Social workers take on Munro Review recommendations by trialling new assessments…
20th November 2011
Social workers have begun trialling a new approach to child protection assessments which moves away from the ‘tick-box’ culture. The new system is designed to answer the Munro Review’s call for less bureaucracy and centralisation in assessments.
Tower Hamlets is one of the first councils to implement this new approach, which requires social workers to provide their own views and judgements. Speaking at the Community Care Live Children and Families Event last week, Paul McGee, of Tower Hamlets Council, said some social workers found the changes to be “a challenge”.
The council has been trialling the modified initial and core assessment framework since July 2011, with 3 key aims:
- Prioritising social workers’ professional judgement over typical ‘box-ticking’
- Placing the voice of the child at the centre of the assessment
- Cutting unnecessary paperwork
Whilst some workers were inspired by the new approach and the requirement to use judgement, McGee said that many felt uncomfortable in analysing information and presenting their own opinions. He explained that this was due to it being a “radically different approach” and recommended that any local authorities who were looking to move away from current systems should think carefully about the training and support of staff their staff through such a significant transition.
You can find more information on these topics in our social work survey, which explored the implementation of the Munro review, as well as the level of paperwork and administrative duties in social work.
