The Children and Families Group is made up of °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±½á¹û²éѯ England members with a special interest in this area of social work. Members of the group are responsible for leading °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±½á¹û²éѯ England's position on Children and Families Social Work and assisting in the development of policy, practiceÌýand education.ÌýThe group is comprised of members with extensive experience and expertise across all areas of child and family social work, inclusive of social workers in direct practice, academics, those who work in the third sector, and more.
The group’s purpose is to support and assist the England Committee in fulfilling its remit by providing a specialist perspective and advice to further the implementation of °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±½á¹û²éѯ's 2020 and 2025 Vision. The group reports to the England Committee, and is tasked to:
- Be accountable to and inform the England Committee of group members’ views and perceptions of issues relevant to social workers and socialÌýwork and in line with the England Committee business plan.
- Provide a focus for °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±½á¹û²éѯ members to inform °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±½á¹û²éѯ England’s strategy on child and family social work practice and policy through consultations and webinarsÌý
- Assist in the development of social work policy, practice, legislation and education inÌýEngland
- Enhance the debate on these issues across theÌýfour countries of the UnitedÌýKingdom
- Develop statements and activity on social work policy, practice, legislation, research and education on behalf of the EnglandÌýCommittee
·¡³¾²¹¾±±ôÌýengland@basw.co.ukÌýfor more information about how to get involved.
Current priority areas include:
- The government's response to the review of children's social careÌý
- Relationship based social work (80/20 campaign)
- The social work response to family homelessness Ìý
- Social work interface with the Family Courts
- Practice and Guidance on children in care including foster care, adoption, residential care (especially ‘unregulated’ placements), leaving careÌý
- The social work response to families in poverty
- The response to the IICSA report on child sexual abuse including the recommendation for mandatory reporting
- Practice and policies for children with disabilities and their families
- Anti-racist practice
- Social work policies and practice with refugee families and unaccompanied asylum-seeking childrenÌý
Members of the Group
Co-chairs: Rick Hood and Judy Walsh
Vice Chair: June Thoburn and James Blewett
Members: Janet Ayoola, James Blewett, Andrew Davies, Nicki Forget, Anna Glinski, Sarah Goff, Sarah Harrison, Ann Horne, Gemma Hunt, Charlotte Jenkins, Millie Kerr, ÌýRachael Owens, Mohammed Salaam Kamara, Fiona Tharme, andÌýCarolye Willow.
Publications and Output from the Group
- Review into children's social care information hub: The Department for Education announced itsÌýÌýin England in January 2021. The review aimed to support the needs of England’s most vulnerable children, so they experience the benefits of a stable, loving home. The information hub gives an overview of the work done by the C&F group to keep members informed and engaged in the review process. (January 2021 to June 2023)
- BASW England consulted with membersÌýin response to the 3 Department of Education consultations (Stable Homes Built on Love, The Children’s Social Care National FrameworkÌýand the Child and Family Social Worker Workforce) which ran simultaneously until May 2023. Contributions to the consultations were gathered through member workshops, and direct input from members of the Children and Families Thematic Group. A combined summary of °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±½á¹û²éѯ England's response to the 3 consultations can be viewedÌýhere.Ìý
- Social work with families who are homeless or who have housing needs: ÌýA reflective guide for social workers and social work managers (January 2022)
- The context, roles and tasks of the child and family social worker: A resource for politicians, journalists and media representatives who contact °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±½á¹û²éѯ for briefings, usually when a particularly troubling event has occurred (and through them, members of the public), but also for those contemplating a career in social work, or those in the early stages of their training considering which social work path to follow. (June 2018, updated September 2020)
°ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±½á¹û²éѯ Resources and CPD
- °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±½á¹û²éѯ England 80-20 Campaign Information Hub: Our campaign to uphold relationship-based social work has lots of recorded events and other resources for children and families social workers
- : Professor Michelle Lefevre and Charlotte Jenkins reflect onÌýthe importance of play, wishes and feelings and life-story work, non-verbal communication and how toÌýuse supervision effectively.
- : Professor Michelle Lefevre examinesÌýways in which young people’s rightsÌýand autonomy may sometimes conflict with their safety.
- : Julia PalfreymanÌýand Ruth Hawkins (family law solicitor) discuss the social worker role with children involved in family court proceedings.ÌýÌý