CYP Now - Barriers Facing Social Workers Undertaking Direct Work With Children and Young People With a Learning Disability Who Communicate Using Non-Verbal Methods

This study asks social workers to identify the barriers and enablers to undertaking direct work with children and young people who have learning disabilities and communicate non-verbally.

Authors Katherine Anne Prynallt-Jones, Malcolm Carey and Pauline Doherty

Published by British Journal of Social Work, Volume 48 (2018)

Direct work entails entering a child's world in order to empathise with them, to support them to understand significant events, but also to actively understand their experiences, wishes and feelings (Horwarth, 2010).

The Children Acts of 1989 and 2004 require social workers to involve, consult and provide information to all children in care. Working Together 2018 outlines that assessments must take account of children's views and feelings. Policy and legislation emphasises the necessity of direct work and participation and yet legal requirements are not always met, in part, because meaningful relationships between social workers and children are not being developed (Munro, 2011).

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