‘Social work without the social’: the heartbreaking impact of separation on care home residents
A best interests assessor says social workers need regular Covid-19 testing to enable them to uphold the rights of those in care homes and reconnect them to loved ones
December 15, 2020 in Adults, Workforce
Photo: Milos/Adobe Stock
The past nine months have been an emotional rollercoaster both personally and professionally. As a social worker, working as a best interests assessor, I wasn’t furloughed but I also wasn’t working on the ‘front line’ as it’s quite often termed. I felt a bit stuck in limbo.
Coronavirus: 75% of social workers feeling more negative about their work-life than last year, survey finds
Community Care survey captures pandemic s harsh impact, with 70% of practitioners reporting worsening mental health while majorities say size and complexity of workload have increased as need mounts
(credit: StratfordProductions / Adobe Stock)
Months of working in the shadow of coronavirus have left most social workers in England feeling worse about their work-life than they did a year ago, research by Community Care suggests.
A survey of almost 500 qualified practitioners working in England found three-quarters felt either slightly (39%) or significantly (36%) more negative about their work-life than at the same point in 2019.
Grooming gangs continue to abuse children in northern towns and police are still failing to investigate, according to alleged victims and campaigners.
Whistle-blower and former detective at Greater Manchester Police, Maggie Oliver, has told Sky News that she s helped 2,000 victims in the last year alone who have been fobbed off by the authorities .
Sky News understands that the Home Office is preparing to publish a paper on predatory gangs as early as next week.
One alleged survivor of child sexual abuse has told Sky News she continues to be attacked by a gang now that she is an adult, and she was punished by them with a violent sexual assault after she gave a statement to the police about her historical abuse.
Councils withholding advocacy from parents with learning disabilities in child protection process
Advocacy organisations report councils delaying or withdrawing referrals for services to support parents with learning disabilities involved in pre-court processes, shifting the financial burden to other organisations and ‘denying rights’
Image: Michail Petrov
Some local authorities are withholding or delaying advocacy support for parents with learning disabilities involved in child protection cases, contrary to good practice guidance and potentially breaching their human rights, a leading professional network has warned.
Members of the Working Together with Parents Network (WTPN), which supports professionals working with parents with learning disabilities and their children, said some local authorities had started withdrawing or delaying referrals for their services in providing advocates for parents.