Confirmation today the Early Career Framework (ECF) is coming to social work, replacing the ASYE with a 5 year programme. Government promises it will "improve retention" and ensure "strong start" for SWs. Funny, it has had the exact opposite impact in education. A 🧵 1/8

Sometimes social work is putting the kettle on at half twelve and never actually getting round to making a brew.

Does anyone else keep seeing these government adverts and think ALL housing should be safe, secure and well maintained not only social housing?

How childhood trauma could be mistaken for ADHD ow.ly/RSiE50NwAgn

After several delays, the government has announced it is pausing the Liberty Protection Safeguards - find out more from this piece by our legal editor Tim Spencer-Lane tinyurl.com/4997p68t

I’m writing about professional home visits. Is that large object in the sitting room that social workers and others so often sit on the sofa, settee, couch …? What determines the use of terminology: social class? Gender? Place? Nationality? …

Since starting a qualified role with asylum seeking children, I've not produced many political drawings; I think because I can't think too deeply about the harshness of systems around them. But last weeks news story about welcoming cartoons being painted over really got to me 😡

I don't know who needs to hear this but: Social care assessments should always be based on an individuals needs, irrespective of whether there is currently a service or intervention available to meet that need.

My foster lad got 3s and a single 5. After all he has been through, seeing all the effort he put in. I could not be prouder. The system is wrong, it fails far, far too many. He is no failure and he will bloom at college...no thanks to compulsory education.

Another year, another real terms pay cut for Social Workers this time roughly 6%, cumitavely more than a 25% cut over the last 10 years. communitycare.co.uk/2023/11/01/uni…

Today's announcement on immigration should set alarm bells ringing for the social care sector. We know there are 152,000 vacancies and people are struggling to access the care and support they need: 🧵

This could be a game changer! A bill for universal screening of children for both dyslexia and neurodiversity at primary school and also ensuring teachers get the training they need to support them. I hope this will get through Parliament this session.

My hometown Blackpool has today been identified as having the highest number of children in care in the country. Health Equity North found that 1 in 52 children there rely on the state for their protection.  That is no coincidence. For decades, the government has failed to 🧵

Meet Sam. The rest of his school year are off to Alton Towers next week. He's not going with them. Here's why... 🧵👇

Kids in care understandably need LONGER childhoods than most. Yet they’re often forced into SHORTER childhoods. Supported lodgings, living alone, at 18 or younger. This will never be ok.

One consequence of the failure to appreciate children’s homes and to invest proportionately is that the burden of care has been shifted to foster families, often with catastrophic impact on young people.

The campaign to make care experience a protected characteristic is gaining momentum every single day. Every single child in our care system deserves the chance to live a good life. #changeiscoming

Did the USA just outdo the whole of Paris 2024 in 20 minutes #ClosingCeremony