Expert's Corner

Interview with Nigel Radcliffe, ISW and expert in substance misuse and child protection

Local authority social workers are too busy fire-fighting crises in under-resourced social services departments to develop any kind of expertise, a substance misuse expert has warned.

Child protection social workers encountering families with drug and alcohol problems could do “much better” if they [...]

Gretchen Precey on what skills and experience ISWs bring to parenting assessments

Independent Social Workers conducting parenting assessments should remain neutral and put any preconceptions they may have about the family to one side, a fellow ISW has warned.

Gretchen Precey says that a key skill for social workers undertaking parenting assessments is to keep [...]

Jill Seeney is an Independent Social Worker with a specialist interest in therapeutic interventions with children including Life Story Work.

Everyone has a right to know where they came from and who they are. However, for some children in care, their family circumstances means that they may not know key information about their backgrounds and, [...]

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 [...]

Clare Jerrom speaks to ISW Ranjit Mann about his specialism in international parenting assessments

For many of us, our working day begins with a short drive or train journey to the office. Not for Independent Social Worker Ranjit Mann who specialises in international assessments. He is currently working in Malaysia carrying out a parenting assessment [...]