Social Work News - January to March 2018

ÂŁ3.25 Social Work News Magazine

mysocialworknews.c0.uk

January - March 2018 issue

08

The spotlight on your profession

20

22

Child Bereavement UK

Out of the Woods

Improving court skills

Find out what resources are available for social workers.

We review the new book which is hailed as an 'excellent resource'

Learn how you can make small improvements to update your court skills.

Social Work News

Contents January - March 2018 issue

06

08

Frontline Training

Child Bereavement UK

Frontline is proving to be a successful pathway for those joining the profession. We speak to Leadership Development Director Mary Jackson to find out how Frontline has changed it’s priorities for 2018.

We speak to Rosie Mather, South Development Lead for Child Bereavement UK to find out what resources are available to help social workers communicate more effectively with bereaved families.

10

16

Social Work Circle

Add these dates to your diary

This is your chance to be a guest columnist for Social Work News. This issue, we hear from a social worker who asks how practitioners can continue to remain an advocate for those in need.

Our dedicated calendar of social work events will ensure that you won’t miss any key dates for your diary! This is a great chance for you to plan your CPD opportunities for the year.

20

22

Book Review

How to improve your court skills

“One of the strengths of this book is how it is opening conversations between people who have never discussed mental health before” says author Brent Williams as we talk to him.

Are you confident when heading to the courtroom? Would you like to have some practical advice for how you can best present your evidence? Trainer Jo Spender shares her advice.

24

26

Your career questions answered

A day in the life of…

If you’re looking to boost your career prospects this year, you may be interested in the advice from recruitment experts Redwan Miah and Stefan Garrett.

We find out from David Jones, Interim Divisional Director, Adult Social Care about his typical daily routine working at the London Borough of Tower Hamlets.

Social Work News - 02

Social Work News

Editorial

foreword The start of a New Year is always an exciting time; full of fresh hope, new resolutions and exciting opportunities.

When discussing plans for this issue, it was important to us that we focus on looking forward, and examine the different ways in which the social work profession may continue to evolve throughout 2018 and beyond.

It’s pleasing to see that more social workers than ever before have lent their voice to this issue, and many of you have submitted your thoughts for how you would James Rook

like to see the sector change in our regular ‘Have Your Say’ feature on page 14. We’ve valued your input and we hope that you agree that the voices of the social work profession are being reflected throughout this magazine.

Meet the team

This issue, we have launched our brand new “Social Work Circle” where we are encouraging social work practitioners to contribute via an anonymous guest column. On page 10 you can read our first article where a social worker discusses how hard it is to remain an advocate for those

in need. I’m sure you’ll agree that this is a compelling read, and if you would like to get involved in the next issue, you can find out more on page 12.

It is our hope that this issue can be used as a valuable resource for social workers to update their knowledge and skills, and we’ve worked hard to ensure that each article gives you something new to think about. We hope that you enjoy reading this issue as much as we’ve enjoyed writing it – please feel free to share any feedback or suggestions with us simply by emailing press@mysocialworknews.com

James Rook

Chief Executive, Sanctuary Social Care

Amy Dawson,

Owen Dye,

"This issue has been incredibly enjoyable to write. We've tried to ensure that each article gives our readers something to think about.

I hope you enjoy reading it as much as we enjoyed writing it."

"My favourite feature this issue has to be the book review on page 20. The book itself is incredibly written and beautifully illustrated. It was great to be able to use some of those illustrations in this issue of Social Work News."

Mark Nicholls,

Chris Steward,

"It was great to talk to Mary about the ways in which Frontline is continuing to develop and change the face of social work.

I really hope our readers are inspired by the success of this scheme. Read more on page 6."

"It's always interesting to find out from social workers how they balance their work with outside interests. In such a pressurised environment, it must be hard to switch off at the end of the day.

You can read more on page 26."

Editor

Art Director

Contributing Writer

Editorial

0333 7000 040 | press@mysocialworknews.com

Social Work News - 03

Contributing Writer

Advertising

0333 7000 040 | advertising@mysocialworknews.com

News bites

News bites Key news stories and announcements.

More care leavers going to university than ever before

Green paper to set out proposals for care of older people

A national study prepared by the University of the West of England on behalf of the National Network for the Education of Care Leavers, has shown that more young people than ever before are going to university.

The government will publish a green paper on care and support for older people this summer. The paper, which will be held in consultation with many independent experts including representatives from Age UK, Care Quality Commission, Social Care Institute for Excellence and Healthwatch England, will set out how the government will improve care for older people and tackle the issues resulting from an aging population.

The ‘Moving On Up’ report is the first national study to look at care leavers in Higher Education (HE). It explores the educational pathway of all young people who were 16 in 2008, tracking whether or not they had joined Higher Education by 2015. The report found that 12% of care leavers had entered HE, which is higher than the previous estimates of just 6%.

Report author Dr Neil Harrison said, “it seems that alternative pathways into Higher Education are crucial to helping this group access Higher Education, helping them to overcome the disruption in their lives.”

The proposals outlined in the green paper will build on the additional £2bn that has been provided to meet social care needs. Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt said it was “absolutely vital that we get this right”.

After the green paper is published, it will be subject to a public consultation.

Social Work News - 04

From the frontline

From the

frontline News directly from council teams.

Social Work Academy launched by Worcestershire County Council Worcestershire County Council has launched a brand-new academy for social work practitioners working with both children and adults. As well as offering a new recruitment path for NQSWs, the academy will also enable experienced social workers to access training opportunities and boost their career paths.

Speaking of the academy, Catherine Driscoll, Director of Children’s, families and communities said “We’re focusing on an academy that develops and supports social work education, career progression, learning and development. Above all, it’ll be something that celebrates the great work that social work does.”

North London Social Work Teaching Partnership launched

Child-sized robot changing social care services in Southend

Middlesex University has launched a new national project funded by the Department for Education to build excellence in social work teaching and practice.

Southend-on-Sea Borough Council has become the first local authority to purchase an academic licence to use Pepper, a state of the art robot, which may transform social care services.

The North London Social Work Teaching Partnership is a collaboration between the University alongside the London Boroughs of Barnet, Enfield, Hackney and Haringey and the charity Norwood. The project aims to improve the training, recruitment and progression of social workers across North London, as well as becoming an internationally recognised centre of excellence and innovation in social work practice and education.

Pepper is the first ‘humanoid’ robot which can communicate as well as perceive emotions. Pepper will be used to deliver social care services to those affected by dementia, or children affected by complex disabilities.

To find out more, visit northlondonsocialwork.co.uk

Sharon Houlden, Director of Adult Services and Housing says, “Pepper will be a champion for the advances that digital and robotic technology can make in a social care setting… We are convinced that digital technology is where the future lies for social care and we would be delighted to explore this further.”

Share your news! Simply email press@mysocialworknews.com if you have a story you wish to share with us.

Social Work News - 05

Frontline

How Frontline is changing the face of social work Mark Nicholls speaks to Frontline’s Leadership Development Director Mary Jackson about the success of the fast-track Frontline social work training programme.

Established five years ago as a graduate training programme to fast-track social work recruitment, Frontline is proving a highly-successful pathway into a career in the profession. The two-year training course for graduates and career changers into the challenging career of children’s social work has already had a significant impact in terms of recruitment, retaining recruits and dovetailing them into local authority social work teams, and helping raise the profile and engender a more positive image of social work as a profession.

We work closely with local authorities, media and our partner organisations to try to generate positive news and champion social workers and the profession more generally.”

The Frontline innovation has also evolved with the establishment of Firstline – an intensive leadership development programme for social work managers – and now the Fellowship, where Frontline graduates can continue to grow, develop and contribute to the profession.

Frontline’s Leadership Development Director Mary Jackson suggested that one of the biggest achievements of Frontline – a charity which recruits and trains social workers in the UK – is how it has created a “shift in perception of social work.”

“We work closely with local authorities, media and our partner organisations to try to generate positive news and champion social workers and the profession more generally,” she added. “By raising the profile and awareness of social work, we are getting into market (of candidates) that we think would not previously have considered social work as a career.”

Additionally, Frontline is helping bring more men into the profession – 24% compared to the national average of 14% – and aims to push the boundaries further in terms of diversity and attract people from all walks of life to the programme.

Social Work News - 06

Frontline

Significant resource is dedicated to attracting the right people. A rigorous selection process sees only one in ten applicants selected and as a result, retention is high, with 94% of the 2016 cohort having completed their training and gone into practice, for example.

Mary Jackson

“That is about making it an exciting and appealing career and ensuring those coming in have the right moral purpose and motivation for doing the work. That is at the very core of everything we do, organisationally, internally and on the programme.

“I think the other key difference is in giving these participants a programme that really gives them an insight into what the profession looks like.”

While acknowledging Frontline is never going to be the only route into social work, she believes the programme’s strength is in the way it trains people and is tailored to ensure they have the best possible opportunities to make it, and are equipped with the tools and skills and the right attitude to do a great job.

Quite early in the Frontline journey – within the first year it was recognised as a result of research that a further tier of support was needed within the profession.

That led to the 10-month Firstline leadership development programme, which enables social work managers to develop their leadership through a combination of residential leadership modules, one-to-one coaching, workshops and sessions, so that they can empower social workers to transform the lives of vulnerable children and families. Tailored specifically for the group that it is designed for, Firstline is open to professionals who may not have been Frontline participants and sees the organisation working with about 25 local authorities.

A further evolution is the Fellowship, a movement of Frontline graduates launched in 2016 and currently 150-strong but expected to number 1500 by 2020.

“The idea is that they work in areas of policy and innovation, not just strictly in social work practice, but more broadly to improve the lives of vulnerable children and families,” explained Ms Jackson.

Fellows run events, set up social enterprises, work in the Cabinet Office and Children’s Commission and there is a Fellow on the Frontline board.

350 for the 2018 cohort, while Firstline runs two cohorts a year with 80 people in each.

The Frontline course begins with an intensive five-week summer institute, learning the theory behind the practice, before participants spend the rest of the first year in a local authority setting, managed by a consultant social worker with a specific caseload to deliver a grounding on how to work in social work practice in a systemic way.

This covers three key methodologies of systemic practice, social learning theory, and motivational interviewing.

Moving into a wider local authority role within a team in the second year, participants do their Masters and receive five sessions of coaching to support the transition into the wider local authority workforce.

More recently, the academic training of Frontline has moved in-house, with accreditation from University of Bedfordshire, and sees each participant have access to an academic who works with them on their practice. Frontline has also commissioned research to ensure all that is being learned from the broader initiative is fed back into the system.

“We have access to more data and observations and information about social work than many organisations, so we want to make sure we feed that back in to the system,” explained Ms Jackson. “This research partnership gives us the opportunity to do that.”

“The progress we have seen the Fellows make is astonishing – we think it is probably the most exciting area of work and it has the potential to be absolutely huge in terms of impact.”

With the growing cohorts, and the extension into Firstline

Frontline has been growing with recruits rising steadily from 104 in 2014 to 280 in 2017 and currently recruiting

To find out more about Frontline visit thefrontline.org.uk

Social Work News - 07

and the Fellowship, Frontline continues to thrive as it trains a new generation of social workers.

Find out more

Child Bereavement UK

“Each child is unique and will cope with the death of a loved one differently” Dealing with child bereavement can be an incredibly emotional time, but how can social workers communicate more effectively with families? We speak with Rosie Mather, South Development Lead for Child Bereavement UK to find out what resources are available for social work practitioners.

What services are available for social work practitioners?

We support families and educate professionals when a child dies, or is dying, or when a child faces bereavement.

A key part of our service is our helpline which is available for both families and professionals to offer support and guidance. We’ve found that we have a significant number of calls from professionals who could perhaps benefit from information prior to meeting a bereaved child, or would like some advice on how to approach a child or family.

We’ve developed our website to offer a significant number of resources including leaflets, articles, and videos, all of which have been designed with different ages in mind.

We also deliver training courses which have been developed to help social workers better understand and meet the needs of grieving families. Our courses are available across the country and we are continuing to invest in our regional training to enhance accessibility.

How much involvement do you have with social work teams?

We promote our services with all agencies working with families facing bereavement, whether they are working

with bereaved children or parents coping with the loss of a child. Our mission is to ensure accessibility of high quality support and information to all families and professionals.

We know that people tend to look for us once something has happened, so we are working hard to raise awareness of our services, which will allow us to provide bereavement awareness training for professionals. This has led us to developing regional bereavement advisory groups where we can identify local needs and pathways of support in specific locations across the UK.

What advice would you give to someone working with a child who has experienced bereavement?

The first questions that people will ask is “what can I do?” and “how can I help?”. It’s important to remember that each child is unique and will cope with the death of a loved one in a different way. There are as many different ways to grieve as there are children. There is no magic formula.

Children have a much greater capacity to deal with the harsh realities of life than we realise; most children will not need professional help. Very few children will need CAMHS support and we need to remember that mourning and grief are natural. It is OK for a child to be sad.

For those working with bereaved families, I would suggest reminding them that children still need to be children.

They should be encouraged to go out and have fun with friends or do something that they enjoy.

Social Work News - 08

Child Bereavement UK

If a looked-after child experiences a bereavement, how can social workers offer support?

This is one of the most difficult scenarios and each situation must be treated individually. When a child is living away from his/her birth family they are also removed from those that share their grief. This can make it more complicated to deal with, particularly as it may come with the realisation that the relationship can never be fixed.

Social workers need to focus on the child, and allow them to express their feelings if possible. However, it is important to be aware that if a child has been taken into care, the consequences will still be relevant, and the child’s care plan will need to be continually reviewed and adapted as part of the local authority's review process.

As part of our training provision, we can also provide dedicated sessions for foster families to give them the tools they need to support the grief of the foster child.

How can social workers maintain professional boundaries?

Children and adults can get very attached to people during pivotal times of their lives – sometimes, a child can become attached to a bereavement support worker as they may feel like a last link to the person that died. What we would suggest is to be clear about the work ending and plan it together in a way that supports the child to say goodbye in a positive way. It is also important to involve other adults caring for the child so that they have people they can talk to after the social worker has closed the case.

How can social workers look after themselves when working with bereaved families?

Dealing with bereavement can be extremely emotionally draining, and in these instances a formal supervision structure can be beneficial. Informally, just having a chance to offload, to talk to peers or even phoning Child Bereavement UK for information in advance of any family meetings can be enough to help you cope with the work.

I would strongly recommend that if you are regularly working with families affected by bereavement, that you establish where your support will be, and who is going to provide it, whether that’s formal or informal support.

Accessing support from Child Bereavement UK Bereavement is something that affects all of us, and when working alongside a grieving child or parent, your own feelings of loss may be triggered. It can be incredibly difficult to cope with the strong emotions when working alongside a grieving child or family, so it is vital that social workers are self-aware enough to know when they are being emotionally affected. As I said before, Child Bereavement UK's helpline is always available to help social workers cope with these emotions.

Social Work News - 09

Child Bereavement UK have a wide range of resources available relating to child bereavement.

Helpline - 0800 02 888 40 | www.childbereavementuk.org App: Grief, Support for Young People (available for free on Apple or Android) If you’ve found this article informative, you can read an extended version online at sanctuarysocialcare.com

Social Work Circle

“There is no other job that requires a person to fight for people’s rights like social work!”

Social work circle

This issue we are pleased to be launching our ‘Social Work Circle’ where guest columnists can share their views. This issue, our social worker discusses how practitioners can continue to use their personal fighting spirit to remain an advocate for those in need.

Social Social Work Work News News -- 00 10

Social Work Circle

"A few months ago, I considered changing career. After 20 years of hospital and local authority work I’d officially had ENOUGH. The battles with policy, a frustration with complex, out-dated systems and a caseload of difficult cases was draining. A colleague had a part-time evening job in a supermarket. As she told me about the staff discount, I fantasised about the thought of clocking into work and leading a stress-free life. Of course, I know it's not really like that, but it was my fantasy after all. I began to actively think about an alternative option to my social work career.

During this period of reflection, I attended a multidisciplinary meeting at work, about a difficult in-patient case. The subject being discussed was a course of treatment with potentially significant side effects. It was a medically-led meeting and the discussion was long, heated and intense. I was alarmed to realise that the wishes of the patient were barely being taken into account. Their history of abuse was not mentioned, and the family’s views ignored. As I listened to the doctors arguing about the pros and cons of the proposed treatment, there was no sense of who this patient was. Their journey and past experiences were never considered, nor how they came to be in hospital. I felt a sense of injustice burn inside me and it was only when a fellow social worker, clearly feeling the same concerns as me, stuck their hand up in the air and raised a number of valid points, that I realised what I'd miss if I left social work.

There is probably no other job that requires a person to fight for people’s rights like social work does. Because that's what it is about a lot of the time. Call it social justice, empowerment or not giving up easily, but dealing with injustice is part of our bread and butter. It’s not easy.

It can make us unpopular, especially, as I've found, in multi-disciplinary teams dominated by medics. Our role often requires intervention when it is least welcome and that takes tenacity, a certain amount of bravery and a real professional belief in what we do.

Is this innate within every social worker or can it be taught and developed? I think it's a bit of both. That sense of social justice, of fairness and equal opportunity is instinctual in most social workers I've met. It’s often why we became social workers in the first place. It draws us together at meetings or conferences. It takes confidence to be the only person in a meeting to object to something or to flag up a concern. One of my hardest jobs was being the only social worker in a multidisciplinary health setting because I felt isolated and vulnerable. I sought out other social workers to meet with regularly for a bit of support from like-minded professionals.

In difficult times, when the job feels all consuming, it can be a comfort to know that most of my colleagues

Social workers are not easily put off, not easily dissuaded and won't take no for an answer. And I love that about my job" share a sense of social justice, and that they believe in intervention, however difficult. We want to improve things for those people who have been disadvantaged by circumstance, class, age, race or gender. Social workers are not easily put off, not easily dissuaded and won't take no for an answer. And I love that about my job. Sure, there are times when I feel the fight in me waning. Usually it's when systems aren't working, or management aren't supportive. Sometimes it's because I have battled for so long. Austerity measures have certainly made things more difficult and services are stretched even tighter.

The job can feel utterly relentless. But, with a proper rest, a good rant to colleagues and meaningful supervision all go a long way to help restore one’s belief that you’re making a difference. The fight is within us, but it needs to be embraced, nurtured and celebrated, to be our most powerful weapon."

What do you think of this column?

Do you agree that we need to keep a fighting spirit if we wish to remain an advocate? Let us know what you think by sending an email to press@mysocialworknews.com

What is Social Work Circle?

This is our brand-new network of practitioners who have a passion for writing but would prefer not to disclose their identity. Whether you are a newly-qualified social worker, or have years of experience behind you, if you’re keen to share your views and write a column for the next issue of our magazine, we want to hear from you!

To find out how you can get involved, turn to page 12.

Social Work News - 11

Advertisement

Get involved with Social Work News!

Do you have a passion for social work and a flair for words? If so, we want to hear from you!

Social Work News magazine is seeking new contributors to support our editorial team, allowing us to truly represent the voice of the profession.

Perhaps you would like to write a guest column for the next issue or maybe you work in a niche role and would like to share your advice/recommendations with your peers. Whatever it is, if you’ve got an idea that you would like to see featured in an upcoming issue, we want to know about it!

All contributions towards the magazine would be classed as a CPD activity and we will provide you with a signed certificate which you can use in your portfolio regardless of whether you choose to write under your own name, or anonymously as part of our brand new ‘Social Work Circle’ which you can read on page 10.

All you have to do to get involved is let us know your name, job title, contact information and what you would like to write about, by the 31st of January 2018.

Simply email press@mysocialworknews.com and we’ll be in touch!

Social Work Circle

“Sometimes I wonder if I care too much” In the second part of our new Social Work Circle feature, a social worker lets us know her thoughts on whether it’s important for practitioners to care about their clients.

“Sometimes I wonder if I care too much. Is that the reason I become stressed at work, weeping at my desk when I can’t arrange emergency respite care for a carer in desperate need of a break. I’ve often asked myself whether I just need to toughen up.

In recent years I’ve met many newly qualified social workers who see the job as a series of processes to be completed – forms to finish, applications to submit and databases to update. To an extent of course that’s accurate. The job has changed hugely in the years since I qualified. I’ve noticed however that the compassion aspect of our job appears to have fallen by the way side.

Does it no longer matter if social workers don’t care what happens to their clients?

When I look at the social work values I trained in, empathy, compassion and sympathy were viewed as desirable qualities, seen as essential for the job. I’m not convinced that in practice it’s still the case. It’s certainly not discussed in my supervision, where the focus is more on ticking boxes and paperwork. A previous colleague was a great example. She was qualified, and experienced but lacked what I felt were necessary tools for the job. Kindness.

Empathy. Humanity. If a carer couldn’t be helped or a package wasn’t approved by the panel she’d shrug her shoulders and move on.

Initially I thought it was a case of her upholding boundaries but after a while I came to the realisation that actually she just wasn’t bothered. To her it was a task to get through. I was appalled and then a little bewildered.

She got the job done but I wondered just how she could do that if she didn’t care. Surely that was part and parcel of the job and what our clients needed; not just the practical aspects of the role, but also a sympathetic ear.

I think that compassion is needed more in these difficult times where budgets are small, and things are stretched even tighter.

Austerity has impacted massively on our job; we all know that. There’s more to do, in less time, with fewer resources.

For many workers, something must give. It might be patience, time or, for some, kindness. Ironically, I think that compassion is needed more in these difficult times where budgets are small, and things are stretched even tighter. I can’t change who I am or how I react to clients and situations.

So, to sum up – is it essential for social workers to care and to show kindess? In short, no. However, in my experience, it means so much to those with whom we work and I for one, will not be changing.”

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Your thoughts

Have your say We asked you to let us know how you think the social work profession will evolve during 2018 and what would help you to make a difference to those in need!

What would enable you to make a difference to the lives of those that you support?

“To be able to offer practical hands-on support to the service users and their families” Tom, Liverpool

How would you like to see the social work profession evolve over the next 12 months? with respect and for practitioners to be taken seriously as professionals”

“Being able to have more time to spend with people, getting a better understanding of their experiences and the circumstances that led to me being involved, then having the tools, resources and means to meet those unmet needs”

Sandra, London

Anonymous

“I would like the profession to be treated

“The Munro report was exciting for the profession but little has been achieved from the recommendations. As a profession we should revisit the report and ensure we implement her recommendations”

“I would like to see better press and recognition of the good work that is achieved every day”

Tom, Liverpool

“I would like to see a more co-ordinated approach between health and social care to reduce people staying in hospital whilst trying to find additional help and resources”

“To continue to put the needs of our service users at the forefront of all decisions and to continue doing what we are doing so that the public at large understand that we, as a profession, care deeply about those who want or need our help”

Sarah, Poole

Sue, Totnes “I would like to see the inclusion of social workers in policy decisions”

“Always respect their wishes, listen with your heart and build trusting relationships. Give them empowerment to improve the skills that they already have” Cristina, Watford “I’d like to see more rapid access to funding agreements, better use of resourcing and more opportunities for all practitioners to update training” Mesha, Portsmouth

Kathleen, Stranraer

Carol, Croydon

“A wider range of groups for people to attend such as peer support to avoid isolation”

“I’d like to see more investment into effective services to support people with difficulties before they reach crisis point”

“I would like to see more resources available, such as therapy services, without such huge waiting times”

“To see more funding for targeted services such as domestic abuse services”

Trish, Trowbridge

Linda, Liverpool Social Work News - 14

Jade, Sunderland

Jessica, Sunderland

Training/Events

Looking to update your CSE skills?

Benefit from a free networking and training seminar designed to help you update your social work knowledge.

Join us for an enjoyable evening with drinks and canapĂŠs, where you will meet with over 100 likeminded professionals, share advice and boost your CPD portfolio!

Benefit from a free 90-minute interactive training seminar focusing on issues relating to CSE from renowned education and training group, Loudmouth.

Boost your career prospects and find out about the latest vacancies with Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council.

17 Jan 2018 | 5:30pm - 9pm Birmingham Conference and Events Centre Register for free at sanctuarysocialcare.com/child-sexual-exploitation-training-seminar

Social Work News - 15

2018 events

Don’t forget to add these dates to your diary!

Last issue, we asked you to let us know of any upcoming events, so we could create a dedicated social work calendar for 2018. Although this list isn’t exhaustive, it may help you to support your professional development by giving you the dates of some of this year’s events and conferences.

Missing an event?

We will publish an update to this calendar in a future issue of Social Work News, so if you can see an event that you would like added onto our calendar, please get in touch via press@mysocialworknews.com All dates published are correct at time of going to press.

Social Work News - 16

2018 events

16 January

08-11 April

03-05 July

Organiser: BASPCAN Inspiring Good Practice Through Training London | baspcan.org.uk

Organiser: BASPCAN 10th International Congress University of Warwick | baspcan.org.uk

Organiser: Local Government Association Annual Conference and Exhibition Birmingham | lgaevents.local.gov.uk

17 January

24-25 March

20 July

Organiser: BASW Excellence in Social Work Leadership Birmingham | basw.co.uk

Organiser: Community Care Community Care Live Manchester | communitycare.co.uk

Organiser: Social Worker of the Year Awards Award Entry Deadline London | socialworkawards.com

24 January

18-20 April

12 September

Organiser: Local Government Association Early Years Conference London | lgaevents.local.gov.uk

Organiser: European SW Research Association Organiser: ADSS Cymru European Conf. for Social Work Research National Social Services Conference Edinburgh | efconference.co.uk Cardiff | adsscymru.org.uk

14 February Organiser: BASPCAN Sexual Offending: What people need to know Gateshead | baspcan.org.uk

15 February Organiser: Research in Practice E-professionalism and safeguarding children and young people online Manchester | rip.org.uk

01 March Organiser: BASPCAN Self Harm: Suicide prevention starts here Nottingham | baspcan.org.uk

16 March Organiser: Social Worker of the Year Awards Parliamentary Reception London | socialworkawards.com

12 March

21 May

25-26 September TBC

Organiser: Nagalro Spring Conference London | nagalro.com

Organiser: Compass North West Social Work Show Manchester | compassjobsfair.com

Organiser: Community Care Community Care Live London | communitycare.co.uk

15 March

17-18 June

14-16 November

Organiser: Compass Jobs Fair Birmingham | compassjobsfair.com

Organiser: Unison Local Government Conference Brighton | unison.org.uk

Organisers: ADCS, ADASS, LGA National Children and Adult Services Conference Manchester | ncasc.info

21 March

04 July

23 November

Organiser: Research in Practice Working with parents with a learning disability Manchester | rip.org.uk

Organiser: ADCS Annual Conference Manchester | adcs.org.uk

Organiser: Social Worker of the Year Awards Awards Ceremony London | socialworkawards.com

Social Work News - 17

Council Spotlight

Council Spotlight With the formation of the new Sandwell Children’s What are the benefits of working in Trust, Director of Children and Families at the Sandwell area?

The area borders Birmingham with all the facilities that Sandwell Council Vince Clark discusses the future go with that. In terms of working in Sandwell, the unique opportunities and challenges with Mark Nicholls. selling point is the move towards Sandwell Children’s Trust

from April, which means anyone joining us will be working for an organisation with the sole purpose of delivering children’s social work. There is now a real focus at a political and senior leadership level to invest heavily into the service by putting extra resources, commitment and support and a time when other local authorities are pulling investment back. We know that we have a lot to do, as the forthcoming Ofsted publication confirms, but we are now getting recognition and acknowledgement that we are firmly on the right track.

Can you outline the opportunities within the field of child social care in Sandwell?

Children’s services in the Sandwell area of Birmingham are about to embark on a whole new era with the creation of Sandwell Children’s Trust from April 2018. With recruitment of more social workers, investment in staff, equipment and training and a new forward-looking strategy, Director of Children and Families Vince Clark outlines the challenges, opportunities and what the future holds for children’s social work in the area for social workers and the clients they work with.

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We are on the cusp of a lot of change and innovation and being part of the Sandwell Children’s Trust means there will be great opportunities for anyone working in the organisation over the coming years. As we progress, that will be across the complete range of children’s social work from working at the front door, the MASH (Multi Agency Safeguarding Hub) and assessment teams, right into care management, child protection work, working for looked-after children, working as part of regional adoption agency, and expanding our own in-house fostering service. Sandwell is very much a multi-cultural community, so you will get the chance and opportunities to work with different cultures and religions. As part of the new Trust arrangements we will be expanding our social worker and team manager staff groups in order to meet our priority of reducing caseloads to manageable levels.

Council Spotlight

As we enter 2018, what are the priorities?

Vince Clark

We want to create an environment for good social work practice. Our primary focus is to increase the number of social workers coming into the service and we have received extra funding from the Council to increase our baseline number of frontline social workers. This will enable us to meet our second priority of reducing caseloads to manageable levels. We have set a target for average caseloads for our social workers of 18.

With pay packages commensurate with experience, it is also about ensuring social workers receive dedicated support from their managers, regular supervision, good training and the right IT kit and a working environment that makes them feel valued. Initial feedback from Ofsted indicated newly-qualified staff have good induction and training programmes, and their caseloads are properly managed and staff morale is good. Staff are recognising that senior manager and political commitment is there to bring extra resources in to make sure the service is fit for purpose.

What are the challenges?

Sandwell is the 11th most deprived local authority of the 152 in the country with nearly 80,000 children and young people under 18. A quarter of those live in poverty.

Straight away you can see some of the challenges we face on a day to day basis. We recognise we are coming from a position of inadequacy and part of that was because we weren’t reaching all of the vulnerable children and young people we should have done. Working in Sandwell means that you will be working in a deprived inner-city environment. That work is not for everyone but if you want to make a difference to some of the most deprived and vulnerable children in our society then come and work with us to make their lives better.

The service received an inadequate Ofsted rating in 2016 – how have you moved forward from that?

We have a clear vision and plan for our improvement journey. The first part of that journey is the move into the Sandwell Children’s Trust. We also have a very clear improvement plan – which will be implemented over the next couple of years - built around sound social work practice; ensuring we engage children and young people; ensuring our interventions are timely; and ensuring the vulnerable children and young people we work with get a strong, positive response from the service in a multi-agency way. What people will see from our Ofsted inspection when it is published is a real trajectory of sustainable improvement

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Where have been the big steps and improvements?

Our Targeted Services which offer early help through our community teams are a great example of what we can do when we get it right. They offer a wide range of early help services in each of the six towns within Sandwell. We have improved our front door services (which is the MASH and the single assessment teams) and have expanded those teams and put more resource in. Ofsted have told us that our thresholds are now right, and we have agreed these with our key partner agencies. We have started to make inroads into multi-agency work, with good strong working relationships with some of our partners, particularly the police, schools and health. We have seen a significant increase in supervision and management support across the service; all our staff now receive regular monthly supervision... All our polices and procedure and guidance have been reviewed and updated and we work very closely with Research and Practice and Community Care Informs, so staff get access to all their research materials and online support and training.

How will the new Sandwell Children’s Trust improve services?

The Sandwell Children’s Trust will ensure that children’s social work gets the right resources and support in the coming years. Jacqui Smith has been appointed as our Trust Chair and we have recently appointed an experienced DCS, Francis Craven, as our new CEO. This means that we are all ready to go-live early in 2018. All of the current staff working in Children’s Social Care will be moving across into the Trust. The most important thing is the Trust’s primary concern will be to deliver good social work services to vulnerable children and young people in the Sandwell area.

Meet the team If you would like to learn more about working at Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council, why not join us for our exclusive training event taking place in January?

Turn to page 15 to find out more.

Apply Today To find out more and view current vacancies, visit sanctuarysocialcare.com/permanent-social-work-roles or call 0333 7000 026 to speak with a consultant.

paths, homeopaths, ayurvedic healers,

inese doctors and acupuncturists.

Author biography:

New Zealand-born Brent Williams trained as a lawyer, specialising in community law, creating services and resources for young people. However, when Brent was in his late forties, he suffered from depression and anxiety which prevented him from working. ‘Out of the Woods’ is his honest memoir detailing his experiences and what he learnt as he recovered.

‘Out of the Woods’ can be bought directly from Amazon or all good booksellers.

“This book has the potential to be used as a support aid” As the conversation around mental health begins to change, we speak to author Brent Williams who has used his personal experiences to shape a new memoir which is a valuable resource to support those affected by depression or anxiety.

“One of the strengths of this book is how it is opening conversations between people who have never discussed mental health before” says Brent Williams as he discusses his brand-new book, Out of the Woods, an illustrated memoir demonstrating his own personal struggles with depression. “Something about my personal journey has elicited an emotional response from people who are using it as an opportunity to speak about their own mental health issues.”

After years battling depression, New Zealand lawyer Brent has put his experiences into a new book which is challenging the way in which we view mental illnesses.

The son of the late Sir Author Williams, one of New Zealand’s most prominent philanthropists, Brent has documented much of the physical abuse he suffered from his father within the book – a decision which he admits was “extremely difficult”. Originally planning to write a simple book about the realities of living with depression, Brent was encouraged to write about his father by his psychotherapist which enabled him to finally articulate his thoughts and feelings about the abuse he had suffered during his childhood.

They all claimed to have the answers.

ake ..

Interview feature

The result is a beautifully illustrated memoir which accurately portrays the feelings and emotions of a person caught in the grips of depression along with the lessons that he has learnt as he began his recovery. Unlike other texts, Brent’s story is told entirely via illustrations, something which was extremely important to Brent.

Brent Williams

“When I was depressed, I couldn’t read anything as my brain couldn’t concentrate on the words. I wasn’t able to process information so when I started writing, I knew that this book needed to be able to help people when they are in that stage” says Brent. His aim is that the book will be used as a metaphorical arm to guide people on their way to help and wellness. “It was important that the book was extremely visual, with as few words as possible, yet still retaining that emotional content. The best thing I can do to help others is to share my own journey.”

He says “It takes a lot of courage for somebody with depression to ignore that horrible voice in their head and I think those who work in mental health positions need to realise exactly how important their role is."

“When you’re caught in a depressive state, it’s almost impossible to take someone’s advice as to how to get better because your brain simply isn’t functioning the way it should do. Taking the time to build a strong relationship and being available is the best way to help someone as it will give them strength and hope to take onboard any practical advice whether it’s self-help activities or referrals to other services.”

The imagery within the book is extremely effective.

Beautifully drawn by Turkish illustrator Korkut Öztekin, each of the 700 watercolour illustrations demonstrate the feelings felt by Brent as his story unfolds. Developing the artwork was a painstaking experience, taking both men over three years to complete as they established exactly what tone each image needed to project.

Brent hopes that his book will become a valuable resource for those working with people affected by depression and anxiety, saying “So many different issues are covered in this book, from the personal impact of depression to the effect on family and friends as well as the stigma from society, so it very much has the potential to be used as a support aid.”

Colour started to return to my life.

Whilst the stigma of mental health is changing, largely in part to a growing understanding of depression, Brent admits that it is becoming easier to start conversations with people about mental health issues although there is still plenty of work to be done. He singles out the support of family and friends as crucial for those struggling with depression stating that because it can affect people in different ways, it’s often difficult for loved ones to know how to respond. He suggests that the best way to help somebody is to “simply be a trusted pair of ears” and help them find the answer within themselves.

But then, out of nowhere, my negative thoughts would seep in and drag me down.

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Talking to Brent, writing the book has not only aided his own therapy as he laid the ghosts of his father to rest, but 138 it has also had a positive effect on his relationships with his family who initially struggled to deal with his depression.

“One of the hardest things about depression is being unable to articulate exactly how you are feeling so to be able to have something which visually explained exactly how I felt has opened up a lot of conversations with my family. I see this book as a letter to my children."

Author profile Jo Spender is a qualified social worker with 26 years’ experience as a Children and Families Practitioner, Educator/Trainer and Operational and Strategic Manager.

Her skills, experience and knowledge are around court practices and permanency planning. Jo trains social care professionals and provides a consultancy service to local authorities.

Find out more at creativesocialworkltd.co.uk

Making the courtroom experience less stressful Going to court can be a daunting experience for even the most experienced social worker. Jo Spender gives us her thoughts on what you can do to improve your skills before heading to the courtroom.

Court proceedings are often the most crucial part of a social worker’s job, yet many practitioners do not feel confident when presenting evidence. At a time when there has been an increase in the number of court cases relating to children’s or adult social care, it has never been more important for social workers to be fully prepared for the courtroom.

It is a time when the actions of the local authority, social Jo Spender

worker, other professionals, parents and on occasions the child, will be scrutinised and held to account by an independent body, the judiciary.

A social worker needs to engage the principles of authoritative practice; they are often the person who knows the family the best, and has met the child more than anyone else involved. Having confidence in your assessment as well as understanding the theoretical and research basis for your intervention will assist you in building the resolve needed to withstand questioning.

As a social worker one of the most anxiety provoking tasks that you can face is giving evidence in court. There will be many occasions where you arrive at court and it will feel like everything has been decided outside the court room following negotiation between the parties, and a resolution will be presented for approval by the judge.

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Court Skills

However, there will be times that you have to attend a full contested hearing and there are some practical steps you can take to make the experience less stressful.

Preparation is key Firstly, manage your diary. You could be in court longer than you expected; make sure appointments are covered or rearranged. There is nothing worse than having the office call you wondering why they have an angry service user on their hands because you have not turned up!

Know your statement, you will have almost certainly submitted a written statement of evidence: read and reread this. You will be quizzed on this so make sure know it well. Consider the points that you are most likely to questioned on and prepare your answers.

Make time to meet with your legal representative prior to the hearing so you are clear on the issues that you think will be raised. Discuss with your line manager the areas that are non-negotiable; it maybe that you asked to consider some compromises. Be clear on these areas, if there are any!

You can take a copy of your statement into the witness box, but remember anything you take into the witness box becomes evidence. If you take a contemptuous notebook in, consider how confident you feel answering questions on something quickly scrawled as a reminder.

Take a deep breath When answering questions, speak clearly and slowly. This will give you time to consider what you are saying and not become flustered. Only answer the question you are asked. You may feel there is a key point you need to get across. If it is that significant, your own legal representative will give you the opportunity to put this across.

If you are unsure about an answer, then say so. You are under oath or affirmation and could come unstuck if challenged further. If you need to review some information to give an accurate answer, then say. When answering questions, turn and face the judge. They are the one making the final decision, and this will prevent you from getting into a “head to head� confrontation with the legal representation.

When you are appearing at court you are representing the organisation, and how you present will reflect on this. Consistent good presentation will not only enhance your organisation’s reputation, but will impact on your own personal standing the next time you are back in court. There is no better feeling than being than being commended by the judge on your work, and no worse feeling than being criticised for not knowing your case and being unprepared.

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This is quite possibly one of the most significant decisions that can be made in a service users life, therefore it is important that the best possible outcome is achieved.

When in court, do not forget how significant a process this is for a service user. This is quite possibly one of the most significant decisions that can be made in a service users life, therefore it is important that the best possible outcome is achieved. This may feel like one of the most stressful days as a practitioner, but you are dealing with a service users life. They may not agree with the proposed course of action and will have to live with the outcome, so be sensitive to this and consider that they may be feeling anger and hostility towards you as the authority figure.

Learning from your experiences After the hearing, take some time to reflect on the process and use it as a learning opportunity. Think about what went well and which areas you think you could improve on.

If you have the opportunity, ask your legal representative to give you feedback on how you presented in the witness box - did they feel confident in what you were presenting?

Nothing will prevent giving evidence in court as being anxiety provoking, in the same way a job interview produces nerves. However, good preparation and planning can put you in the best position to obtain the best outcome, leaving you confident in your own ability.

Your Career Questions Answered We speak to Redwan Miah and Stefan Garrett, two experts in social work recruitment to find out all you need to know about how you can change your job role or specialism.

Redwan Miah shares his advice for locum social workers looking to change jobs.

Is changing roles difficult for locum social workers?

Redwan Miah

Changing roles in the locum market can be difficult.

Managers need someone who possesses a specific skill set that enables them to start in a new role and get to grips with a case load immediately. So, at times, going into something new can be daunting for a social worker to be able to do this.

What advice do you have for people looking to change specialisms?

If you really want to change specialisms, you should examine your skills and proficiencies and undertake any relevant training which will allow you to develop new competencies. It helps to research the field that you want to move into, so you can format the experience section or profile on your CV to fit the job description with any transferable skills which will allow hiring managers to see why you would be suited to the role.

What types of locum jobs are trending lately and do people change specialisms often?

People generally stick with what they know when it comes to locum work and they will also to go where the demand is high to make sure they are working. This tends to be the frontline teams, which have the highest demand. We have seen a demand for BIA assessors for both full time and adhoc assessors and there seems to be more people with the qualification who are able to do this.

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What are the benefits of locum social work?

Locum social workers tend to value the job flexibility which can offer an improved work life balance with some able to take more time to spend family and children during school holidays. They can also experience how different councils work in comparison during a brief period and enjoy this diversity. They also value the opportunity to expand on multiple skills sets in various placements.

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Stefan Garrett offers his advice for those working in permanent roles.

Is changing my role a complicated process?

Stefan Garrett

No. If you’re currently in a permanent role, you will have a 1-3-month notice period. Prior to handing in your notice to your current employer, you will interview for your desired role, hopefully be offered the job on a conditional basis and subsequently work through your notice whilst the pre-employment checks are being cleared. Therefore, you don’t have to go through a period of unemployment, you maintain your continuous service, and everything is completed in a timely fashion.

What should I consider before I change my job role?

Social workers need to understand their motives for wanting to change job roles before committing to do so. Take the time to think about why you want to change service area and what are the pros and cons? In the first instance, any social worker looking to change the service area that they’re working in should try to attend any relevant exhibition, benefit from training opportunities and understand the direction of your prospective employer.

What types of jobs are permanent social workers moving towards?

Those in permanent roles tend to prefer teams away from the frontline (child protection) and seem to be gradually moving towards fostering and permanency jobs and I think this will continue throughout the year. Many social workers that have found a permanent job through our division are motivated to progress, broaden their practice and learn different systems.

How do I know if a permanent role is right for me?

Being permanently employed, you will be able to take advantage of in-house training opportunities in addition to monitoring and supervision that assists with focused career progression. Permanent workers also value the stability, how close they work to home, lower caseloads and job opportunities that are not as ‘full-throttle’ in the frontline.

If you’re thinking about changing your career, why not get in touch with one of Sanctuary’s dedicated consultants?

Find out more about how Sanctuary can support your career at sanctuarysocialcare.com or phone 0333 7000 022

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Work life

Work life A day in the life of...a social care senior manager.

David Jones is Interim Divisional Director, Adult Social Care at the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. A highly experienced social care professional, David is responsible for all adult operational services, with a budget of ÂŁ90 million, a large workforce and extensive resources, including an in-house reablement service and five day centres. He took time out of his busy schedule to tell us more about himself and his work.

As social care professionals, we have a responsibility to provide consistently high standards of service. It's important not to accept any solution which is inadequate.

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Work life

My journey into social work

David Jones

After leaving school, I spent a gap year on a youth exchange scheme as an auxiliary nurse in Germany. That got me interested in helping people and their families.

So, instead of taking my intended career path to train as a teacher, I studied for a combined social science degree and Certificate of Qualification in Social Work (CQSW).

My first job was with the London Borough of Haringey. In those days there was no separation between adult and child services, but our work mainly involved children and young people. I stayed at Haringey for 16 years, spending the final three years as an Assistant Director.

My typical day There's no typical day. As a senior manager, I'm inevitably involved in a lot of meetings, many of which are timetabled. But I also try to have an open-door policy because there are often crisis situations which require fast decision-making. I try to spend as much time as possible out and about, attending team meetings, training events etc, as well as doing informal 'walkabouts'. I think it's very important to get direct feedback from frontline staff.

I also liaise with senior council colleagues, elected members and partner organisations, particularly in healthcare.

Throughout my career, I've been committed to the idea of bringing health and social care closer together. In my current job this is a key part of my remit: to lead from the social care side to achieve initially greater alignment, and then further integration.

My proudest moments I've had a long and varied career, so it's difficult to single out any specific examples. In general, it's the changes I've been able to introduce that have delivered genuine, sustainable improvements in service delivery. Despite all the challenges of the job, it's all worthwhile if you feel that you're making a real difference and being rewarded with positive feedback from staff.

Lessons I've learnt As social care professionals, we have a responsibility to provide consistently high standards of service. It's important not to accept any solution which is inadequate.

It's also vital that we should always put the service user first. It's not simply about following processes and protocols. The approach must be focused on the needs of the person and how we can support them to find solutions that work for them.

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I'm also conscious that I need to think strategically and focus not just on why we are taking a particular course of action, but how we are going to make it happen. Staff often come up with really good ideas themselves. Part of my role is to work collaboratively with them, to help them put those ideas into action and ensure they are implemented effectively and sustainably.

The most challenging part of my job The biggest challenge I face as a senior manager is increasing pressure on social care budgets and the need to make savings, while at the same time delivering improvements and service transformation. Demand management is not about simply trying to reduce the number of service users. It's about finding new ways of working to provide better support to people and empower them to make choices about their own health and wellbeing.

As for special challenges in Tower Hamlets, because of high levels of deprivation and poor health, we have many people living with long-term conditions. That's why greater integration of health and social care services is a key priority. That being said, the diversity in the community is a positive and there's a real enthusiasm and commitment to improve services for the benefit of local residents. It's a great place to work.

After work Long days and the daily commute don't leave me much time for after-work activities. But I enjoy gardening and walking and I'm a keen swimmer. (I like to say I go more than once a week, although that's often an aspiration rather than a reality!) I'm also a fan of live music. I have pretty eclectic tastes, but one of my big passions is folk music and I always try to get along to one or two of the major festivals each year if I can.

Give your CPD a boost ‌by reading and downloading articles inside this issue of Social Work News.

In this issue: Find out how social workers can communicate with bereaved families Learn how you can update your court skills Discover how one social worker uses her fighting spirit to remain an advocate for those in need Each and every article has been carefully selected to offer insight into how social work is changing, making it easier than ever for you to count reading the magazine as part of your Continuing Professional Development profile.

We strongly believe in giving our readers every opportunity to contribute to the magazine and our editorial team will happily consider any ideas you might have.

We look forward to hearing from you!