independent social worker

Government should measure the impact of its decisions on young people, warns Anne Longfield

The government should carry out an “urgent stocktake” of its spending on children’s services to ascertain how cuts are impacting on children, Anne Longfield has urged.

Addressing the Education Select Committee, the children’s commissioner called on the government to extend its family test [...]

Assessment process to be amended immediately following review of SGOs

The government has pledged to strengthen Special Guardianship Order assessments in England after a review of their effectiveness found that children are being placed in potentially risky placements.

Following the review which unearthed major problems with the system, the government has pledged to:-

There was a 15% increase in care applications compared to the same period last year, figures showed

The number of care applications for the month of November has hit record levels this year.

Statistics published today by the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass) showed there were 1,020 care applications received in November, the [...]

Mark Willis, director of Independent Social Work specialists WillisPalmer, on why it's a good time to go independent

It is an exciting time to become an Independent Social Worker, says Mark Willis, director of leading provider of ISWs in the country, WillisPalmer.

Not only are local authorities under huge pressure to make cuts to [...]

Independent reviewing officers (IROs) have voted to remain based within local authorities. 

A survey of members by the National Association of Independent Reviewing Officers (Nairo), found that 72 per cent felt IRO services were “best placed within local authority management”. The survey was conducted in response to ongoing concerns that IROs, who are responsible for championing [...]