The Role of the Social Worker

A social worker has a specific role and must register with the Social Care Council in order to work as a social worker. Social workers also have to show that they have undertaken the required training and development. There are some statutory tasks that only a registered social worker employed by a local authority may undertake. These include:

• Undertaking child protection investigations.
• Undertaking initial, core, foster and adoption assessments.
• Developing and driving the Child Protection (or CIN) plan.
• Initiating legal proceedings to apply for a range of orders including admitting children to the care system and placing them for adoption.
• Developing and driving the LAC care plan, which covers all the needs of the child including rehabilitation, his/her health, educationand after care arrangements.
• Undertaking key worker (Lead Professional) function for LAC and discharging the parental responsibilities in partnership with parents depending upon the legal status of the child. This includes primary responsibility for promoting the health, education  and welfare of the child.
• Leaving care functions.
• Independent Reviewing Officer functions.

The above is taken from Children Social Services Index of Social Work Tasks and Responsibilities.

The Role of the Fostering Social Worker:

1. Recruitment, assessment and training of new foster carers.
2. Supervision, support, planned and unannounced visits, reviews and training of existing carers.
3. Preparation of reports and reassessments to the Fostering Panel, investigations of complaints and allegations, undertaking risk assessments.
4. Assisting children's social workers, attending reviews and planning meetings, chairing placement agreement meetings.
5. Matching and placing children.
6. Assimilating and disseminating theory and practice developments.
7. Running support groups and training courses.
8. Multi agency liaison.
9. Managing duty, out of hours support to carers and emergency placements.
10. Dealing with placement requests and liaising with social workers.

Taken from A Social Worker Guide to the Kent County Council Foster Care Service.