things they use as a measure of neglect (?!). Or so I've been told during a previous visit (about 6 years ago). They are also allowed to check how clean your toilets are, apparently another SS indication of neglect. If your child has clean sheets on the bed, and clean toilets to use, they believe that the child isn't being neglected...bloody stupid, but that's how it is....

Oh, so if I had gone out and spread a little mud on DD1's sheets, we might have got some help instead of being told to pay a childminder when the consultant referred us for respite?

If thats the case then the vacuum cleaner and W/M have got themselves a job each

I was asked about ds (ASD) bedroom. I offered to show the family support worker his room but she said that wasn't necessary.

When the assessment was written for direct payments it did mention that ds has his own room.

Not sure if she has ever used our bathroom. In the past I have had a job involving home visits and always take it as a complement if family support workers / SaLT / disabilty nurses want to use my cloakroom or have a coffee as it means that they think my house is clean.

J's SW didn't look round the whole house when she came for her first visit. She came more to verify his existence and 'issues', I think, though the initial assessment did read a bit like an estate agent's brochure when she wrote about having a 'well-presented, tidy house' blah blah 'well-presented, enclosed garden' blah blah. Not sure how the fuck it was relevant, but there we go! I guess it's evidence as to 'coping'

Wouldn't be impressed if she'd looked at sheets - you'd be able to tell if a kid was being neglected from looking at a room, surely?

they have to, its standard practice. I have bene inot homes where livingrrom and kitchin seem fine but then go inot childrens room and found beds with no sheets, dirty nappies in the corner, no curtains and no toys and locks on the door. Its easy to hide neglect if you think no one will ever go upstairs, but is standard practice to check childrens rooms on first visits or during assessments.

Our disabled children team social worker asked to see the kids bedrooms when he came a few months back. Asked where the kids slept and who shared. Nothing to hide here

mine checked and yep was fine but i explained my recent sistuation to him and he is liek what you want me to do, all 4 kids in one bedroom