I am the senior social worker on one of four busy teams in a local authority in north-west England.
I arrive at the office at 7.30am to plan for the day and collect information I need for court. The recent introduction of hot desking, following the council’s move to new premises, is taking its toll on already stretched workers. More are coming in earlier to secure a desk for the day. I find this time of day is useful to catch up on outstanding paperwork and read reports. The imminent arrival of Ofsted is on everyone’s minds.
My first appointment is a short car journey into Manchester to attend court for a final hearing in an adoption case with a student who is shadowing me. Although it is listed for a full day, it concludes by lunchtime. The judge finds the local authority has fulfilled its obligations to support parents with learning difficulties with a joint approach from both children and adult services, and it is commended on this. I feel empathy for the parents and sadness that their child will not remain in their care, but I am happy in knowing the child will be placed with a “forever family” very soon.
As the case finishes early, I do an unplanned visit to a family on the way back from court. A child in need plan is in place but the mother is happy to see me because we have forged a good relationship over the previous 12 months. We discuss the possible closure of the case though the mother has mixed emotions, saying she will miss me coming, also referring to me as her “second mother”. The family have made excellent progress though and professionals agree on case closure. I feel lucky to have a good relationship with the majority of my clients and many still ring me years later for advice or to call at the office for a coffee.
Lunch, which is a rarity, is on the go and consists of a banana and a bottle of water, before doing a visit to undertake a risk assessment of a serious domestic abuse perpetrator. He has assaulted his new partner several times so child protection procedures have been initiated and plans put in place. Both mother and partner want to remain in a relationship and have asked for help with their relationship difficulties. Even though most of the abuse has not taken place in the presence of the children, research highlights the impact on children’s emotional welfare whether present or not. The plan highlights areas of concern and what support is needed to address them. I allocate two hours to do this and plan to follow up with another two visits. There is initial resistance from the partner as it evokes some deep emotions from his own childhood. The visit runs by an hour as a result.
I arrive back at the office at 4.30pm and have a reflective discussion about the morning’s court case with my student; given its importance in dealing with parents who have learning disabilities.
I am then ambushed by several newly qualified staff wanting advice on cases. I agree to see them one at a time. We have five newly qualified staff on the team, of whom I supervise four, alongside more experienced staff. Issues include decision-making for current court cases to requesting financial assistance for families in need and the completion of their on-the-job training programme. I arrange to observe visits to ensure they meet the criteria to demonstrate their competencies so they can complete the programme on time.
I then make a hot drink and peruse emails. The office is quiet again as most of the staff have left for the evening. I collect papers for next week’s adoption panel to read over the weekend and have a sneaky peek at the agenda; only two matches and an approval, so light reading. Sometimes there can be seven matches resulting in a lot to read. I catch up on case notes from today’s events.
Finally, I email the adoption social worker to advise of the care and placement order made earlier in the day, and give the foster carer a quick call to bring her up to speed. It is now 6.30pm in the evening and following a quick look at my diary for tomorrow, I head home.
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