Social workers and families cannot 'meaningfully contribute’ to Care Review, responses warn

Responding to the review’s first publication, The Case for Change, BASW shared the results of a poll of practitioners about their knowledge and view of the government-commissioned review. 

Some 47.61 per cent of respondents said they felt unable to “meaningfully contribute” to the review while just 19 per cent said they could. The remaining 28.57 per cent said “maybe”.

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One respondent accused the review of asking “leading questions” in surveys sent out by What Works for Children’s Social Care on behalf of the review and another said “exclusive invites” had been sent out to engagement events organised by the review team.

Others said they were unable to participate due to their workloads with one writing: “It is very difficult when you are overloaded with work to take the time needed to make a contribution. I often work additional hours to my contracted hours, and this leaves little time for other interests."

In its response, the Independent Children’s Homes Association added: “The Care Review has a massive task, and the focus is so widespread that we fear that its actual impact may be minimal. We have encountered a similar problem in how to respond.”

BASW’s response also highlighted that social workers felt vulnerable children and families were unable to contribute to the review.

Some 80 per cent of practitioners said families and children they worked with had not heard of the review while 65 per cent said they could not contribute meaningfully if they did.

"The review is by a white upper/middle-class male. It needs a diverse team to do a real review. Tackling inequality did not seem to be a big issue in the review. It was more about 'good practice' and targeted social workers who are struggling within an oppressive local authority,” one social worker said.

They also criticised the review over its “misrepresentation” of social work and social workers after chair Josh MacAlister wrote in The Case for Change that in practitioners’ day-to-day work “process continues to dominate over direct work with families, and decision making and risk assessment are too often underpinned by a lack of knowledge”.

“In many cases, social workers have not acquired the knowledge to properly identify and assess risk,” it states.

“Most of the consulted members felt that their role was undermined, which raised fears about stoking public distrust. This will ultimately harm children and families. 

“Several indicated that the document unfairly scapegoated frontline workers for the sector's failings,” BASW’s response says.

It adds that the report “did not appropriately acknowledge the impact of governmental policies after a decade of austerity, which has left social workers with no option but to practice in chronically underfunded conditions”.

The Association of Directors of Children’s Services says in its response to the report that: “The Case for Change is intended to focus on the challenges within the system, however, within this there must be recognition of the incredible work undertaken by social workers, and the wider workforce, on a daily basis.”

It also calls on the work of social workers to be “celebrated”.

• CYP Now will publish a series of articles focusing on the key themes raised in sector responses to The Case for Change.