Other

WORKPLACE: Who's in your meetings? - Gillian Kirsch, social work manager, The Somers Centre, Hackney, London

1 min read
What exactly do you do? The main focus of our work is preventative - reaching families before crisis point - and we deal mainly with self-referrals. For example, families might be concerned about domestic violence or a child with special needs. We also deal with housing and financial problems. At any one time we work with 60 to 70 Jewish families.

Describe a typical day? It involves both management and practice. I could have a supervision session with one of the social workers, then there could be a client appointment of my own, followed by preparation for a new referrals meeting.

What other agencies, and who else within your own organisation, do you have to work with? The centre is run by the charity Norwood and, as a voluntary organisation, we don't have statutory responsibilities. But we work closely with health visitors, GPs, schools, mental health professionals and local authorities.

And what about the voluntary sector? We work with other Jewish voluntary organisations within the Hackney area and domestic violence charity Jewish Women's Aid.

Register Now to Continue Reading

Thank you for visiting Children & Young People Now and making use of our archive of more than 60,000 expert features, topics hubs, case studies and policy updates. Why not register today and enjoy the following great benefits:

What's Included

  • Free access to 4 subscriber-only articles per month

  • Email newsletter providing advice and guidance across the sector

Register

Already have an account? Sign in here


More like this

CEO

Bath, Somerset

Hertfordshire Youth Workers

“Opportunities in districts teams and countywide”