Expert’s Corner with Mary Cullen
Mary Cullen is an Independent Social Worker who specialises in parenting assessments including PAMS assessments for vulnerable adults.
Court proceedings for families are undoubtedly daunting and stressful for any parent. But when that parent has learning difficulties and has been labelled as “stupid” throughout their lives, the stress levels rocket.
“Parents with learning difficulties tell me that [...]
Former children’s minister criticises chief social worker’s profile
Tim Loughton says Isabelle Trowler’s role should be much higher profile
The role of the chief social worker should be far more prominent, a former children’s minister has warned, expressing his frustration at Isabelle Trowler’s history in the role to date.
In an interview with Children and Young People Now, Tim Loughton said that [...]
Social Work training must not be de-valued by government agenda
Last week in the Queen’s Speech the government set out its plans for the Children and Social Work Bill, the details of which had been widely trailed following a Sunday Times article written three days earlier by the Prime Minister, David Cameron, writes Mark Willis.
Among the Bill’s chief aims is a determination to ‘speed [...]
Documentary shines light on social workers ‘struggling to cope’
Details released by Channel 4 say Dispatches sent an experienced social worker into the council to try and get a 'true picture of what is going on'
A documentary filmed from inside Birmingham’s children’s services will shine a light on overstretched social workers “struggling to cope and battling constant changes”.
Channel 4’s Dispatches sent an experienced social [...]
Special report: Children’s mental health
The government is set to expand its work supporting children’s mental health in schools following successful pilots in the field.
Education and Childcare Minister Sam Gyimah said this month that the Department for Education would be working with NHS England, the Anna Freud Centre, and evaluators of the pilots over the next few months “to scale [...]
Looked-after children over-represented in criminal justice system
The over-representation of looked after children in the youth justice system has to be challenged and changed, an independent review led by Lord Laming has stated.
Around half of the children currently in custody in England and Wales have been in care at some point, the Prison Reform Trust review found. The review was established [...]
