Thematics – SW/SSW

Thematics

It is fundamental to Connected Practice for practitioners to develop knowledge and skills in working effectively with families where there is domestic abuse, alcohol and drugs, mental ill health, sexual or digital risks. Within these five areas there is a clear learning pathway outlined below.

Contextual safeguarding is an approach to understanding, and responding to, young people’s experiences of significant harm beyond their families. It recognises that the different relationships that young people form in their neighbourhoods, schools and online can feature violence and abuse. Parents and carers have little influence over these contexts, and young
people’s experiences of extra-familial abuse can undermine parent-child relationships.

Therefore, children’s social care practitioners, child protection systems and wider safeguarding partnerships need to engage with individuals and sectors who do have influence over/within extra-familial contexts, and recognise that assessment of, and intervention with, these spaces are a critical part of safeguarding practices.

In order to work in this way, child and family social workers need to work in partnership with professionals who can influence extra-familial contexts − such as community safety, youth work, policing, business, parks and leisure, and school professionals − to deliver intervention plans that change the nature of extra-familial contexts. Please use the training and resource link to consider what this will look like in your practice. 

    PCF : Professionalism, Ethics & Values, Diversity, Knowledge, Intervention skills, Organisational contexts, Professional leadership.

    PQS : 1,2,3, 5,9,7,8,10

    Domestic abuse is any incident or pattern of incidents of controlling, coercive, threatening behaviour, violence or abuse between those aged 16 or over who are, or have been, intimate partners or family members regardless of gender or sexuality. The abuse can encompass, but is not limited to:

    • Psychological
    • Physical
    • Sexual
    • Financial.

    Practitioners should:

    • work with empathy in response to disclosure of domestic abuse and understanding the role of professionals in intervening safely and signposting to services/sources of support
    • understand the common risks to victims of domestic abuse
    • have a good understanding of legislation and develop skills in safety planning and interventions in working with children and families subject to domestic abuse
    • possess knowledge and skills in assessing level of risk including the family assessment and/or using the SafeLives DASH (Domestic Abuse Stalking and Honour-based Violence) Risk Identification Checklist and safeguarding someone at immediate risk
    • knowledge of making a MARAC (Multi Agency Risk Assessment Conference) referral, effective preparation for a MARAC meeting (including research) and contributing/ responding to a MARAC action plan.

    PCF: Professionalism, Values and Ethics, Diversity, Knowledge, Intervention Skills, Critical Reflection
    KSS/PQS: 1, 2, 4, 6, 7

    Where there is problematic drug and/or alcohol use within a family it is important to understand the impact this can have on individual and family functioning and social circumstances. Social workers should be able to apply a working knowledge of the presentation of concerning adult behaviours which may indicate increasing risk to children and the likely impact on parenting and child development.  We should have a range of strategies to help families facing these difficulties including recognising and acting upon escalating social needs and risks ensuring that vulnerable adults are safeguarded and understand the role of other professions in the identification and prevention of adult social need and risk.

    PCF: Professionalism, Values and Ethics, Diversity, Knowledge, Intervention Skills, Critical Reflection
    KSS/PQS: 1, 2, 6, 7

    Social workers must be able to recognise harm and the risk indicators to children relating to sexual abuse. This includes considering the possibility of child sexual exploitation, grooming (on and offline), female genital mutilation and enforced marriage and the range of adult behaviours which pose a risk to children. It is also necessary to recognise the potential for children to be the perpetrators of abuse. NQSWs will be beginning to undertake some interventions including protective behaviour work with families at the end of their ASYE.

    PCF: Professionalism, Values and Ethics, Diversity, Knowledge, Intervention Skills, Critical Reflection

    KSS/PQS: 1, 2, 6, 7

    As a social worker you should be able to identify the impact of adult mental ill health, in particular the effect on children, including those who are young carers.  As a more experienced social worker you will be developing the skills necessary to identify mental health problems in adults and children, and provide interventions and know when to access specialist assessment and intervention services. As part of ongoing social work assessment, you should coordinate emergency and routine services and synthesise multi-disciplinary judgements into your own assessment and intervention plan.

    You will be skilled in the use of a range of strategies to help families facing these difficulties.

    Identify concerning adult behaviours that may indicate risk or increasing risk to children. You must be able to assess the likely impact on, and inter-relationship between, parenting and child development. Recognise and act upon escalating social needs and risks, helping to ensure that vulnerable adults are safeguarded and that a child is protected and their best interests always prioritised.

    PCF: Professionalism, Values and Ethics, Diversity, Knowledge, Intervention Skills, Critical Reflection
    KSS/PQS: 1, 2, 6, 7

    As the children and families we work with increasingly live in the digital world it is key for practitioners to understand the risks, including online grooming, and benefits this brings. Practitioners need to help build children and families digital resilience, understand how technology can be used to aid communication, ensure their own digital professionalism and understand how to assess children and families on a digital basis and deliver digitally informed interventions. 

    PCF: Professionalism, Values and ethics, Knowledge, Skills and interventions, Critical reflection and analysis

    KSS/PQS: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10