Introduction: Social Care Practice Standards
Social Care Practice Standards
A commitment to embedding practice standards will play a vital role in making St Helens Council a child friendly community where children feel safe, where joint working to improve outcomes for the most vulnerable children, will improve, and where compliance is evidenced.
At the heart of this document is a new, restorative philosophy that seeks to work with children, young people and families, building on their strengths to better manage the risks and challenges they face.
Standards are the rules that describe the (minimum) service or practice that can be expected by the service user. Most of them are legally set through government legislation and guidance, or are based on evidence based research. They are mandatory for all workers. These standards are based on our legal responsibilities but set out the high quality expected of our staff through the continuum of need when supporting our families to be safe and achieve to their full potential.
St Helens practice standards are based on four key questions asked by workers prior to and after every decision they make:
- How does the child feel?
- What does it feel like living in the family?
- How is our intervention impacting on improving the child's circumstances?
- How do we achieve this?
Commitment to supporting and developing Outstanding staff
St Helens recognise that practice standards whilst forming the basis and expectations for staff working with children will not be achieved without;
- Exceptional leadership driven by passionate managers who strive for every child to be safe, receiving the right support at the right time
- Organisational commitment to reflective practice and learning
Have workers who are;
- Passionate about achieving the best for our children and families
- Employ professional judgment and expertise
- Have a strong value base displaying care, compassion, and respect
- Are confident, creative and disciplined
- Develop themselves, learn from others, and effectively use their knowledge
- Are natural advocates who think, act, and empower
- Reflect, adapt, and change
- Strive to be the best and bring the best out in others
Home Visit online form Direct Work Support sheet online form
Standards
The child's journey
Supervision
Managers foot print
Case recordings
First home visit
First contact assessment through MASH
Early help
Early Help Assessment Action Plan Review
Family Action Meeting Plan
Child and Family assessment
Child in Need meetings
Strategy meeting
S47
Child Protection conference
Core groups
Working with children subject to Child Protection planning including Statutory visits
The role of the IRO in chairing Child protection conferences
Transfer between teams
Looked after children
Early Permanence
Permanence
Working with Children in Care, including statutory visits
IRO Practice standards for Looked after children
Adoption assessment
Supporting adoptive placements
Adoption support
Adoption family finding
Non Agency adoption
Relinquished babies
Fostering assessing social worker
Support to foster carers