How Hampshire kept children at the centre of practice during Covid-19

There is no denying that 2020 has not panned out as any of us had hoped, or planned. The Covid-19 pandemic has transformed our living and working lives, and whilst it has been challenging, there is also a great deal of opportunity and positivity to be taken from it.

As social workers and social care staff, face-to-face contact and rapport with the children and families we work with is a vital component of what we do. The power of sitting down with a colleague and sharing the stories of your day over a cup of tea will always be something we need. However, when faced with adversity and having to change the way we work in the face of the Covid-19 crisis, we have all found ways to adapt and rise to the challenge to keep children safe and protected.

In Hampshire, we laid out a three-phased approach in response to the pandemic, based on how we saw our workforce and families being affected. At every stage, the child was at the centre and we had to try and predict – in unpredictable circumstances – what our next move would be to keep Hampshire’s children safe. Fortunately to date, we have been able to remain in phase one of our plan – which means we are operating business as usual – just differently.

To find out more about our Covid-19 response, come and join one of our sessions on each day of Community Care Virtually Live.

About Hampshire

Hampshire is the third largest shire county in England, with a population of over 1.32 million. The county is on the south coast and has excellent transport links, both for local travel and reaching other parts of the country.

Its unique rural beauty is showcased through the region’s two National Parks, six country parks and many picturesque villages. There are also miles of beautiful coastline, with beaches, nature reserves and attractive seaside towns.

The county is also home to the historic city of Winchester; and many bustling towns including Aldershot, Basingstoke, Eastleigh, Fareham, Gosport, Lymington, Petersfield and Romsey, offering fascinating history and culture, with historic buildings, thriving theatres, award winning museums and modern art galleries