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Welcome to Learn on the go, a Community Care Inform podcast where we discuss what the latest research, practice models and policy guidance mean for your practice. This episode, which follows subscribers' requests for resources around children's networks and connections, is about the Family Finding/Family Seeing model which hails from the US but is now being used in other countries, including by several local authorities in the UK. We spoke to Kevin Campbell, the model's author who has over 30 years' experience of social services leadership, and Elizabeth Wendel, co-author of the model and a social worker by background. It covers the roots and scientific underpinning of the approach, including the impact of family separation across the life course, and how the concepts of 'healing' and 'positioning' might be used in social work. Our guests discuss the changes individual practitioners can make in their own work that will make a difference for children and families, whatever imperfect system they are practising in and without waiting for reform. The questions were asked by Joanna Silman, senior content editor at Community Care Inform. Community Care Inform subscribers can access additional resources and a written transcript of the podcast: https://www.ccinform.co.uk/learning-tools/family-finding-family-seeing/ References and further reading (websites and article titles are hyperlinks) Familyseeing.org (https://www.familyseeing.org) Center on the Developing Child, Harvard University (https://developingchild.harvard.edu/) Bruce D Perry MD (2004) Maltreatment and the Developing Child: How Early Childhood Experience Shapes Child and Culture (https://www.lfcc.on.ca/mccain/perry.pdf) Jack P. Shonkoff MD and Andrew S. Garner MD PhD (2012), The Lifelong Effects of Early Childhood Adversity and Toxic Stress Pediatrics, 129 (1): e232–e246 (https://publications.aap.org/pediatrics/article/129/1/e232/31628/The-Lifelong-Effects-of-Early-Childhood-Adversity) This is the Nuffield report by Amanda Sacker et al that looked at the health and social outcomes in adulthood of 5,700 people who spent time in care as children, compared to those of their age who were not in care: The lifelong health and wellbeing trajectories of people who have been in care: Findings from the Looked-after Children Grown-up Project (https://www.nuffieldfoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/The-lifelong-health-and-wellbeing-trajectories-of-people-who-have-been-in-care.pdf) The study on transitions is discussed in 'Behind the Stats: Mark Courtney on His Newest Study on Transition Aged Foster Youth in California' The Imprint, 6 August 2018 (https://imprintnews.org/analysis/behind-the-stats-mark-courtney-on-his-newest-study-on-transition-age-foster-youth-in-california/3183) Lemn Sissay's 1995 Internal Flight documentary is in three parts on You Tube. His webinar with CC Inform is here: https://www.ccinform.co.uk/learning-tools/webinar-lemn-sissay-reflects-on-transitions-during-world-social-work-day/ You can read about the Corrymeela community here: https://www.corrymeela.org/about The JAMA article about DSM mental health dianoses Kevin references is by Kennth S Kendler: Potential Lessons for DSM From Contemporary Philosophy of Science, JAMA Psychiatry, 2022;79(2):99-10. https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapsychiatry/article-abstract/2786972 You can read an open access brief discussion of the article here: https://www.madinamerica.com/2021/12/kenneth-kendler-implausible-psychiatric-diagnoses-even-approximately-true

Welcome to Learn on the go, a Community Care Inform podcast where we discuss what the latest research, practice models and policy guidance mean to your practice. This episode is about attachment-based trauma and parenting. Dr Alice Loving, an independent parenting assessment and intervention practitioner, interviews two practitioners, one local authority team manager and one children's social worker about their professional experience of working with parents who have experienced childhood trauma, and the impact this has had on their own parenting. Community Care Inform subscribers can access additional resources and a written transcript of the podcast: https://www.ccinform.co.uk/learning-tools/attachment-based-trauma-and-parenting-podcast/

Welcome to Learn on the go, a Community Care Inform podcast where we discuss what the latest research, practice models and policy guidance mean for your practice. This episode is about sibling sexual abuse. We spoke to Anna Glinski, deputy director, knowledge and practice development, at the Centre of expertise on child sexual abuse (the CSA Centre, for short) and Stuart Allardyce, a director of the Lucy Faithfull Foundation with responsibilities for Stop It Now! Scotland, who is one of the authors of a report the CSA Centre published in January: Sibling sexual abuse: a knowledge and practice overview. https://www.csacentre.org.uk/knowledge-in-practice/practice-improvement/sibling-sexual-abuse/ The discussion explores key themes from the report, including why sibling sexual abuse can be particularly challenging for social workers to work with, how practice can deal with the fact that both the child who has been harmed and the child who has harmed are children, supporting parents who often feel a 'grenade' has gone off in the family and struggle with shame, denial and blame, and working with the family as a whole. Anna and Stuart explain how work in these cases can actually be very hopeful in providing a window to make a significant positive difference in the lives and longer term outcomes for children and the family. Stuart mentions the confidential Stop It Now! helpline. As well as supporting anyone concerned about their own or another adult or child's sexual behaviours towards children, or about a child who may have been abused, professionals can call the helpline for case advice. UK: 0808 1000 900 Ireland: +44 1372 847 161 https://www.stopitnow.org.uk/helpline/ You may also be interested in: Community Care Inform's knowledge and practice on child sexual abuse - written guides, videos and group activities to support social workers with different aspects of CSA. https://www.ccinform.co.uk/knowledge-hubs/child-sexual-abuse-knowledge-and-practice-hub/ The CSA Centre's key messages from research on child sexual abuse - an accessible overview of the latest research to support those responding to child sexual abuse. https://www.csacentre.org.uk/resources/key-messages/ Community Care Inform subscribers can access additional resources and a written transcript of the podcast: https://www.ccinform.co.uk/learning-tools/sibling-sexual-abuse-podcast/

Join Community Care Inform's head of content and UNISON's national secretary as they discuss the social work impact of Covid-19, and launch a new resource to support social workers' mental health.

In this episode, we discuss anti-racist social work in the context of the Black Lives Matter protests that have swept the US and the UK in response to the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis at the end of May. In the UK over the past ten years black people have accounted for 8% of those who have died in police custody, while accounting for only 3% of the UK population as a whole. Black people are four times as likely to be detained under the Mental Health Act as white people. And research has found that there are significant inequalities in the proportions of children from different ethnic groups in the care system. Our expert guest today is Dr Kish Bhatti-Sinclair, Reader in Social Policy and Social Work at the University of Chichester. Kish is known for her work on social work, race and racism. Towards the end of the episode, we also hear from Sarah Blackmore, executive director of strategy, policy and engagement at Social Work England. The episode covers: - What anti-racist practice is, and how it differs from anti-oppressive practice. - How anti-racist practice has developed in social work and where we are now. - How social workers, team managers and leaders can take action in the context of their own practice. Community Care Inform subscribers can access additional resources and a written transcript on the Inform website. References George Floyd death: How many black people die in police custody in England and Wales? - https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/52890363 Discrimination in mental health services - https://www.mind.org.uk/news-campaigns/legal-news/legal-newsletter-june-2019/discrimination-in-mental-health-services/ Care system ethnic inequalities - https://www.mind.org.uk/news-campaigns/legal-news/legal-newsletter-june-2019/discrimination-in-mental-health-services/ Community Care Inform resources Contextual safeguarding: podcast - https://www.ccinform.co.uk/learning-tools/contextual-safeguarding-podcast/ Initial meetings with young people: a systemic and intersectional approach - https://www.ccinform.co.uk/practice-guidance/initial-meetings-with-young-people-an-intersectional-and-systemic-approach/ Cultural competence: lessons from research - https://www.ccinform.co.uk/research/cultural-competence-lessons-from-research/ Safeguarding Black girls from child sexual abuse: messages from research - https://www.ccinform.co.uk/research/child-sexual-abuse-and-safeguarding-black-girls-messages-from-research/ Anti-oppressive and anti-discriminatory practice education - https://www.ccinform.co.uk/practice-guidance/anti-discriminatory-and-anti-oppressive-practice-education/ Black Lives Matter reading Black Lives Matter: social work must respond with action - not platitudes - https://www.communitycare.co.uk/2020/06/12/black-lives-matter-social-work-must-respond-action-platitudes/ Resources and tools regarding racism and anti-Blackness - https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1bUJrgX8vspyy7YttiEC2vD0DawrpPYiZs94V0ov7qZQ/htmlview Anti-racism resources for social workers and therapists - https://www.socialwork.career/2020/06/anti-racism-resources-for-social-workers-and-therapists.html A guide to anti-racism - https://simmons.libguides.com/anti-oppression/anti-racism FGM resources Protecting children from FGM - https://learning.nspcc.org.uk/child-abuse-and-neglect/fgm Multi-agency statutory guidance on FGM - https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/multi-agency-statutory-guidance-on-female-genital-mutilation Social Work England resources Social work reflections on racism and inequality - https://www.socialworkengland.org.uk/news/willing-to-listen-learn-and-understand/ Regional engagement lead Kate discusses her experiences as a gay woman and how she draws upon these experiences as a social worker - https://www.socialworkengland.org.uk/news/fighting-for-social-justice-and-a-fairer-society/

Welcome to Learn on the go, a Community Care Inform podcast where we discuss what the latest research, practice models and policy guidance mean to your practice. This episode in our mini series about practice during the coronavirus pandemic is about fear and social work. It covers how fear can impact on practice, what helps social workers maintain concerns at a manageable level, support from managers and particular sources of fear during the pandemic such as lack of PPE, whether vulnerable children and adults are safeguarded and the impact on people with mental health problems. The expert guest is Brian Littlechild, professor of social work at the University of Hertfordshire. The questions were asked by Joanna Silman, content editor at Community Care Inform. 2:01 – What is ‘fear’ in the context of social work? 6.03 – Causes of fear during the pandemic 8.34 - Getting support for fear-inducing situations 14.17 - Being assertive 20:32 - The SAFE approach (Support, Assertiveness, Fit, Empathy) Community Care Inform subscribers can access additional resources and a written transcript of the podcast here on Inform Children https://www.ccinform.co.uk/learning-tools/fear-and-social-work-podcast/ and here on Inform Adults: https://adults.ccinform.co.uk/learning-tools/fear-and-social-work-podcast/ Law and guidance referred to: Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1974/37/contents The High Court judgment in Walker v Northumberland County Council (1994): https://www.bailii.org/ew/cases/EWHC/QB/1994/2.html Social Work England guidance on applying the professional standards https://www.socialworkengland.org.uk/standards/professional-standards/ Social Care Wales code of professional practice and practice guidance https://socialcare.wales/fitness-to-practise/codes-of-practice-and-guidance

We know social workers are working harder than ever in the challenging conditions brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic. To help meet your need for information and guidance we’re developing a mini-series of podcasts and webinars about coronavirus and how it’s affecting social work practice. Our expert guest was Claudia Megele, chair of the Principal Child and Family Social Worker Network. The episode covers: - When it's appropriate to conduct an online visit, rather than a home visit. - Best practice in conducting online visits, including different ideas for virtual direct work. - How social workers can keep themselves and families safe when carrying out home visits. Community Care Inform subscribers can access additional resources and a written transcript on the Inform website.

Welcome to Learn on the go, a Community Care Inform podcast where we discuss what the latest research, practice models and policy guidance mean for your practice. This episode is on contextual safeguarding. We talk about what the approach entails, what it looks like in practice, and also discuss how work with young people been affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. Discussing these questions are Dr Carlene Firmin who developed the contextual safeguarding framework and leads the contextual safeguarding and peer-on-peer abuse research programmes at the University of Bedfordshire, and Samantha Roper, team manager for the multi-agency safeguarding hub (MASH) at Knowsley Council. 2:19 – What is contextual safeguarding? 4.42 – Implementing contextual safeguarding in a local authority 12.15 - Applying contextual safeguarding as an individual practitioner or team 24.20 – Legal questions around working with groups of peers, locations and child protection processes applied to extra-familial harm 27.57 - The impact of Covid-19 and lockdown on contextual safeguarding work Community Care Inform subscribers can access additional resources and a written transcript of the podcast: https://www.ccinform.co.uk/learning-tools/contextual-safeguarding-podcast/ And if you want to hear more, in 2018 we published an episode of the podcast on county lines with a practitioner and parent: https://www.spreaker.com/episode/16966347 Read more about the Contextual Safeguarding Network and find the resources mentioned here: https://contextualsafeguarding.org.uk/

We know social workers are working harder than ever in the challenging conditions brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic. To help meet your need for information and guidance we’re developing a mini-series of podcasts and webinars about coronavirus and how it’s affecting social work practice. Our expert guest was Dr David Wilkins, senior lecturer at Cardiff University with a research focus on good supervision in child and family social work. The episode covers: - How supervision can be effective when it's carried out remotely rather than in person. - The importance of talking about emotions during supervision. - Different ideas for holding group supervision sessions online. Community Care Inform subscribers can access additional resources and a written transcript on the Inform website.

We know social workers are working harder than ever in the challenging conditions brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic. To help meet your need for information and guidance we’re developing a mini-series of podcasts and webinars about coronavirus and how it’s affecting social work practice. Our expert guest was Tim Spencer-Lane, a lawyer who specialises in mental capacity, mental health and social care law. He is also Community Care Inform Adults’ legal editor and a senior lecturer at Kingston University. The episode covers: - How the Coronavirus Act applies to both new and existing service users. - How to ensure individuals’ human rights, under the European Convention on Human Rights, aren’t breached if stage 4 of the Care Act easements are introduced. - The implications for practice of the Care Act easements on the Care Act’s duty to promote wellbeing. Community Care Inform subscribers can access additional resources and a written transcript on the Inform website.

We know social workers are working harder than ever in the challenging conditions brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic. To help meet your need for information and guidance we’re developing a mini-series of podcasts and webinars about coronavirus and how it’s affecting social work practice. Our expert guest was Dr Sue Cook, lecturer in social work at the University of Plymouth. The episode covers: - How loneliness and isolation have been exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic. - Supporting service users who are experiencing loneliness or isolation, whatever stage of life they're at. - How to be creative to find solutions when working with service users online or in person. Community Care Inform subscribers can access additional resources and a written transcript on the Inform website.

We know social workers are working harder than ever in the challenging conditions brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic. To help meet your need for information and guidance we’re developing a mini-series of podcasts and webinars about coronavirus and how it’s affecting social work practice. Our expert guest was Sass Boucher, research director of training provider Self Care Psychology, and a counsellor and psychotherapist in private practice. The episode covers: - Quick ways that social workers can practice self-care during the pandemic. - How to create boundaries between work and home. - Supporting colleagues when you're not seeing each other in person. You can access free resources on self-care from Self Care Psychology: https://www.selfcarepsychology.com/free-covid-19-resources Community Care Inform subscribers can access additional resources and a written transcript on the Inform website.

We know social workers are working harder than ever in the challenging conditions brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic. To help meet your need for information and guidance we’re developing a mini-series of podcasts and webinars about coronavirus and how it’s affecting social work practice. In this episode, we discuss how social workers can best protect clients experiencing domestic abuse during the lockdown period. Sadly the facts speak for themselves. Calls to the National Domestic Abuse Helpline went up by 49% after three weeks of lockdown, and the Metropolitan Police alone has made over 4,000 arrests for domestic abuse since 9th March. Our expert guest was Donna Covey, director of domestic abuse charity AVA. The episode covers: - How social workers can continue to support vulnerable children and adults during the lockdown. - Services and resources that are still operating during the pandemic. - What to do if you think a client is in imminent danger. Community Care Inform subscribers can access additional resources and a written transcript on the Inform website.

Welcome to Learn on the go, a Community Care Inform podcast where we discuss what the latest research, practice models and policy guidance mean to your practice. This episode is about siblings. It covers some of the issues for practitioners making decisions when placing brothers and sisters who come into care, and contact for siblings who - whether in the short- or long-term - have different living arrangements. The expert guest is Shelagh Beckett, an independent social worker and consultant specialising in this area, and author of Coram BAAF’s Beyond together or apart: planning for, assessing and placing sibling groups (https://corambaaf.org.uk/books/beyond-together-or-apart-sibling-adoption-fostering). The questions were asked by Joanna Silman, content editor at Community Care Inform. 1.59 – What are the key challenges for practitioners when siblings come into care? 3:48 – How should social workers approach assessments and evidence, especially when siblings are initially placed in separate arrangements, for pragmatic or other reasons? Examples of difficult decisions regarding long-term separation. 12.14 – How can practitioners explain to children why they are living separately from siblings? 15.14 – What do research and practice experience say is important when arranging sibling contact if children are separated? 20.52 - How can social workers best support children and carers when siblings are placed together? 27.35 – How should introducing multiple siblings into the same family be approached? Community Care Inform subscribers can access additional resources and a written transcript of the podcast: https://www.ccinform.co.uk/learning-tools/siblings-placements-and-contact-podcast/ And if you want to hear more, in 2019 we published an episode of the podcast on child to parent violence, with Helen Bonnick and Jane Griffiths https://www.spreaker.com/user/communitycare/child-parent-violence-edit and in 2017 we spoke to Julie Selwyn and Elaine Dibben about adoption disruption https://www.spreaker.com/user/communitycare/adoption-disruption References Beckett, S (2018) Beyond together or apart: planning for, assessing and placing sibling groups. Coram BAAF, London

Welcome to Learn on the go, a Community Care Inform podcast where we discuss what the latest research, practice models and policy mean to your practice. This episode is about the forced marriage of adults with learning disabilities and discusses, among other things, the signs to look out for that suggest someone might be at risk of forced marriage and the social work role in safeguarding against it. Answering questions are Rachael Clawson, assistant professor of social work at Nottingham university, and Luthfa Khan, forced marriage service lead at Respond. The questions were asked by Natalie Valios, senior content editor for Community Care Inform Adults.

Welcome to Learn on the go, a Community Care Inform podcast where we discuss what the latest research, practice models and policy guidance mean to your practice. This episode is about child and adolescent to parent abuse. It covers how this form of abuse is defined, what is known about when and why it occurs, how social workers can support families, both when there are specific programmes in place and what they can do themselves. We also explore the links and differences with domestic abuse. Discussing these questions are Helen Bonnick, social worker specialising in this area and Jane Griffiths, parent-child therapist, consultant and trainer. The questions were asked by Joanna Silman content editor at Community Care Inform. Helen Bonnick’s website is holesinthewall.co.uk and her book is Child to Parent Violence and Abuse: a practitioners guide to working with families, Pavilion Publishing, 2019. Jane’s Facebook page for families and professionals is Capauk (https://www.facebook.com/Capauk-1232850886885882/) 2:31 – What is child to parent violence and abuse and what do we know about when and why it takes place? 9.37 – How can you identify if a family is experiencing ‘normal’ behaviour and boundary pushing. or abuse? 13.58 - How should social workers respond and work with families? 26.01 – What research says 29.55 – Working with different ages Community Care Inform subscribers can access additional resources and a written transcript of the podcast: https://www.ccinform.co.uk/learning-tools/child-or-adolescent-to-parent-abuse-podcast And if you want to hear more, in 2017 we published an episode of the podcast discussing adoption disruption, with researcher Julie Selwyn and Elaine Dibben from CoramBAAF https://www.spreaker.com/episode/16966372 References BBC (2019) Domestic violence: Child-parent abuse doubles in three years BBC News, 7th August 2019 Condry R, & Miles C (2014) ‘Adolescent to parent violence: Framing and mapping a hidden problem‘. Criminology & Criminal Justice, 14(3), 257–275. Holt A & Shon P (2016) ‘Exploring Fatal and Non-Fatal Violence Against Parents: Challenging the Orthodoxy of Abused Adolescent Perpetrators‘. International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology. 62. 1 Holt, A (2015) ‘Adolescent-to-Parent Abuse as a Form of “Domestic Violence”: A Conceptual Review‘. Trauma, violence & abuse. 17 Northumberland LSCB (2018) APVA: Briefing note for professionals Wilcox P et al (2015) Responding to Child to Parent Violence RCPV, Brighton

Welcome to Learn on the go, a Community Care Inform podcast where we discuss what the latest research, practice models, legislation and policy guidance mean to your practice. This episode is about the Liberty Protection Safeguards which will replace Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards. Questions were sent in by Inform Adults' subscribers and they cover a variety of issues, including which professionals will be required to carry out assessments and the pre-authorisation review under the LPS; the requirements of care homes; and the role of approved mental capacity professionals. The questions are answered by Tim Spencer-Lane, a lawyer specialising in mental capacity and mental health law, and they are asked by Natalie Valios, senior content editor of Community Care Inform Adults. We apologise for some issues with the sound quality during this podcast. 1:40 - Level of training, status in an organisation and/or professional registration for the assessors for each assessment or those making determinations, pre-authorisers, and authorisers. 5:26 - Is the pre-authoriser anticipated to be a different person than the person giving the authorisation, or could this be the same person? 7:32 - How will managers of care homes who are able to authorise depriving someone of their liberty, if it is indeed the case, be regulated and monitored? 9:14 - Will social care staff be expected to monitor every application and countersign before authorisation is granted? And if so, will this role fall to senior staff and managers or any qualified worker involved? 10:01 - Who will determine if the person subject to the LPS is objecting? 13:22 - Are local authorities expected to hold a pool of AMCPs that other responsible bodies access? 16:11 - The mental health assessment requires evidence of mental disorder. How is that going to be evidenced? 18:07 - Will there be guidance to the precise capacity question being assessed? At present there appears a gap between consenting to the accommodation for purpose of care compared to the wider decision care managers often assess, which looks at a person’s ability to choose between the available options. 20:12 - Will the length of authorisation differ between DoLS and LPS? 22:15 - Will the LPS apply in hospices and if so, will this be the responsibility of the responsible body of where the individual normally resides or the location of the hospice, if they’re different? 23:54 - What’s going to happen to the relevant person’s representative role? 25:50 - Are there any plans to refine the definition of deprivation of liberty? 27:23 - How will the backlog be managed under the LPS? 28:59 - What will the role of the Care Quality Commission be in relation to LPS? Community Care Inform subscribers can access additional resources and a written transcript of the podcast: https://adults.ccinform.co.uk/practice-guidance/liberty-protection-safeguards-podcast-transcript/

Welcome to Learn on the go, a Community Care Inform podcast where we discuss what the latest research, practice models and policy guidance mean to your practice. This episode is about neglect, poverty and affluence. It covers what neglect is, how it might manifest differently depending on the socioeconomic status of a family, and how social work practice can avoid penalising families in poverty for factors beyond their control. Discussing these questions are Claudia Bernard, professor of social work At Goldsmiths, University of London, and Brigid Featherstone, professor of social work at Huddersfield University. The questions were asked by Ruth Hardy, content editor at Community Care Inform. 2:04 – What is neglect? 3:20 – Are there any links between neglect and the socioeconomic status of a family? 6:58 - What assumptions or unconscious biases might social workers have when working with either families who are in poverty or families who are affluent? 15:25 - How can social workers avoid penalising families living in poverty for factors beyond their control? 20:32 - When social workers are working with affluent families, how can social workers manage that relationship and balance of power? Community Care Inform subscribers can access additional resources and a written transcript of the podcast: https://www.ccinform.co.uk/learning-tools/neglect-poverty-and-affluence-podcast/ And if you want to hear more, in 2018 we published an episode of the podcast on poverty, child protection and the care system, with Professor Paul Bywaters and Professor Andy Bilson https://www.spreaker.com/user/communitycare/poverty-child-protection-and-the-care-sy References Bernard, C (2017) An exploration of how social workers engage neglectful parents from affluent backgrounds in the child protection system Goldsmiths, University of London Bywaters, P; Bunting, L; Davidson, G; Hanratty, J; Mason, W; McCartan, C and Steils, N (2016) The relationship between poverty, child abuse and neglect: an evidence review York: Joseph Rowntree Foundation Department of Health (2000) Framework for the Assessment of Children in Need and their Families London: The Stationery Office Featherstone, B et al (2019) ‘Poverty, inequality, child abuse and neglect: Changing the conversation across the UK in child protection? Children and Youth Services Review, Volume 97, pp127-133 HM Government (2018) Working Together to Safeguard Children

Welcome to Learn on the go, a Community Care Inform podcast where we discuss what the latest research, practice models and policy guidance mean to your practice. This episode is about social work supervision. It covers why supervision is important, what good supervision can do, and if supervision can and does make a difference to children and families. Discussing these questions are David Wilkins, senior lecturer in social work at the Cascade Research Centre at Cardiff University, and Tom Stibbs, principal social worker for children and families for Brighton and Hove City Council. The questions were asked by Ruth Hardy, content editor at Community Care Inform. Community Care Inform Children subscribers can access a full written transcript of the episode, plus key learning points and messages from research: https://www.ccinform.co.uk/learning-tools/learn-on-the-go-podcast-social-work-supervision 2:38: Why is supervision important and what should good supervision do? 9:07: Does supervision need to be reflective? 15:52: What makes for good supervision? 28:18: How can supervision help children and families? 30:55: Final thoughts Due to poor audio quality we had to remove Tom’s answer to the question on whether supervision can help the people social workers work with. Instead we’ve transcribed this: Tom Stibbs:Yes, certainly I think it should and it can help the people that social workers work with. I think, as David has said as well, that doesn’t mean that it always does. I think in terms of how it does, I think it goes back to those ideas we’ve been talking about, about how workers reflecting on their practice and their feelings about working with families can actually lead to purposeful planning that makes a difference for families. So actually it’s about reflection that leads to action that does make a difference for families. So that’s something that supervision should be providing. I think as well just picking up on David’s quote there from Donald Forrester, or a phrase from Donald Forrester, it made me think of another phrase from Donald Forrester, or a phrase that he helped us think about in terms of our model, which is that actually what supervision is trying to do is to help social workers be the best that they can be. And if we do that, that might actually mean that they can help families to be the best that they can be. So actually about us providing that emotional containment to social workers actually means that they can make a difference in terms of working with families. I think that obviously we do have examples about how that sort of approach in supervision and that kind of curiosity that David was talking about does make a difference in terms of what social workers then go and do in terms of their work with families. And you know, just simple questions as well. You know, things like social workers talking about how they’re working with families in group supervision and then planning, rehearsing, practising how they might talk to families in group supervision. Or even taking back to families that, ‘I’m talking about the work that I’m doing with you in my group supervision and this is what some of my colleagues said we might need to think about.’ So there’s very practical ways that group supervision or other forms of supervision might affect how social workers support families. Some of the evaluation that we’ve done around our different forms of supervision through our social work health check, which we call Your Voice survey, the feedback we get from social workers is positive in terms of the impact of especially one-to-one supervision but also reflective practice groups and group supervision. And they are positive in their feedback not just about the emotional aspect and the support they get but they do also give positive feedback in terms of it making a difference to their practice. But I recognise that that’s based on self-report, and I know David’s been working on this with colleagues as well, that there’s more work we could do around actually looking at the detail of how supervision then makes a difference to practice. But I think obviously it’s really important that we recognise that the purpose of supervision is about making a difference for the families that social workers are supporting. References Bogo, M and McKnight, K (2006) ‘Clinical supervision in social work‘ The Clinical Supervisor, Volume 24, Issue 1/2, pp49–67 Bogo, M; Regehr, C; Logie, C; Katz, E; Mylopoulos, M and Regehr, G (2011) ‘Adapting objective structured clinical examinations to assess social work students’ performance and reflections‘ Journal of Social Work Education, Volume 47, Issue 1, pp5-18 Bogo, M; Regehr, C; Power, R and Regehr, G (2007) ‘When values collide‘ The Clinical Supervisor, Volume 26, Issue1/2, pp99–117 Jones, J (2014) A Report for the Centre for Social Work Practice on Reflective Practice Group Models in Social Work Centre for Social Work Practice Wilkins, D and Antonopoulou, V (2019) What Does Supervision Help With? A Survey of 315 Social Workers in the UK’ Practice, Volume 31, Issue 1, pp21-40 Wilkins, D; Forrester, D and Grant, L (2017) ‘What happens in child and family social work supervision?’ Child and Family Social Work, Volume 22, Issue 2, pp942–951 Wilkins, D and Jones, R (2018) ‘Simulation supervision: How do managers respond to a crisis?‘ European Journal of Social Work, Volume 21,Issue 3, pp454–466 Wilkins, D; Khan, M; Stabler, L et al (2018) ‘Evaluating the Quality of Social Work Supervision in UK Children’s Services: Comparing Self-Report and Independent Observations’ Clinical Social Work Journal, Volume 46, Issue 4, pp350-360 Wilkins, D; Lynch, A and Antonopoulou, V (2018) ‘A golden thread? The relationship between supervision, practice and family engagement in child and family social work’ Child and Family Social Work, Volume 23, Issue 3, pp494–503 Wilkins, D and Whittaker, C (2017) ‘Doing child-protection social work with parents: What are the barriers in practice?’ British Journal of Social Work, Volume 48, Issue 7, pp2003-2019

Trigger warning This content discusses issues of self-harm, mental health and suicide. Please take the time to consider your own mental health, and seek support if you need it. In the UK, the Samaritans can be reached for free on 116 123. Welcome to Learn on the go, a Community Care Inform podcast where we discuss what the latest research, practice models and policy guidance mean to your practice. This episode is about looked-after children and self-harm. It covers what self-harm is, why looked-after children are more at risk of self-harming, and how social workers can support young people and carers. Discussing these questions are Judith Furnivall, lecturer and consultancy lead at the Centre for Excellence for Children’s Care and Protection at the University of Strathclyde, and Dr Eileen Harkness-Murphy, lecturer at the School of Health and Life Sciences in the University of the West of Scotland. The questions were asked by Ruth Hardy, content editor at Community Care Inform. 2:34: What is self-harm and what behaviours can it include? 7:30: Research suggests that about half of looked-after children meet the criteria for a mental health disorder, which is a much higher figure than the general population. Why is this? 12:44: What are the risk factors for self-harm? 22:59: How can social workers support young people waiting for a mental health referral? 27:40: General good practice principles when working with young people who self-harm. This content covers some difficult and sensitive issues, so please take the time to consider your own mental health, and seek support if you need it. In the UK, the Samaritans can be reached for free on 116 123. References Beautrais, A L (2000) 'Risk factors for suicide and attempted suicide among young people' Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, Volume 34, pp236–420 Brophy, M; Holmstrom, R and Flynn, K (2006) Truth Hurts Report of the National Inquiry into Self-harm among Young People Cukrowicz, K; Wingate, L; Driscoll, K and Joiner, T (2004) 'A standard of care for the assessment of suicide risk and associated treatment: The Florida State University Psychology Clinic as an example' Journal of Contemporary Psychotherapy, Volume 34, pp87-100 Hales, H; Davison, S; Misch, P and Taylor, P J (2003) 'Young male prisoners in a young offenders’ institution: their contact with suicidal behaviour by others' Journal of Adolescence, Volume 26, pp667-685 Harkess-Murphy, E (2011) 'Self-harm and psychosocial risk characteristics : a study of three student cohorts within West Central Scotland' PhD Thesis, University of the West of Scotland Harkness-Murphy, E; Macdonald, J and Ramsay, J (2013) 'Self-harm and psychosocial characteristics of looked after and looked after and accommodated young people' Psychology, Health and Medicine, Volume 18, Issue 3, pp289-99 Hasking, P; Momeni, R; Swannell, S and Chia, S (2008) 'The Nature and Extent of Non-Suicidal Self-Injury in a Non-Clinical Sample of Young Adults' Archives of Suicide Research, Volume 12, pp208-218 Hawton, K; Rodham, K; Evans, E and Weatherall, R (2002) 'Deliberate self harm in adolescents: self report survey in schools in England' British Medical Journal, Volume 325, pp1207-1211 House of Commons Education Committee (2016) Mental health and wellbeing of looked-after children London, House of Commons Meltzer, H; Lader, D; Corbin, T; Goodman, R and Ford, T (2004) The mental health of young people looked after by local authorities in Scotland Edinburgh: The Stationery Office Mental Health Foundation (undated) The Truth About Self-harm London, Mental Health Foundation Mind (2016) Understanding Self-harm London, Mind Muehlenkamp, J J; Hoff, E R; Licht, J-G; Azure, J A and Hasenzahl, S J (2008) 'Rates of non-suicidal self-injury: A cross-sectional analysis of exposure' Current Psychology: A Journal for Diverse Perspectives on Diverse Psychological Issues, Volume 27, Issue 4, pp234-241 NICE (2014) Self-harm: Summary NICE Clinical Knowledge Summaries O’Connor, R C and Nock, M K (2014) 'The psychology of suicidal behaviour' The Lancet. Psychiatry, Volume 1, Issue 1, pp73–85 O’Connor, R; Rasmussen, S; Miles, J and Hawton, K (2009a) 'Deliberate self-harm in adolescents: self-report survey in schools in Scotland' British Journal of Psychiatry, Volume 194, pp68-72 Prinstein, M J; Heilbron, N; Guerry, J D; Franklin, J C; Rancourt, D; Simon, V and Spirito, A (2010) 'Peer Influence and Nonsuicidal Self-Injury: Longitudinal Results in Community and Clinically-Referred Adolescent Samples' Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, Volume 38, pp669-682 Scottish Government (2011) Responding to Self Harm in Scotland: final report Edinburgh, The Scottish Government