Recently in children in care Category

Just heard ITV1's This Morning is going to be discussing social work issues today - following the rise in care applications - with BASW's Nushra Mansuri on the show.

Apparently it's on at 11:30am and the item is being called 'social services question time' (or something like that). If you're not lucky enough to be by a TV with your feet up you can watch here instead. Do let us know what you think if you catch the programme...

Nushra Mansuri, professional officer for the British Association of Social Workers, on why she believes the government's plans for a six-month time limit on care cases are "nonsensical" and likely to set social workers up to fail.

The government's response to the family justice review recognises (on page six) that the current system is "under strain" with substantial increases in case volumes - a 10% increase in public law cases over a 12 month period and a doubling of cases since 2008.

It is therefore incredulous that, in a climate of austerity where the mantra is 'more for less', we are expecting an already overstretched and beleaguered workforce to somehow work miracles in reducing delays in cases. It is nonsensical. But worse than that, this will set practitioners up to fail and will lead to more children being let down rather than protected.

It also seems a million miles away from the Munro report which espouses a learning culture, as opposed to a blame culture, and the removal of arbitrary and unnecessary targets that curtail practice rather than empower it to effect positive change.

This is not good news for the social work profession where people are already working around the clock to do the best job they can in difficult circumstances. Even the chair of the review panel David Norgrove said, in one of the regional seminars, that he recognised things were going to get worse before they get better. That's a powerful statement.

Norgrove also repeated the government's promise of there being no more money in the light of any reviews and we know the current agenda is all about so-called 'efficiencies'. Efficient for who I wonder? I am not aware of children being the beneficiaries of such measures. 

The trend for government consultations is to carry out impact assessments. I would like to know if anyone has sat down and counted the cost of these proposals to some of the most vulnerable children in the country.

Perhaps it is poignant, that this week we celebrated the bi-centenary year of Charles Dickens' birth. If he was alive today, what would one of this country's greatest campaigners for children's rights make of such reforms? Reach for his quill no doubt and offer some social commentary to this sad state of affairs.

Annie Semphill, the social worker seen in Monday's episode of Protecting Our Children, responds to comments and questions from viewers, including those who took part in Community Care's live panel debate.

I couldn't quite bring myself to read all the reaction online as the programme was aired, but I got a good choice selection from my husband throughout the evening.

I feel really honoured by the praise and appreciation shown for our work, but we were really just doing our jobs. I'd like to share some of the warm words that were posted online with all the social workers in Bristol. It was very encouraging, if also a bit embarrassing.

One of the surprising areas of interest was a fascination with the security guards who accompanied me on visits to Shaun and Marva. Because of our long history with the couple I knew Shaun could be unpredictable with a tendency for violence. It did make me feel safe to have two large uniformed men standing behind me as I approached their front door.

I was less worried by the dog as I felt Shaun could keep control of him and wouldn't risk using him in a dangerous way.

Many Community Care readers wondered why I was off sick towards the end of the case, shown in the film, and asked if this was because of the emotional burden the case had on me. I wasn't off due to stress - I had quite a serious virus - but I think the case did exhaust me and made my recovery longer than it might otherwise have been.

I think the film successfully showed the supportive atmosphere in which I was working. Emotional turmoil comes with the territory when you're a social worker but I did feel it more in this case. We'd had such a long involvement with Marva and I really did have some cautious hope for her this time as the experience of dealing with the family had improved enormously.

There was much legal discussion behind the scenes on this case. It might not have been the focus of the programme, but there was a lot of preparation with colleagues to ensure that if we did need to move to care proceedings it could be done smoothly without delays.

The BBC filmed with me, Arthur, Shaun, Marva and all the other supporting colleagues for a good seven months to produce an hour's worth of television. I think it did convey the complexity of the decisions involved and was emotionally sympathetic - both to my profession and Shaun and Marva.

I am heartened to see the number of comments from social work students online who are now further encouraged to qualify.

• The final episode of Protecting Our Children is on Monday Feb 13, BBC2, 9pm. 

Last night's episode of the BBC series Protecting Our Children seemed to provoke an even more positive online reaction than the first - even winning over some of the first film's critics.

In particular, there was huge praise on Twitter and our live debate for the empathetic and calm-headed approach of social worker Annie (pictured) - seen supporting young couple Shaun and Marva during their fourth pregnancy - and her manager Arthur.

There was animated discussion, and some amusement, at the sight of Annie flanked by two burly security guards during home visits. (The security guards, like the social workers, were employed by Bristol Council for all the viewers who asked last night).

There was debate around the role of adult services in child protection cases, to support parents with mental health and substance misuse problems - as we saw last night. And of course there was the all-important question of whether the series will improve the public perception of social work. (Most viewers said they were hopeful but not quite convinced yet.)

Here's a quick round-up of views, thoughts and reflections from the web (more to follow soon):

@VjLupton (via Twitter)
Even more sure I'm doing right by getting my degree after #protectingourchildren amazing people making a difference.

@CathyAshley Family Rights Group (via Twitter)
Very moving #protectingourchildren. Sympathetic portrayal of all involved. Complete respect for social worker & her manager.

@mwilliamsthomas (via Twitter)
Half way through prog- very impressed so far - Annie a credit to the profession @ComCareChildren #protectingourchildren"

@mrspentleton (via Twitter)
#protectingourchildren. Massive respect 2 the SW. Massive respect 2 the foster carer. Everyone should watch this. Pay attention media!

@SteveDonnan (via Twitter)
Social workers get such a bad rap, I think they do an incredibly difficult and dangerous job. Takes great strength #protectingourchildren

@BASW_UK British Association of Social Workers (via Twitter)
Social worker showing great resilience & empathy, lets hope her other 14 cases are not as challenging!

And you can replay our debate from last night here: 

by Dr Lucy Rai, senior social work lecturer at the Open University

In the second episode of the BBC series Protecting Our Children we followed the pregnancy of a young couple, Marva and Shaun.

The pair had already had three babies removed from them and posed a significant risk to their unborn child, due to their chaotic lifestyle and severe alcohol abuse. We saw Annie, their social worker, trying to engage with them to minimise the harm to their unborn child. This episode also provides a number of valuable lessons for social work.

Assessing the safety of an unborn child

The risk to Marva and Shaun's baby began before birth. The level of alcohol Marva was drinking, together with her overdoses and lack of personal care, placed the unborn baby at considerable risk. Intervention at this stage could only focus on supporting Marva to prioritise her health and self care, which was no easy task when her self-harming behaviour was driven by depression and her relationship with Shaun.

Meeting the needs of children is so often only possible through meeting the needs of parents. Marva came heartbreakingly close to letting go of her destructive relationship with Shaun in order to prioritise her own health and that of her baby.

Managing emotional work

Last night's episode illustrated very poignantly that recognising and working with emotions is a central part of social work. As Annie said at the end of the programme, the time to stop working in child protection is when you stop feeling.

Annie could only build a working relationship with Shaun and Marva by acknowledging their feelings of loss, anger and anxiety. Arthur, Annie's team manager, also showed during supervision how important it was for Annie to express her changing feelings about the work.

The pain in this story, tempered only with occasional moments of hope and exhilaration, provides an important lesson about the importance of keeping feelings at the centre of good social work practice.

Harsh decisions

The decision to separate Marva from her baby affected everyone involved in the case profoundly. It illustrated the kind of social work recommendations that keep children alive.

Responsibility for such decisions remains with the court. In this case, the court will have taken into account the vulnerability of such a tiny baby and the level of risk posed by the child being in the sole care of parents with a history of extreme alcohol misuse, overdoses and, in Shaun's case, violence.

In this context, to wait until harm has actually taken place may well be too late.

• The Open University co-produced Protecting Our Children, in partnership with the BBC. Dr Rai provided expert input into the development of the series.

The government has finally published its formal response to David Norgrove's family justice review - and it's not without controversy.

Although it accepts almost all the review's recommendations, Norgrove has already criticised the government's announcement on shared parenting following divorce or separation. (He said don't do it. Ministers look like they might.)

For social workers and children's guardians, the biggest news is probably the confirmation that the government will introduce a statutory six-month limit on care cases by 2013. (But this shouldn't come as a huge surprise given the government's position on this back in November.)

Those I've spoken to have mixed feelings about the deadline. Some feel confident it will speed up decisions and reduce delay (some children wait 55 weeks for their case to be completed), while others are adamant the deadline will only heap more pressure on a struggling system.

One guardian said: "We could see some poor practice if people are just desperately trying to meet deadlines." Nushra Mansuri, professional officer at the British Association of Social Workers, previously told me: "It won't help reduce delay. Most social workers don't have the resources to complete care cases in six months so this could just be setting them up to fail."

Barnardo's chief Anne Marie Carrie said the deadline would reduce delay, but acknowledged the difficulties of meeting it. "We must not underestimate the challenge in achieving this, with record numbers of care applications having been received in the last half of 2011," she said.

Maggie Atkinson, children's commissioner for England, said she recognised the challenge "in ensuring that all essential evidence is placed before the court within this timeframe".

• The government also announced plans to implement the review's recommendation for a co-ordinated family justice system, including a single family court across England and Wales, and a Family Justice Board.
 
• Family courts body Cafcass will move from the Department for Education into the Ministry of Justice by 2015, to "bring court social work functions closer to the court process". And courts will be expected to rely less upon expert evidence - another controversial reform.

As if taking on your first social work case wasn't nerve-wracking enough, imagine doing it in front a BBC film crew and, a year later, having your practice scrutinised by people all over the country. Susanne, the NQSW seen on the BBC's Protecting Our Children, has her say here and reacts to viewers' comments.

"I'm quite relieved that my episode has now gone out.

After many months of filming (you can see the changes in the weather), attending the official BBC screening and doing pre-publicity press interviews, I can now reflect on the experience.

"Most of the commentary I've seen across Twitter, various blogs and the Community Care pages has been positive about what we were trying to achieve with Mike and Tiffany - the couple whose care of three-year-old Toby was in question. 

"It's interesting to see how black and white views have been and that a lot of people are sympathetic to Mike and Tiffany's situation, as well as to what I and my managers were looking to achieve for Toby. 

"I've also seen a lot of commentary from professionals about the various steps and interventions they think should have been attempted with Tiffany in particular.

"While I can't go into detail about their family life, beyond what you see in the programmes, I would like to reassure the social work community that there were many strategies attempted with the family before Tiffany makes her decision about adoption. This did not happen quickly without many opportunities for reflection. As I am on the community team I only take cases that would have seen around three months worth of work from my colleagues in duty.

"There were also several comments about what my caseloads might be. So for those who are still curious, Toby was my first major case, allocated on my second day. During the months I was filmed I was dealing with between 11 and 17 other cases. 

"Now I am looking forward to watching my colleagues in episodes 2 and 3."

Toby is three. He does not talk, he still wears nappies and he has frequent violent tantrums. He lives in a cramped flat in Bristol with parents who love him but are failing to meet even his most basic needs.

Dad Mike is utterly bewildered by fatherhood, yet convinced of his right to parent. Mum Tiffany is loving, but depressed and overwhelmed. Their relationship is volatile. Bruises and two large fingerprint marks have recently appeared on Toby's skin.

So what would you do if you were a newly qualified social worker and this was your first case? That was the unenviable predicament facing Susanne (pictured right) during the first episode of the much-anticipated BBC documentary series Protecting Our Children.

A huge buzz has been building about the series and, as expected, the programme provoked debate and excitement. For a profession dogged by criticism and misunderstanding, this was a rare chance to see a more accurate picture of social work in the national media.

Around 1,000 viewers participated in a live Community Care debate during last night's film, while supportive messages - and inevitably, some less so - flashed up on social media sites.

Here's a round-up of some of your views and reactions:

Dgorky (via CareSpace): "A powerful documentary. It will be the basis for training in child protection. The programme is a reminder of the ethical dilemmas of social work: protecting the vulnerable people like Toby and respecting the the parents' wishes."

BASW_UK (via Twitter): "Well done to Bristol children's services for opening their doors."

@jb_barrister (via Twitter): "My analysis was that it was quite balanced and showed a reality in Britain seldom seen on TV"

@Linda1892 (via Twitter): "Good insight into the dilemmas faced by social workers of ensuring child's needs are met....and the pain for everyone"

@hopeandbelieve (via Twitter): "Love is NOT enough #protectingourchildren such a difficult case for all" 

Natalie Wyatt, social worker (via Community Care debate): "I'm pleased it features neglect - not as 'sensational' as the other forms of abuse, difficult to evidence but a huge part of the job... Excellent to see more experienced staff supporting Bristol's NQSWs."

Yvalia Febrer, social worker (via Community Care debate): "Putting oneself in this child's shoes is very upsetting, but very illuminating."

RP (via Community Care debate): "It was very good to show that Social Workers cannot remove children by themselves."

And if you want to see all the comments from our live debate for yourself - you can replay the whole event using the box below.   

by Dr Lucy Rai, senior social work lecturer at the Open University

The first episode of the BBC social work series Protecting our Children, screened last night, vividly confronted viewers with some of the classic challenges of child protection.

Mike and Tiffany's care of three-year-old Toby was in question due to bruises found on his arm. But, more significantly, we saw signs of generalised neglect and developmental delay. Newly qualified social worker Susanne, with the support of her manager and team, had to assess the harm posed by the chaotic and emotionally volatile environment in which Toby lived.

As professionals, we can take valuable lessons and insight from the cases, methods and outcomes shown in this episode, Damned If They Do, Damned If They Don't.

Assessing and acting upon neglect:
Assessing and acting on neglect has always been challenging. It involves not only appraising parental capacity and willingness to change, but also judgements about the degree of harm caused by the physical and emotional care provided to a child. The complexity of teasing out environmental, genetic and generational parenting capacity will be familiar to many childcare professionals, as will the agony of waiting for evidence to emerge while a child fails to thrive. In last night's episode we saw that, as in many neglect cases, gathering information for a fair assessment takes time and can be complicated by crises or changes in events.

Poor generational parenting capacity:
The painful consequences of poor generational parenting capacity were portrayed particularly well in this programme. Tiffany and Mike were not cruel or uncaring parents, but neither grew up with the emotional care and cognitive stimulation that would have enabled them to meet Toby's needs. But although their unhappy childhoods explained the source of their incapacity as parents, this did not enable them to provide safely for Toby.

Building relationships with families:
The process of assessment and separation - when Toby is taken into foster care - did, however, lead Tiffany to the agonising decision that both Toby and his newborn sister should be adopted. Tiffany's actions are not typical but highlight the importance of building relationships with parents to enable them, where possible, to act in the best interests of their children, even if this ultimately means separation.

Collaborative working and supervision:
Social work is so often portrayed through parents and practitioners in conflict over children's welfare. Last night's episode was a rare opportunity to see the benefits of genuine collaborative working, but achieving this was by no means easy. Mike was confrontational and evasive, Tiffany demonstrated empty compliance and Susanne was initially anxious and inexperienced. However, the programme illustrates the strength of effective professional supervision and teamwork which supported Susanne through the anxious months of initial assessment and, eventually, legal intervention. Such supervisory and team discussions are vital for social workers to reach safe judgements which are appropriately guided by a complex mix of professional knowledge, emotion and moral sensibilities.

Moral dilemmas:
Moral dilemmas are clear when confronted with chaotic homes such as Mike and Tiffany's. We saw the social workers involved reacting with different degrees of concern to the unsanitary conditions. Through shared observation, discussion and a clear focus on the child's welfare, the decision was made that not only were conditions unacceptably poor, but change was unlikely .

• The Open University co-produced Protecting Our Children, in partnership with the BBC. Dr Rai provided expert input into the development of the series.

Social work play Shallow Slumber is disturbing, ugly and unmissable writes Drew Clode

Community Care has three pairs of free tickets to Shallow Slumber up for grabs - enter now

Social work is a complicated beast constantly questioning its identity, its place in the hierarchies (witness the birth struggles of The College of Social Work), and sometimes its very existence. Since it abandoned the use of `client' it has failed even to come up with a term to define the people it works with and alongside (`customer'? `user'? `citizen'?). Sometimes it fails to make it absolutely clear that it wants to exist as a separate, independent profession at all.

The extraordinary amount of good that it does, and has done, has persistently been either ignored by the wider world, or patronised by politicians who, even while praising the `caring professions' for their work have been sharpening knives to reduce their influence, their number, their pay, or all three. The last 20 years has seen it retrench, retrench, retrench until it barely seems a shadow of its former self.

Social work centre stage

The profession has hung like a ghost around many of social worker/playwright Chris Lee's earlier plays. Notably in the Water Harvest and the more complicated The Ash Boy, he has drawn from client and profession alike to explore the darkest side of human relationships, the manipulation of identity and personality through some of the crudest power games that comprise social work's daily bread and butter.

Now, in Shallow Slumber* he has brought social work centre stage for the first time in all its nervous, self-conscious, awkward uncertainties - an earlier manifestation in The Humming Bird (1996) was more peripheral. However unmissable the play is - and it is unmissable - it is an ugly, disturbing experience.

Metronomic precision

Through social worker Moira and `crack whore' Dawn he tells, in his customary flashback style, the story of the death of Baby Amy (as the media would no doubt `dub' the victim), as well as the story of the relationship between professional and client. It ebbs and flows with near metronomic precision. First Dawn implores, Moira controls: then Moira falters, a harsher Dawn manipulates.

Mora tries to explain what drew her to social work, and is then ruthlessly taken apart by a Dawn who, despite her harshness, slips amid her invective to reveal the softer, `loster' child within. Even the author can't help sending Moira up in the scene where she `presents' for her first social work job.

What turns out to be her last one is summed up in Dawn's accusation hurled at Moira that all her training and listening and reflecting and empowerment are nothing more than devices "to stop you caring beyond five o'clock. None of it is real." All Moira can answer is: "It can never be the same as friendship." So what's it all about? Finally: "They knew I was scum. They wanted me to be scum. And here I am, scum."
Moira: "You'll get tired of thinking like this."
Dawn: "So are you trying to redeem me?"

Unravelling intentions

We know from the outset that the case has destroyed both of them. Only towards the end is the full horror of the child's death laid bare, while in between is a starkly staged, intensely worded, bleakly lit, unravelling of all those good intentions that make up the profession. That, and the dark, ambiguous uncertainties that haunt relationships with the people the profession serves.

Is Moira sometimes more caricature than character? Slightly, but sometimes it's hard to tell that from an authorial tongue-in-cheek. Is Dawn a bit more articulate than your average `crack whore'? You'll never know until you've met one. Those are finer details which arise only after the full impact of the drama has been fully ingested.

The author, Chris Lee, was once rung by a friend making a boring call to arrange something mundane - a tennis match; an evening in a pub. Picking up the phone he said in a characteristic flat monotone: "I'm sorry. One of my clients has just been murdered. Can I call you back?". That same tone of a raging calm stuck inside a controlled despair reverberates through every phrase in this play.

Superbly acted by Alexandra Gilbreath (Moira) and Amy Cudden - two actors who, like the author, deserve and will almost certainly achieve greater success - it's for everyone who's ever thought deeply about social work, its origins, its present and its future. If you can't see it once, see it twice!

* Shallow Slumber by Chris Lee, directed by Mary Nighy, is showing until February 18 at the Soho Theatre, box office 020 7478 0100

Drew Clode is policy/press adviser for the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services and is writing in a personal capacity