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Social Work Reclaimed Conference 14 th December 2011. Steve Goodman Director Morning Lane Associates. Children's social care – a complex task. Highest context –management of risk Understanding families in poor environments Knocking on the door Working with parental behaviour
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Social Work Reclaimed Conference14th December 2011 Steve Goodman Director Morning Lane Associates
Children's social care – a complex task • Highest context –management of risk • Understanding families in poor environments • Knocking on the door • Working with parental behaviour • Gaining confidence of the system • Helping families change
The traditional model – why it doesn’t work • The social work degree • Responses to perceived past failures • Administrative burdens • Audit and managerialism • Assessment overload • Waste and impossibility of the team manager role
Shared Values • 1989 Children's Act • Managing risk together proactively • Believing in families • Privileging direct work • Collaborative and respectful practice
Strategy • Whole system change • Reduce children in care numbers • Invest in social workers • Invest in family support • Lead –don’t manage • Sorted • Be brave and principled
Systems • Reduce processes and procedures • Rebel against ICS • Family focussed assessment tools • Turn decision making on its head • Take bureaucratic burden away from social workers • Fit for purpose test
Skills • Systemic approaches • Social Learning Theory interventions • Joint working – get things done quickly • Access to highly skilled supervision • Learning circles • Invest in skill development
Style • Leadership not management • Risk management not risk adverse • Role generosity • Allow for difference • Take responsibility • Be a learning not a blaming service
Staff • Remember the complexity of the task they do • The most valuable resource • Spend time recruiting the right people • Give them freedom to act • Help move on those for whom its not working • Support,nurture,develop and enthuse
CONSULTANT SOCIAL WORKER FAMILY THERAPIST / CLINICAL PRACTITIONER SOCIAL WORKER CHILDREN’S PRACTITIONER UNIT CO-ORDINATOR Structure
Success ??? • More time doing direct work • More families helped to stay together • Happy staff • Money saved • LSE evaluation • Munro review • Forresters research • The Book!