Surrey County Council

Social workers in the corporate parenting department work either in the children looked after team, the disabilities team, the unaccompanied asylum seeking children team or work with adoptive parents, foster parents and staff working in residential care.

Social workers have a mixed caseload of children aged between 0-18 and work with them to maintain health, happiness and gain independence. The Mockingbird model is in place to improve support for foster carers in their local area.

Tina Benjamin, Director for Corporate Parenting

“We understand that not all young people are the same but they all deserve outstanding services. We value relationships with children, young people and their families but also with all those professionals and staff who are supporting them. Our young people have told us that their social workers should be kind, dependable, honest and open so that’s what we’re striving to be.”

Emily Holloway, Social Worker (ASYE), Children Looked After Team

“The reason I wanted to come to Surrey was I had heard how good the ASYE support is here. I have two professional support networks – my team in the LAC department but also the Social Work Academy here. We have regular learning days within the Academy and are given a day each month of protected time to work on our ASYE portfolio. I think the approach here in Surrey, of working with the whole family, is much better and really aligns with my own personal values and social work ethics.”

Natasha Gunner, Team Manager, North West Children Looked After Team

“I manage four social workers and have line management responsibility for their cases. Day-to-day I will supervise and mentor those members of staff as well as chair and attend panel meetings. I think we are all valued and our hard work is recognised which is really important for staff wellbeing. We have the Employee Assistance Programme which provides independent personal and work support and includes everything from counselling to legal advice. It’s a really good resource to have.”

In Surrey the Independent Reviewing Officer and Child Protection Conference Chair role is combined and is referred to as the Independent Chair. The Independent Chair is an experienced social worker with oversight of both child protection plans and looked-after children plans. They are independent of the line management of cases and they act as a confident advocate for children, holding the network to account. The quality assurance function of the Independent Reviewing Service ensures children’s wishes and feelings are given full consideration and notes those areas of good social work practice as well any areas that need improvement.

Patricia Denney, Director for Children’s Quality Assurance

“In Surrey we believe that we are all responsible for knowing and understanding the quality and impact of our practice. Leaders, managers and staff at all levels must understand a child’s experience of our services so that we challenge practice and improve all the time. That’s why we are constantly striving to know ourselves better, what’s working and what we need to change in order to improve.”

Jocelyn Reynolds, Independent Chair

“The [combined] role here in Surrey has a lot of benefits. If I’m working with a child subjected to a child protection plan, and who subsequently becomes ‘looked-after’, then I can stay with that child throughout their journey. I came to Surrey as a locum social worker and stayed because I was supported to progress onto team manager and then encouraged to go further. I decided to take this role because, unlike other management roles, you get to work closely with children. I think it’s a fabulous role and it’s very flexible.”