BASW: Social workers excluded from mental health workforce plans
Social workers have been excluded from the government’s plans to tackle the mental health workforce, BASW has warned.
The government’s plans to expand the mental health workforce by 21,000 new posts, fails to give attention to the contribution that social workers and other allied health professionals can bring.
BASW, UKCP, BACP, the BPS and the RCSLT have [...]
Guidance on care proceedings withdrawn following criticism
Guidance launched to improve working between social workers and guardians during care proceedings has been withdrawn following criticism.
Cafcass and the Association of Directors of Children’s Services produced guidance for social workers involved in care proceedings earlier this year “to strengthen the way in which social workers, IROs and children’s guardians work together in the [...]
Government urged to strengthen statutory framework for early help services
A charity has warned that high care thresholds are leaving vulnerable children and families without crucial support.
Action for Children is highlighting the ‘revolving door’ of children who are referred to social care following concerns, assessed and then having the case closed due to high thresholds for services in a climate of cuts.
Years of austerity and [...]
Children’s services overspend by £600m
Local authorities overspent by more than £600 million in 2015-16, analysis by the Local Government Association has revealed.
Children’s social care budgets went over by £605 million in order to protect children at immediate risk of harm, the LGA warns.
More than 170,000 children were subject to child protection enquiries in 2015/16, compared to 71,800 in 2005/06 [...]
ADCS issues warning following fall in care applications
The number of care applications made to Cafcass has fallen month on month in July as well as year on year.
There were 1,238 care applications made to Cafcass in July 2017, a fall from 1,325 in June 2017. There were 1,307 applications made in July 2016, figures show, representing a five per cent fall year [...]
Sharing information is key to tackling radicalisation
The Department for Education needs to increase the amount of knowledge sharing between local authorities in relation to radicalisation, a report has found.
Sharing information will enable staff that are less confident in their practice are able to draw from the experiences of those who have dealt with more radicalisation cases, the report commissioned by the [...]
