Course Overview:

This course aims to arm Social Workers working with children, young people and their families, with the skills needed to identify the signs for early intervention and support. They will learn how to undertake competent investigations and to collect and analyse evidence effectively. This will help them make correct decisions around care and support, risk assessments and care planning on behalf a child.

Delegates will consider the relevant legislation concerning children, to include:

• The welfare checklist.
• Private law applications.
• Child in need.
• Voluntary accommodation.
• The threshold criteria and permanence.

They will identify and consider the different responses, provisions and orders available to children’s social care when deciding how best to safeguard a child and promote their best interests.

Delegates will learn how to front load, the steps included in the pre-proceedings process, the different court hearing stages and timescales within the relaunched Public Law Outline, the orders the family courts can make, plus permanency options for the child.

The course is designed to cover the theory during the first two days, including the legal framework, different types of evidence, the impact of human rights, the importance of the child’s voice and the sharing of information.

On the third day, delegates will learn how to produce well-structured, court compliantstatements and reports which will promote the child’s best interests and assist the court in its decision making. The main aim is to insulate the statements from prolonged challenge from cross-examination. During the course of the third day, we will consider note taking and record keeping, section 7 and 37 reports, social work evidence templates, PAMS assessments and care plans. Delegates will also be provided with a court report or SWET to critique through the eyes of the Judge.

On the final day of the course delegates will familiarise themselves with the court process by considering:

• The role of a social worker as a witness.
• The court process.
• The court layout.
• The process in the witness box.
• Preparation for giving evidence as well as the techniques used by lawyers to undermine and discredit social workers.
• In the afternoon, delegates will put into practice what they have learnt and undergo cross-examination in a mock courtroom as well as receiving feedback on their performance.

Key Learning Outcomes

By the end of the course delegates will be able to:

• Describe what NHS Continuing Healthcare is.
• Explain the ICB and LA duties in relation to NHS CHC.
• Identify how to refer a person for assessment for NHS CHC.
• Explain the “primary health need” eligibility concept.
• Recognise the importance of evidence in the NHS CHC process to support clear reasoned evidence-based decisions.
• Outline the key principles of assessment and decision making during the MDT meeting.
• Consider the Government support tools used during the process of assessment to include Checklist Tool, Decision Support Tool and Fast-track Tool.
• Recognise the importance of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 around capacity and consent, focusing on placing the individual and/or family/representative at the centre of the process.
• Describe the role of the CCG in care planning and case management in NHS CHC cases.
• Explain the process of reviews, appeals and dispute resolution.
• Evaluate the pre proceedings process.
• Evaluate the different stages of case management within court proceedings.
• Enhance how the pre-proceedings process can be used to reduce the need for emergency applications being made to the court.
• Define the threshold criteria.
• Evaluate relevant evidence to meet the ‘threshold criteria’.
• Specify the different types of harm.
• Outline the applications and orders available to social workers to assist in adequately safeguarding children.
• Improve best practice in note taking and record keeping.
• Evaluate a social work assessment that truly reflects a child’s needs and the risks around them.
• Evaluate a social work statement that truly reflects a child’s needs and the risks around them with reference to the SWET.
• Evaluate a social work care plan that truly reflects a child’s needs and the risks around them.
• Enhance their conclusion or recommendation by linking it with factual evidence in the case via persuasive analysis.
• Outline how witness familiarisation assists with presenting a case to a judge with confidence.
• Identify how witness familiarisation assists a witness to prepare to give evidence with confidence.