Children in care at record high
The number of children in care is at an all time high, official Department for Education figures have shown.
There were 80,850 looked after children at 31 March 2021, up 1% on 2020 and levels are now at an all-time high.
ADCS President Charlotte Ramsden said: “These latest figures show the support that local authorities have [...]
Working from home in the legal sector
Interview with Alastair Gillespie: The challenges in supporting new colleagues working from home in the legal sector.
Working from home has made it far more difficult for new members of staff in the legal profession to be trained, supervised, managed, supported and become part of the team, a leading child abuse defendant solicitor has warned.
Alastair [...]
The problems with WFH when starting a new social work job
Social worker Rita Long* on the difficulties surrounding an online induction to a new role
There is a real danger that the new working from home practice in social work can lead to feelings of isolation among newly recruited members of the team, a social worker has warned.
Rita Long was previously based in an assessment [...]
COVID and remote working severely disrupted social work education
The working from home trend and switch to remote working which came in response to the COVID-19 pandemic has severely impacted on social work education with placement disruption, a move to online learning and leading to concerns about students’ ability to meet the professional standards.
Social Work England commissioned The University of Greenwich to undertake [...]
Research: Social workers’ experience of working remotely in response to COVID
Remote working constituted a shift in routine practices and required radical changes to service delivery, increased reliance on digital technology and greater extent of lone working, according to a report published by The British Journal of Social Work.
The BJSW research based on interviews with 13 social workers highlighted that the COVID-19 pandemic signalled a [...]
Education system ‘not working’ for autistic children
The education system in England is “simply not working for autistic children,” the National Autistic Society has warned.
Parents are facing years-long battles to get support for their autistic children and the government needs to address this it its upcoming review of the special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) system, due in the Spring.
Caroline Stevens, [...]
