As an agency who work across social care and education we are pleased to see more collaboration occurring between the two. A recent trial placing Social Work Practitioners into schools found some evidence that this helped to reduce social care referrals.
The Department for Education has funded the pilot scheme with £6.5 million. Originally in 3 areas the pilot has now been extended to 21 areas. Targeting secondary schools the intervention is designed to reduce referrals for Child Protection and Children in Need through early intervention and the Public Law Outline. Starting the beginning of the new term the extension will run until March 2021 with the following councils taking part:
- Croydon
- Cumbria
- Devon
- Ealing
- Gateshead
- Haringey
- Harrow
- Hull
- Lambeth
- Merton
- Newcastle
- Salford
- Southwark
- Staffordshire
- Swindon
- Tameside
- Tower Hamlets
- Wirral
- Wolverhampton
Find out more here: https://whatworks-csc.org.uk/about/