Abbie Parker

I facilitate multi-agency child protection conferences, to ensure children are subject to the correct safeguarding plans (child protection or child in need plans) to manage the identified risks. I use my knowledge and experience of threshold and risk in order to make decisions. I ensure I include all of the knowledge and expertise of other agencies and ensure their contribution into discussion and planning. I use my skills to manage these highly emotive meetings which at times are faced with challenges . I use strength-based and solution focused skills to ensure families feel heard in what is working well for them and how to build upon this.

I read prepared reports from different agencies working with the family. I speak to the allocated social worker to ensure they have completed statutory duties such as sharing the assessment with the family and to ask questions so I understand how to facilitate the conference to best meet the needs of the family. I speak to the family prior to conference to ensure they understand what the meeting is set to achieve and how I run these meetings. I ensure they understand the potential outcomes and that they have an opportunities to ask questions and share their views. If appropriate, I will also speak to the child or young person before conference. I will try my best to include children in their conferences, where appropriate and safe.

I completed a summary letter to all attendee's after the conference.

I managed a team of up to 24 specialist intensive workers. This included parenting assessors, recovery workers and CAMHS specialists as well as students at times. The intensive support the team provided was to a very specific cohort of families within children's services (edge of care children, reunifying children, children subject to pre-proceedings, pregnant mother's). I would read the referrals and allocate to families to intensive or specialist workers dependent on their skill base. I offered formal and informal supervision on a regularly basis. I supported workers with creative work plans to support the families progress. I had a lot of communication with team managers in the social work teams as well as social workers to ensure the hub were involved with the right families to support change.

I managed a team of social workers and assistant team managers who were holding high case loads of children subject to child protection and child in need plans. I offered formal and inform supervision to support progress for families. I used experience to think together with multi-agencies to creative work plans to facilitate change and encourage engagement. I thrived to ensure statutory duties were met, children's plans were progressing and not only that children were seen but their voices heard. I read many assessment to decide on whether their was a long term role for children's services. I supported newly qualified social workers and students within the team. I chaired an array of different meetings which included professionals meetings, plan review meetings, public law outline meetings. Families open to the service were experiencing an array of issues and risks including domestic abuse, unstable emotional well-being, alcohol and substance misuse, significant trauma and ACES which I have knowledge of.

Supported the team manager if offering formal and informal supervision to members of the team - family support workers, social workers, newly qualified or student social workers. Supporting the team manager in chairing meetings on their behalf. Managed workflow when required, such as allocating assessments and investigations. Facilitated peer supervision and team meetings. Assisted the team manager in ensuring statutory duties are met by regularly chasing assessments, visits and plans. Assisted workers with joint visiting to more challenging or complex situations. Families open to the service were experiencing an array of issues and risks including domestic abuse, unstable emotional well-being, alcohol and substance misuse, significant trauma and ACES which I have knowledge of.

I managed a complex case load of families subject to various levels of planning - child in need, child protection, public law outline. I completed statutory visits and undertook direct work. I completed assessments, investigations, meeting minutes and recorded all of my intervention confidentially. I managed care proceedings which involved writing court assessments - parenting assessments, sibling assessments and evidence. I contributed regularly to meetings with multi-agencies and had regular communications with other agencies working with my allocated families. I worked within statutory obligations and legislation relevant - The Children's Act, Human Rights Act & Equality Act.

I was supported through my first year as a newly qualified social worker, where I was mentored and supervised learning statutory duties and good quality practice. After passing my newly qualified year, I continued to work as a qualified social worker, managing a case load of families and gaining experiencing writing assessment, understanding safeguarding visits, contributing to planning and reviewing meetings and starting to write private law reports and shadowing care proceedings.