Growing Social Care
Children in Need
All referrals in relation to non-disabled children that are deemed to meet the threshold for statutory Social Work involvement will be assessed by a social worker from the Children in Need Team (CiN). The assessment is completed by speaking to the child and their family as well as all the other professionals involved. If the assessment concludes that the child requires ongoing support from a social worker then the allocated social worker will initiate a Child in Need Plan and organise a Child in Need Review Meeting. This meeting will include the child (where appropriate) and the family as well as all the relevant professionals. Where the risks are deemed to be more serious, then a request can be made to convene an Initial Child Protection Case Conference. In very serious circumstances, where there is evidence of significant or immediate harm then the decision can be made to initiate legal proceedings which may lead to a child being brought into care. The CiN team is responsible for the case management of Child in Need cases, Child Protection cases, Pre-Proceedings cases and initiating Care Proceedings.
Children in Care
Where a child has become looked after and there is no immediate plan for them to return to the care of their parents their care will be managed by a social worker from the Children in Care Team (CiC). The social worker is generally responsible for concluding any Care Proceedings, seeing the child on a regular basis, updating their Care and Personal Education Plans and organising health assessments. The children they are working with may be living in residential accommodation, foster care, secure accommodation or they may be placed with their parents, family or friends. The children can be living anywhere and are not just restricted to our county (or even our country). The aim of the Children in Care Team is to achieve permanency for the children in order to achieve better outcomes. The social workers will build a long term relationship with the child and regularly support them with wishes and feelings work and also in addressing their own life story.
